The first Prime Minister of free India, Jawaharlal Nehru was born on November 14, 1889 to one of the best lawyers of that time and a dignitary of the freedom movement in India, Motilal Nehru. He was the only son of Motilal Nehru after three daughters. Born to an affluent family, he received his education from some of the finest educational institutes. He did his schooling from Harrow and completed his Law degree from Trinity College, Cambridge. He spent 7 years of his life in England, which broadened his perspectives and as a result he attained a logical and incredulous stance, which made him test Fabian socialism and Irish nationalism that added to his patriotic ardor.
In the year, 1912 Jawaharlal Nehru returned to India and started off with legal practice. He married Kamala Nehru in 1916 and in the year 1917, he joined the Home Rule League. His actual introduction to politics came two years later when he came in contact with Mahatma Gandhi in 1919. At that time Mahatma Gandhi had initiated a campaign against Rowlatt Act, which attracted him at once to Gandhi's commitment for energetic but nonviolent, civil disobedience. Gandhiji could see India's secure future in young Jawaharlal Nehru.
The Nehru family changed its family values according to Mahatma Gandhi's teachings and both Jawaharlal along with his father gave up western clothes and tastes for expensive possessions and pastimes. They started wearing Khadi Kurta and Gandhi cap and dedicated themselves to the freedom movement. Jawaharlal Nehru took active part in the Non- Cooperation Movement, which was initiated by Mahatma Gandhi in the year 1920, which continued till 1922. He was for the first time arrested during this movement but was released after a few months. In the year 1924, he was elected as the President of Allahabad Municipal Corporation and served for two years as the city's chief executive. This proved to be a helpful administrative experience, which stood for him in good stead later when he became the Prime Minister of the country. He used his term as the chief executive in expanding public education, health care and sanitation. In 1926, he resigned from the post alluding to lack of support from civil servants and impediment from the British Government and served as the General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee from 1926 to 1928. During 1928-29, the Congress's annual session under President Motilal Nehru was held and at that session Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose supported a call for full political Independence, while Motilal Nehru and others wanted dominion status within the British Empire. To decide on the point, Gandhi said that the British would be given two years to grant India dominion status. If they did not, the Congress would start a national struggle for full, political independence. Nehru and Bose reduced the time of opportunity to one year, however, the British Government did not respond.
On December 1929, annual session of Congress was held in Lahore and Jawaharlal Nehru was elected as the President of the Congress Party. During that session a resolution demanding India's independence was passed and on January 26, 1930 in Lahore, Jawaharlal Nehru unfolded free India's flag. In 1930, Gandhiji gave a call for Civil Disobedience Movement and the movement was a great success, which forced the British Government to concede the need for important political reforms.
When the British propagated the Government of India Act 1935, the Congress Party decided to contest elections. Nehru stayed out of the election, but campaigned enthusiastically nationwide for the party. The Congress formed governments in almost every province, and won the largest number of seats in the Central Assembly. Nehru was elected to the Congress presidency in 1936, 1937, and 1946, and occupied a position in the nationalist movement. In the year 1942 , during the Quit India Movement, Jawaharlal Nehru was arrested and was released in 1945. He took a foremost part in the negotiations that concluded the emergence of the dominions of India and Pakistan in August 1947.
In the year 1947, he became the first Prime Minister of free India and efficiently coped with the difficult challenges of those times, that included the disorders and mass migration of minorities across the new border with Pakistan, the incorporation of 500-odd princely states into the Indian Union, the framing of a new constitution, and the institution of the political and administrative infrastructure for a parliamentary democracy. Jawaharlal Nehru played a major role in building modern India and set up a Planning Commission, encouraged the development of science and technology, and launched three successive five-year plans. His policies led to a sizable growth in agricultural and industrial production. Nehru also played an important role in developing foreign policy for Independent India. He called for the insolvency of colonialism in Asia and Africa together with Tito and Nasser, who were the chief architects of the nonaligned movement. He played a beneficial, mediatory role in bringing the Korean War to an end and in resolving other international crisis, such as those over the Suez Canal and the Congo, offering India's services for pacification and international policing. He contributed behind the scenes to the solution of several other volatile issues, such as those of West Berlin, Austria, and Laos.
Although a great leader, Jawaharlal Nehru couldn't improve India's foreign relations with Pakistan and China. The Kashmir issue proved an uncertain block in reaching an agreement with Pakistan, and the border dispute prevented a resolution with China. The Chinese invasion in 1962, in which Nehru failed to foresee, came as a great gust to him and probably accelerate his death. He died on May 27, 1964 of a heart attack.
Birth: November 14, 1889
Death: May 27, 1964
Achievement: Was elected President of the Allahabad Municipal Corporation in 1924, and served for two years as the city's chief executive; Presided over Congress' annual session in Lahore in 1929 and passed a resolution demanding India's independence; elected as Congress President in 1936, 1937, and 1946; Became first Prime Minister of free India; was one of the main architects of Non Aligned Movement.
In the year, 1912 Jawaharlal Nehru returned to India and started off with legal practice. He married Kamala Nehru in 1916 and in the year 1917, he joined the Home Rule League. His actual introduction to politics came two years later when he came in contact with Mahatma Gandhi in 1919. At that time Mahatma Gandhi had initiated a campaign against Rowlatt Act, which attracted him at once to Gandhi's commitment for energetic but nonviolent, civil disobedience. Gandhiji could see India's secure future in young Jawaharlal Nehru.
The Nehru family changed its family values according to Mahatma Gandhi's teachings and both Jawaharlal along with his father gave up western clothes and tastes for expensive possessions and pastimes. They started wearing Khadi Kurta and Gandhi cap and dedicated themselves to the freedom movement. Jawaharlal Nehru took active part in the Non- Cooperation Movement, which was initiated by Mahatma Gandhi in the year 1920, which continued till 1922. He was for the first time arrested during this movement but was released after a few months. In the year 1924, he was elected as the President of Allahabad Municipal Corporation and served for two years as the city's chief executive. This proved to be a helpful administrative experience, which stood for him in good stead later when he became the Prime Minister of the country. He used his term as the chief executive in expanding public education, health care and sanitation. In 1926, he resigned from the post alluding to lack of support from civil servants and impediment from the British Government and served as the General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee from 1926 to 1928. During 1928-29, the Congress's annual session under President Motilal Nehru was held and at that session Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose supported a call for full political Independence, while Motilal Nehru and others wanted dominion status within the British Empire. To decide on the point, Gandhi said that the British would be given two years to grant India dominion status. If they did not, the Congress would start a national struggle for full, political independence. Nehru and Bose reduced the time of opportunity to one year, however, the British Government did not respond.
On December 1929, annual session of Congress was held in Lahore and Jawaharlal Nehru was elected as the President of the Congress Party. During that session a resolution demanding India's independence was passed and on January 26, 1930 in Lahore, Jawaharlal Nehru unfolded free India's flag. In 1930, Gandhiji gave a call for Civil Disobedience Movement and the movement was a great success, which forced the British Government to concede the need for important political reforms.
When the British propagated the Government of India Act 1935, the Congress Party decided to contest elections. Nehru stayed out of the election, but campaigned enthusiastically nationwide for the party. The Congress formed governments in almost every province, and won the largest number of seats in the Central Assembly. Nehru was elected to the Congress presidency in 1936, 1937, and 1946, and occupied a position in the nationalist movement. In the year 1942 , during the Quit India Movement, Jawaharlal Nehru was arrested and was released in 1945. He took a foremost part in the negotiations that concluded the emergence of the dominions of India and Pakistan in August 1947.
In the year 1947, he became the first Prime Minister of free India and efficiently coped with the difficult challenges of those times, that included the disorders and mass migration of minorities across the new border with Pakistan, the incorporation of 500-odd princely states into the Indian Union, the framing of a new constitution, and the institution of the political and administrative infrastructure for a parliamentary democracy. Jawaharlal Nehru played a major role in building modern India and set up a Planning Commission, encouraged the development of science and technology, and launched three successive five-year plans. His policies led to a sizable growth in agricultural and industrial production. Nehru also played an important role in developing foreign policy for Independent India. He called for the insolvency of colonialism in Asia and Africa together with Tito and Nasser, who were the chief architects of the nonaligned movement. He played a beneficial, mediatory role in bringing the Korean War to an end and in resolving other international crisis, such as those over the Suez Canal and the Congo, offering India's services for pacification and international policing. He contributed behind the scenes to the solution of several other volatile issues, such as those of West Berlin, Austria, and Laos.
Although a great leader, Jawaharlal Nehru couldn't improve India's foreign relations with Pakistan and China. The Kashmir issue proved an uncertain block in reaching an agreement with Pakistan, and the border dispute prevented a resolution with China. The Chinese invasion in 1962, in which Nehru failed to foresee, came as a great gust to him and probably accelerate his death. He died on May 27, 1964 of a heart attack.
Birth: November 14, 1889
Death: May 27, 1964
Achievement: Was elected President of the Allahabad Municipal Corporation in 1924, and served for two years as the city's chief executive; Presided over Congress' annual session in Lahore in 1929 and passed a resolution demanding India's independence; elected as Congress President in 1936, 1937, and 1946; Became first Prime Minister of free India; was one of the main architects of Non Aligned Movement.