How can you run down the builder of modern India?

Tara Saxena

All of us who were born when India was under British rule and who have witnessed the freedom struggle, and the way all our freedom fighters conducted themselves, are aghast at the way the new generation is being brainwashed by some in the present establishment. 

A lot of filth is being propagated in social media about our great leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi. People are not sparing even Subhas Babu, saying he married several times. In these days of computer programming and gimmickry, all sorts of filthy and fake pictures are being flashed by unscrupulous people to pollute the young minds against Nehru. 

Nehru was the true builder of modern India. He brought science and technology to transform an otherwise ignorant and superstitious society and an India devastated and left in the poorest state by the British. He transformed our country into a progressive nation. 

Partition was not brought about by Nehru or Patel. It was the creation of the British in connivance with Mohd Ali Jinnah. Gandhiji even offered Jinnah prime ministership of a united India, but he refused. He was an astute politician and knew that in India, he will be most unpopular. 

It was Nehru’s farsightedness in international relations that he maintained a balance between the two giants, America and Russia. He propounded the Non-Aligned Movement, because peace was essential for India to proceed on its long and arduous journey of building a strong and vibrant nation. After hundreds of years of subjugation, India was utterly dilapidated and entrenched in orthodoxy. It was because of our non-alignment that we managed to keep away from events such as in Vietnam or Hungary. 

Here was a man who put all his might in setting up steel plants and building dams, which he called our modern temples. 

He was the pioneer of atomic energy for peaceful purposes along with Dr Homi Bhabha. He established the ICMR, IARI, various literary institutions, huge heavy electrical units. He advocated adult franchise for a true democracy. He had immense faith in the practical wisdom of our age-old civilisation.  

He was not God and hence did fail on some counts. When Pakistan attacked Srinagar in 1947, both Patel and Nehru turned towards Gandhi, their mentor and an apostle of ahinsa. Gandhiji told them to send the army. Of course, Raja Hari Singh delayed in signing the document of accession and Mountbatten was there to see that no action could be taken without the signing exercise.

Nehru was a man with love and compassion for humanity. He was against wrongdoing in the name of any religion, be it Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism or any other. He had an uncanny sense of history as reflected in the books written by him. Most important of all, he encouraged dissent, not merely tolerated it. If India has a culture of openness and tolerance and dissent, it is due to this man’s foresight. And today, we are hell-bent on destroying this idea of India.

Why blame Nehru for promoting dynastic politics? He never believed in it. If members of his family continue to occupy high positions, the blame has to lie with present-day Congress leaders and the public for their “ji-huzuri” temperament. 

To destroy the edifice of Nehru is the main aim of the RSS. They just want everyone to become “Hindu”. I only ask the young generation, will all problems be solved by a change of religion? 

We are a nation of 1.25 billion. We have to live cordially despite our differences. That is who we are, a fascinating amalgamation of cross cultures, with a shared destiny. 

And this is why I ask Modiji, who has got a massive mandate, to first of all put an end to this attempt to run down leaders of the stature of Nehru. Let us not destroy the idea of India. 

I am all for meaningful debates on issues like scrapping caste-based reservation or having a uniform civil code. These are not decisions which can be forced upon people. A national consensus has to be built. 

I’ve seen India under foreign rule. Please, let us not tie it in chains again. The freedom of thought, of dissent are essential ingredients of who we are. Do not tinker with civil liberties. 

The Rewari-based writer, who did her MBBS in 1954, describes herself as the first lady doctor of southern Haryana