Which are some of the awards associated with Jawaharlal Nehru?

The most prestigious award received by Jawaharlal Nehru was the ‘Bharat Ratna’ in 1955 – India’s highest civilian honour. President Rajendra Prasad conferred this honour on him without consulting him, the prime minister, as was the normal constitutional procedure.

The ‘Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding’ is an international award presented by the Government of India in honour of Nehru.

The award was established in 1965 and was first awarded to U Thant, the former Secretary-General of the United Nations. Some of the other famous recipients of the award are Martin Luther King Jr., Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Mother Teresa and Nelson Mandela.

The ‘Nehru Trophy’ is awarded to the fastest snake boat in the snake boat race or ‘VaIlam Kali’ held in Kerala’s Alappuzha district in the month of August. The race was inaugurated in 1952 by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

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How was Nehru a prolific communicator?

One of the greatest gifts of Jawaharlal Nehru was his ability to communicate. His ‘Tryst with Destiny’ speech, delivered on the eve of India’s Independence is widely regarded as one of the finest speeches of the 20th century. His political and campaign speeches established a deep connection with the masses and garnered votes as well as public sentiment for him.

Apart from his speeches and conversations, Nehru was also a prolific writer. His writings reveal his sensitivity, his deep moral sense and his vision. He wrote historical, autobiographical and political works, some of which have become classics, such as The Discovery of India, Glimpses of World History and Letters from a Father to his Daughter.

In addition, Nehru also made it a point to write fortnightly letters to the chief ministers of all the states of India. His letters covered law and order, national planning, advice regarding governance, corruption and world events. A few of these letters were collected and published as books such as Selected works of Jawaharlal Nehru and Letters for a Nation: From Jawaharlal Nehru to his Chief Ministers 1947-1963.

Nehru was a great promoter of the freedom of the press. He believed that having a free press was vital for the health of democracy and that it was necessary to criticize persons in authority.

He conducted regular interactions with the press and hosted Press Conferences every month at the Parliament House and later at Vigyan Bhavan. This was a unique event that lasted about 90 minutes where Nehru would answer questions pertaining to any issue that the journalists wanted to discuss.

These conferences were a vital communication between journalists and Nehru, and made the prime minister accessible and accountable to the public. These meetings were a testimony to Nehru’s style of governance which was open, accessible and accountable.

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What was Nehru’s Involvement in the world of cinema?

Not many know that Nehru was a cinephile who encouraged Indian cinema, especially films that carried a positive message. Post-Independence, many viewed films as an uncultured and boorish form of entertainment. However, Nehru saw potential in this medium and encouraged films as a tool for communication. He saw an opportunity for the country to shape its identity through films.

He set up the Film Enquiry Committee (FEC) in 1949, which led to the development of the Film Industry in India. Nehru also used this emerging medium to advantage in the field of diplomatic relations. He included film stars such as Prithviraj Kapoor, Raj Kapoor and Nargis as part of cultural delegations to Russia and Egypt, where the popularity of Indian cinema soared.

Nehru himself was portrayed in a number of short films and documentaries. Nehru’s character has been played multiple times by Roshan Seth - in Richard Attenborough’s 1982 film Gandhi, in Shyam Benegal’s 1988 television series Bharat Ek Khoj (which was based on Nehru’s book, The Discovery of India) and in a 2007 TV film titled The Last Days of the Raj. Benegal also directed the 1984 documentary film Nehru, which covered his political career and used real footage of Nehru instead of a depiction by an actor.

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What made Nehru such an iconic world figure?

Nehru was not only the most popular Prime Minister of India, but a prominent figure even on the global stage. India had based her freedom struggle on the values of peaceful opposition and non-violent protest. This unique strategy garnered considerable attention and respect globally and earned India and her leaders of the time, especially Nehru, iconic status.

Nehru had a finger on the pulse of the nation. He had a special rapport with the humble farmer as well as the intellectual youth of India. The masses that he addressed trusted and loved him. He was deeply connected to ground realities and initiated many agricultural reforms. At the same time, his modern, progressive vision drew talented new blood into the Congress.

He belonged to a prominent family who were well-educated and prosperous. Because of this he was exposed to the cream of society and had a classical Western education. He was thus able to straddle both the humble world of the rural peasant and the hallowed halls of high society with equal ease.

He was widely admired for his idealism and statesmanship. He stood apart from other politicians because of the sincerity of his actions. He was motivated by the desire to only serve and not to gather power or wealth for himself. He was a courageous and powerful leader who ensured that democracy took firm root in India.

He is unique because he held absolute power ever since he took office as the first prime minister of India till his death in 1964, but never let power corrupt him. While he lived, he defended the freedom of the marginalized and the voiceless and worked tirelessly to modernize and strengthen India. He was not just a leader and statesman but a beloved and admired guardian and founder of Indian democracy.

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How was Nehru cremated?

Nehru’s death marked the end of an era. Condolence messages poured in from Commonwealth countries as well as from leaders all across the world. His life was one of long endeavour, unfailing service and exemplary idealism. Dignitaries from 17 countries attended his funeral. Such was his charisma and stature that even his adversaries honoured him, including President Ayub Khan of Pakistan, who called him a “great Indian leader who commanded not only admiration but the devotion of his people”. The West Pakistan Provincial Assembly adjourned without transacting business after observing two minutes silence in memory of the “great freedom fighter”.

In India his body was draped in the National Flag and he was accorded a state funeral with full military honours. Flag officers of the Indian Armed Forces maintained a constant vigil over his body till 28 May when his body was borne on a ceremonial gun carriage to the banks of the Yamuna River.

The masses who revered Nehru in life gathered in full force to pay their last respects. Around 1.5 million people lined the streets of New Delhi to catch a final glimpse of him.

According to Nehru’s wishes, a handful of his ashes were thrown into the Ganga and the rest were carried and scattered over fields. He had said that “I want these to be carried high up into the air in an aeroplane and scattered from that height over the fields where the peasants of India toil, so that they might mingle with the dust and soil of India and become an indistinguishable part of India.”

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How did Jawaharlal Nehru die?

Nehru had been suffering from ill health for some time and had even considered resigning twice from the Prime minister’s post at the age of 74. However, due to the enormity of his responsibilities he was unable to do so.

In January of 1964, Jawaharlal Nehru suffered a stroke. Although he was partially paralyzed, he continued in office for another three months. Senior colleagues handled his ministerial duties, though he insisted on dealing with official papers himself, which he did right up to the evening before he died.

Nehru spent the last four days of his life from May 23 to 26, 1964 in Dehradun, his favourite getaway. An eye-witness account by journalist Raj Kanwar recounts that he sat under his favourite camphor tree and listened to the birds in the wooded grounds of Circuit House, now Raj Bhawan during these days.

He was restless the night before his death and woke one last time at 6.30 am before falling into a coma. He died on 27 May at 1.44 pm. His daughter Indira Gandhi was by his side at his death.

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What made Nehru work so tirelessly?

It is said that Jawaharlal Nehru heard of General Dyer boasting about the Amritsar Massacre. Shocked and appalled at the brutal act and the lack of regret over the loss of lives on the part of the British, Nehru made up his mind to work tirelessly for India’s freedom.

He joined the Indian National Congress that same year in 1919 and developed a rigorous work routine that lasted 17 hours a day, seven days a week. He seldom took holidays and worked tirelessly for his country’s independence. He was imprisoned in total for a period of nine years, longer than anyone, including Mahatma Gandhi. During this time he wrote a number of books, including his autobiography titled Towards Freedom which was published in 1936.

He was a prolific writer and has written over 100 volumes running into 70,000 pages of reading matter! In the world of literature, Nehru is ranked along with Bernard Shaw, George Orwell, Bertrand Russell and Winston Churchill. When one considers his busy political life before and after independence, this is quite remarkable.

After India got its independence in 1947 after long years of struggle, Nehru became our first Prime Minister. But Nehru’s struggle for freedom did not stop with the British leaving India. He made it his life’s mission to protect minorities in India and defend individual freedom as well. Though it was Dr. B. R. Ambedkar who formulated the Constitution, it was Nehru who fought tirelessly to ensure that the country remained secular.

He translated his vision of a mighty India into reality and worked for a better tomorrow for generations to come. He was a freedom fighter, statesman, litterateur, visionary and architect of modern India.

He remained Prime minister till his death on 27 May, 1964 at the age of 74.

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Which was the first election contested by Nehru?

Jawaharlal Nehru is the longest serving Prime Minister of India. He remained in office for 18 years and 286 days till his death in May, 1964. He contested three general elections and swept the polls each time, leaving his fellow contestants biting the dust.

India’s first general elections were conducted between 25 October 1951 and 21 February 1952. They were the first general elections to be held in the country after Independence.

A total of 1,949 candidates contested 489 seats in the Lok Sabha. The Indian National Congress won 364 of the 489 seats in a land-slide victory. Of the 173 million electorate, 45.7 per cent voted, making it the largest election to be conducted at that time anywhere in the world.

Literacy levels were as low as 18 per cent, so symbols were used on ballot papers for voters who couldn’t read a practice that continues till today.

Nehru travelled some 25,000 miles and addressed about 35 million people or a tenth of India’s population during his election campaign.

A total of 1,96,084 polling booths were set up and the elections were held in 68 phases. This was due to the harsh climate and challenging terrain. All observers, Indian and foreign, agreed that the proceedings were fair.

Nehru’s commitment to democracy is shown by his dedication and seriousness in initiating the first general elections. He did not use the excuse of the Partition and the consequent communal violence and influx of refugees to postpone elections.

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Why were the 1957 elections also an easy win for Nehru?

The second general elections to the Lok Sabha were held between 24 February and 9 June 1957. They were held five years after the general elections of 1952, in accordance with the Constitution. They were also the first elections to be held after the States Reorganization Act of 1956.

With no other political party as big as the Congress in the country, the results were predictable. It only remained to be seen by how wide a margin the Congress would win. And win they did.

The Congress swept the polls increasing its vote base and winning a total of 371 seats out of 494 seats, thus gaining 7 more seats than in the previous election. The second largest party, the Communist Party of India - led by Shripat Amrit Dange won only 27 seats in total of the 110 seats that it contested.

The vote share of the Congress increased from 45 per cent to 47.8 per cent in these elections. Nehru worked his charisma on the masses and as in the first general elections, led his party to a comprehensive victory.

Interestingly the first ever instance of booth capturing in India was recorded during these elections in Rachiyahi, Bihar.

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What are some major points in Nehru’s foreign policy?

The Second World War saw the decline of the British Empire and the rise of the power blocs of U.S.A. and U.S.S.R. Although Nehru had socialist leanings, he believed that the use of power or coercion to rule was unacceptable in a democracy.

At the same time the great depression of the 1930s convinced him that steady economic progress was not possible under capitalism. He chose the middle path in economic policy as well as foreign policy.

Nehru’s interest in international relations started much before India’s independence. In 1927 Nehru took an active part in formulating the foreign policy of the Congress that was in effect its first foreign policy statement. It contained a declaration that India should not participate in any Imperialist war.

This political distancing from warring factions continued throughout Nehru’s office. After independence, Nehru pioneered the Non-Aligned Movement which advocated neutrality in international relations. However, neutrality did not mean apathy and Nehru consistently spoke up for marginalized and subjugated populations around the world.

He was hailed by many for working to defuse global tensions and the threat of nuclear weapons. However, his neutrality was criticized when he refused to condemn the Soviet invasion of Hungary in 1956. Relations between India and the U.S. never took off as the latter suspected Nehru of tacitly supporting the Soviet Union.

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What were Nehru’s views on education?

During Jawaharlal Nehru’s time in prison, he wrote several letters to his daughter Indira Gandhi, who was 10 years old at the time. Through his letters, he taught her about history, science and evolution. His letters were published as a book called “Letters from a Father to His Daughter”. He also read extensively in prison.

It was perhaps this thirst for knowledge and the desire to share it that made him a passionate advocate of education, not just for children but also for adults. He was responsible for the establishment of some of the most revered institutions of higher learning in India - such as the Indian Institute of Management (IIMs), the Indian Institute of Technology (IITs) and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMs).

Nehru made a provision in his five-year plans to guarantee free and compulsory primary education to all India’s children. Towards this end, Nehru was instrumental in mass village enrolment programmes and the construction of many schools. He also initiated the provision of free milk and meals to children to fight malnutrition. Vocational and technical schools were also organized for adults in rural areas at his behest.

The early emphasis on science and technology made India one of the largest producers of doctors and engineers in the world today. India owes much of this success to the foresight of Jawaharlal Nehru.

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What are the major agricultural reforms initiated by Nehru?

At the time of independence, India had already experienced the Bengal famine of 1943 where 3 million people had died of starvation. With this background, Nehru realized that to progress, India must focus on agriculture.

He said, “If our agricultural foundation is not strong then the industry we seek to build will not have a strong basis either. Apart from that, if our food front cracks up, everything else will crack up too.” Nehru saw the connection between agriculture and industry and realized that without agricultural advancements, no other industry would prosper.

He concentrated on four aspects of agriculture - upliftment of the farmer, development of rural infrastructure, higher productivity and harnessing science and technology in farming.

The nation thus embarked on the path of agrarian reform. Land reforms included the abolishing of giant landholdings, but efforts to redistribute land by placing limits on land ownership failed.

Attempts to introduce large-scale cooperative farming were confounded by the land-owning rural elite, who had considerable political clout in the Congress and were successful in opposing Nehru’s efforts.

Agricultural production expanded in the 1960s. The introduction of high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice began the Green Revolution in India. Better irrigation facilities and fertilizers led to the increase in food grain production, especially in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

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What were the major reforms undertaken by Jawaharlal Nehru?

Jawaharlal Nehru based his nation-building on four essential components- socialism, democracy, secularism and non-alignment.

Nehru created his own brand of socialism which was based on the tenets of non-violence and democracy. He established a cooperative, socialist commonwealth and accelerated the path to industrialization. He also advocated the abolition of the Zamindari system.

Nehru believed that a sound democracy should have strong self-governance from the grass root level. He initiated the Panchayati Raj system because he believed that development should begin from below and not be dictated from above.

As for secularism, Nehru was a staunch protector of minorities and individual human rights. He stated in 1951, “If anyone raises his hand against another in the name of religion, I shall fight him till the last breath of my life, whether from inside the government or outside.”

Towards this end, he created a system of reservations in government services and educational institutions to eradicate social inequalities and disadvantages faced by scheduled castes and tribes.

Nehru’s foreign policy was based on the idea of non-alignment, where he refused to be courted by either of the two power blocs of the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. and preferred to chart a new course based on non-violence and peaceful cooperation among nations.

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Which are the major programmes introduced by Jawaharlal Nehru?

Nehru presented the first Five-year Plan to the Parliament on 9 July 1951. They were formulated by the Planning Commission of India.

The five-year plans were developed for the effective and balanced utilization of resources. They were centralized and integrated national economic programmes. The first plan was adopted against the back-drop of partition, severe food shortage and mounting inflation. It focused on agriculture and irrigation. The plan had a target of 2.1 per cent GDP growth but recorded a growth rate of 3.6 per cent.

The second five-year plan focused on the development of the public sector and rapid industrialization. Under this plan hydroelectric power projects and steel plants were set up in different parts of India. India had a total of 12 five-year plans, the last one being from 2012 to 2017.

In Nehru’s mixed economy, the government would manage strategic industries such as mining, electricity and heavy industries while serving public interests and keeping a check on private enterprises.

Nehru pursued land distribution and launched programmes to build irrigation canals, dams and spread the use of fertilizers to increase agricultural production. He initiated a series of community development programmes aimed at spreading diverse cottage industries and helping rural India. Nehru also launched India’s programmes to harness nuclear energy.

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Why is it said that Jawaharlal Nehru’s economic policies were greatly influenced by the Soviet Union?

Nehru was inclined to admire the socialist model of the Soviet Union. He was impressed by their centralized and integrated economic programs called five-year plans and decided to implement the same in the Indian economy.

However, Nehru was not blind to what he perceived as shortcomings and realized that taken in its entirety; the Soviet model might not work in India. He therefore favoured a combination of Socialism and Capitalism or ‘middle way’ and implemented Democratic Socialism in India.

He wanted the state to be the primary entrepreneur and all its citizens to be equal shareholders. He strengthened the democratic policies of the nation immensely by creating proper wealth distribution systems at all levels.

He described this reasoning in one of his letters, “Could (the communist) new economic approach, shorn of violence and coercion and suppression of individual liberty, be helpful in solving our problems or the world’s problems?”

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