Remembering Jawaharlal Nehru: Clearing the Dust, Reclaiming the Legacy

Jawaharlal Nehru’s birth anniversary is more than a date on the calendar. It is a reminder to pause, clear away the propaganda dust that keeps piling up, and look at the man as he truly was. Nehru wasn’t a saint carved out for worship, nor a villain created for political punching. He was a modern thinker shaped by socialism, atheism, and a deep commitment to rational, scientific inquiry. That combination is exactly what helped a newly independent India avoid the traps of theocracy and military rule that swallowed many other nations in the same era.

For years now, far rightwing narratives have worked overtime to shrink Nehru’s stature. These attempts survive only when facts are ignored. The institutional framework that carries India even today was largely built under his leadership. The IITs, AIIMS, the early seeds of ISRO, the Planning Commission, non alignment, a functioning parliamentary democracy, and the insistence that scientific temper must guide public policy — these were not small achievements. These were the foundations of a modern republic.

One of Nehru’s strongest qualities was his integrity and sincerity. His disagreements with Sardar Patel were public and often intense, but both men stood together when the nation needed unity. They understood that building a republic demanded cooperation, not ego battles. His relationship with Mahatma Gandhi was equally significant — full of ideological differences but anchored in mutual respect. Nehru strongly believed that India must take a modern, industrial, scientific path, yet he valued Gandhi’s moral compass deeply.

There has been endless gossip and exaggeration about Nehru’s relationship with Lord Mountbatten and Edwina. Historical records show something far less sensational: a working relationship built during one of the most violent and complex political transitions in human history. Strategic cooperation, not scandal, shaped those interactions.

Strip away the noise and one thing remains clear: Nehru insisted that India should think freely, question boldly, and build on science instead of superstition. In today’s climate of rising anti intellectualism and historical distortion, those values are far more important than many realise.

Remembering Nehru is not nostalgia. It is a reminder of the rational, secular, forward looking republic India set out to become.