Do you know why the image of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru remains the center of political debates these days? Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi spoke openly on this issue at the inauguration program of Nehru Center India at Jawahar Bhawan in Delhi on Friday. He accused the present government of trying to remove Nehru from history. The event was organized in memory of Nehru, where Sonia spoke about how Nehru’s contribution was being underestimated.
Conspiracy to defame Nehru?
Sonia Gandhi said that the attempt to erase Nehru’s name is not just a personal attack, but it is a strategy to shake the foundation of the country. He said that efforts are being made to weaken the foundation laid by Nehru in modernizing India, such as emphasis on democracy, science and education. Experts like historian Dr. Ramachandra Guha believe that Nehru’s policies still form the basis of India’s economy and social structure. For example, institutions like IITs and IIMs, which started during Nehru’s time, are today India’s identity across the world.
Attempt to rewrite history
Sonia stressed that it is important to review Nehru’s life and works, but it is wrong to misrepresent him. He pointed out that Nehru’s multifaceted legacy, such as his role in the freedom struggle and leadership in the challenging years after independence, was being ignored. Political analyst Pradeep Mehta says that this trend has increased in the last few years, where historical figures are being viewed from a new perspective for political reasons. Data shows that India’s GDP growth during Nehru’s reign averaged 3.5%, which was strong for the time and gave the country an industrial base.
Questions on freedom movement and constitution
In the program, Sonia pointed towards the forces which are damaging Nehru’s legacy. He said that these are the same ideologies which had no contribution in the freedom struggle. Rather, she continued to oppose the Constitution. History tells that in the 1940-50s, some organizations carried out incidents like burning copies of the Constitution. Referring to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, Sonia said that these forces that spread hatred are still active and try to make Gandhi’s killers heroes.
Comments are closed.