HomePOPULARRole & contribution of Jawaharlal Nehru in India’s freedom struggle

Role & contribution of Jawaharlal Nehru in India’s freedom struggle

Born to Motilal Nehru and Swarup Rani on 14 November 1889 in Allahabad, Jawaharlal Nehru was the first of the couple’s three children. The other two were Vijaya Lakshmi & Krishna Hutheesing. Lakshmi later became the first female president of the United Nations General Assembly, while Krishna became a writer. His father was a lawyer who twice served as the President of the Indian National Congress.

Until the age of 16, Nehru was educated at home by English governesses and teachers. He was later enrolled at Harrow School in England; Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied natural sciences, and the Inns of Court School of Law, London.

Jawaharlal Nehru’s Personal life & heritage

In March 1916, Jawaharlal Nehru married to Kamala Kaul. Their only child, Indira Priyadarshini (later Gandhi), was born in 1917. She later became the country’s first female prime minister. Later, her son Rajiv Gandhi also became the prime minister. Nehru played a major role in making India a sovereign, socialist, secular or democratic republic.

 Nehru’s health began to deteriorate in the early 1960s and he died on 27 May 1964. A number of institutions and memorials bear his name, such as the Jawaharlal Nehru University, the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port. The anniversary of his birth is celebrated as Children’s Day.

Movement for freedom

•Nehru returned to India in 1912 and became a barrister, but he did not enjoy practicing law. In 1916 he joined the Home Rule League from Annie Besant. He met Mahatma Gandhi and joined the freedom struggle at the national level during the Non-Cooperation Movement of 1920. He was arrested in 1921 on charges of anti-government activities, but was released a few months later.

•In 1923, he became the General Secretary of the Congress Party for two years and from 1927 again held the post for two years. In 1929, Nehru sought complete independence for India. In 1930, he participated in the Salt Satyagraha and was imprisoned. Nehru moved to the highest levels of the Congress and became close to Gandhi. He was arrested and sentenced to two years in prison. I

•n 1940, he participated in a limited civil disobedience campaign launched by Gandhi and was sentenced to four years in prison. Between 1921 and 1945 he spent more than nine years in prison. Gandhi named Nehru as his political heir in 1942. Four years later after the elections to the regional assemblies, he became the chairman of the provisional government. On August 15, 1947, India achieved independence but also suffered the pain of partition.

Jawaharlal Nehru as first Prime Minister

•Nehru served as Prime Minister for 18 years  first in a caretaker capacity and then as Prime Minister from 1950. In this capacity, he introduced radical changes in various fields. He established institutions of higher learning including IITs, AIIMS and IIMs. He even included free and compulsory primary education for all children in his five-year plan. He also established heavy industry.

•Nehru laid the foundation stone for the establishment of the National Defense Academy and the Atomic Energy Commission. He initiated a disorderly movement. In 1954, Nehru signed the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, known as the Panchsheel, with China. He also held the portfolio of external affairs and is regarded as the architect of India’s foreign policy. In 1953, he appointed the States Reorganization Commission to create states on linguistic lines.

Interesting facts about Jawaharlal Nehru:

1. The seven years Nehru spent in England left him in a foggy half-world. Years later he wrote: “I have become a strange mixture of East and West, everywhere out of place, nowhere at home.”

2. Nehru was also a very prolific writer in English and wrote a number of books including The Discovery of India, Glimpses of World History and his autobiography Toward Freedom.

3. He wrote 30 letters to his daughter Indira Gandhi when she was 10 years old. A collection of these letters was later published as a book called Letters from a Father to his Daughter.

4. Nehru was portrayed in films. Actor Roshan Seth portrayed him in Richard Attenborough’s 1982 film Gandhi, Shyam Benegal’s 1988 TV series Bharat Ek Khoj (based on The Discovery of India), and others.

5. His death was announced to Parliament in words similar to Nehru’s at the time of Gandhi’s assassination: “The light has gone out.” In 2012, Outlook magazine’s The Greatest India poll ranked Nehru fourth.

By: Vaishali verma

Read Also:<strong>Role and contribution of Mahatma Gandhi in India’s freedom struggle</strong>

Read Now :<strong>Army has deployed female officer at the Kumar Post on the Siachen Glacier</strong>

[responsivevoice_button buttontext="Listen This Post" voice="Hindi Female"]

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

RELATED ARTICLES

Trending News

Global Warming Slowing Earth’s Rotation: Clocks May Need Adjustment

A recent study published in Nature suggests that global warming-induced polar ice melt is causing the Earth to spin...

US Military Downs Four Iranian-backed Houthi Drones Threatening Warship in Red Sea

In a recent development, the United States military announced on Wednesday that it successfully intercepted and destroyed four drones...

Danish Researchers Develop Artificial intelligence Algorithm to Predict Life Events, Including Death

Danish researchers, with the aid of artificial intelligence and data from millions of individuals, have crafted an algorithm capable...

Design Flaw in Francis Scott Key Bridge Led to Collapse, Highlighting Larger Safety Concerns for US Bridges

Engineers have identified a significant design flaw in the structure of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, which led to...