date: 25 December 2020. You could not be signed in, please check and try again. In his presidential address to the Lahore Congress in 1929, Nehru admitted that although he was born a Hindu, he does not know how far he is justified in calling himself one, or speaking on behalf of the Hindus. Jawaharlal Nehru was a well distinguished central figure who was known to be the first Prime Minister of India and the longest-serving Prime Minister. Jawaharlal Nehru was very vocal about his views on religion. Some leaders made religion a tool to divide India while some used secularism to strengthen its unity and fraternity. He was born on 14th November,1889 in Allahabad. His criticism of religion, especially organized religion, has supplied many rich sources of quotes .Here are just a few to establish his atheism. Jawaharlal Nehru: Political Awakening: Jawahar Lal Nehru (1889-1964) was the first and longest-serving Prime Minister of India. (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2020. Jawaharlal Nehru was an Indian revolutionary and the first Prime Minister of independent India. An individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of a monograph in OSO for personal use. . Speech on Jawaharlal Nehru: ‘Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’ the name that is known by every little child of our nation. So it is sadly true that the workings of Nehru's democratic system, which remains the best guarantee of Indian pluralism, have served to create and perpetuate India's various particularisms. Nehru openly criticized communalism and strongly denounced Hindu communal groups. After the collapse of the non-cooperation movement, Nehru was distressed by the religious tension and discord which wreaked havoc in India. History.   Nehru was hostile to the caste system, which is not surprising considering that his father, Motilal Nehru, had clashed with the orthodox section of the Kashmiri community in the 1890s. Quotations by Jawaharlal Nehru, Indian Leader, Born November 14, 1889. Jawaharlal Nehru (14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was the first Prime Minister of India and a central figure in Indian politics for much of the 20th century. His father, Motilal Nehru, parted Jawaharlal’s education at home by tutors and private governesses. He was an eminent leader during the “Indian Independence Movement” that was started by the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi. Nehru thought that religion was at the root of the stagnation and lack of progress in his country. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was the first prime minister of India. While in prison, he read the problems of religion, culture, and politics, and sought to fill gaps in his own early education. Users without a subscription are not able to see the full content. With farmers still knocking on the doors of urban India, demanding a hearing and empathy, from rulers and others who think they know better, it is time to remind ourselves, as Jawaharlal Nehru did in The Autobiography, that ‘India is Peasant India’ and what made Gandhiji the unquestioned leader of India’s millions was because he represented the peasant masses of India in his own being. He was also a well-known atheist. Jawaharlal Nehru, religion, Mahatma Gandhi, politics, culture, communalism, Hindus, Motilal Nehru, revivalism, India. As the majority of India is Hindu, the family takes some pains to show their Hindu credentials. Credit: 1960s calendar. some people think it is something opposed to religion, that obviously is not correct. * Nehru was born in a brothel in Allahabad. Politics. Oxford Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Source: publishyourarticles.net Brecher is of course referring to India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru (1889–1964). In both governmental policy and personal practice, Nehru stood for an idea of India that embraced those of every religion, caste, ethnicity or language. “It is science alone that can solve the problems of hunger and poverty, of insanitation and illiteracy, … His participation in the freedom struggle in India brought him closer to other great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Motilal Nehru, Subhash Chandra Bose, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad etc. Nehru was able to prevent India from lapsing into an identity focused on religion. Please also opt me in for Exclusive Offers from Beliefnet’s Partners, From time to time you will also receive Special Offers from our partners. DOI:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195645866.003.0006, 2 The Triumvirate: Gandhi, Motilal, and Jawaharlal, 7 Jawaharlal Nehru and the Partition of India, 2 The Triumvirate: Gandhi, Motilal, and Jawaharlal, 7 Jawaharlal Nehru and the Partition of India. Religion. The Hindu-Muslim divide is merely the most visible, but that within Hinduism, between caste Hindus and the former "Untouchables," and between the upper castes and the lower intermediate castes known as the "backwards," is actually transforming Indian society in ways that Nehru did not anticipate. Nehru's grandson Rajiv converted to Christianity but had a … “As long as I am at the helm of affairs,” he declared, “India will not become a Hindu state. Jawaharlal Nehru was India’s first Prime Minister, its longest serving Prime Minister, a key figure in the country’s fight for independence from British rule and the successor to the revered Mahatma Gandhi.He was born in 1889 and died in 1964. Please, subscribe or login to access full text content. Also known as ‘Chacha Nehru,’ Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of independent India. His father, Motilal Nehru, was also a prominent figure in the struggle to gain independence and was a politician and a barrister. Jawaharlal Nehru was a rationalist but he did not dismiss the human mind’s spiritual quest. Nehru became an Indian nationalist quite early in life, and was thrilled by Japan's victory over Russia in the Russo-Japanese War (1905). He particularly excelled at science, while taking very little interest in religion. Nehru recalled what Swami Vivekananda had said of Islam and Hindu ‘upper classes’ He quotes from a letter Swamiji wrote to a Muslim friend: ‘For our own motherland a junction of the two great systems, Hinduism and Islam —Vedanta brain and Islam body — is the only hope’ Share with your friends. Jawaharlal Nehru was educated at home, first by governesses and then by private tutors. He collaborated with great nationalist leaders to demand independence from the British rule. Motilal’s rationalism saved him from a possible disaster caused by Hindu revivalism at the turn of the century. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Essay 500 words: Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of India, born in Allahabad on 14 November 1889, made his significant contribution in strengthening the foundation of India through his efficient politics. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement of the 1930s and ’40s. After studying law at London’s Inner Temple, he returned to India at the age of 22 where he practiced law with his father and prominent barrister, Motilal Nehru. The basis of Indian society at that time was unthinking obedience to the authority of sacred books, old customs, and outdated habits. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter. He received his early education at home, and later, at the age of 15, he went to England to pursue his higher studies in law. Nehru had a great love for all children, and that is why; today, we celebrate his birthday as Children’s Day. All Rights Reserved. Jawaharlal Nehru was very vocal about his views on religion. Jawaharlal Nehru. Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: October 2012, DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195645866.001.0001, PRINTED FROM OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP ONLINE (oxford.universitypressscholarship.com). He gained political ideas concerning this land and became the First Prime Minister of India. The Nehru family has a deep hold on the Indian psyche. Sushil Aaron. He was pretty much influenced by the subject “science and theosophy” under his tutor Ferdinand T. Brooks, which led him to join the Theosophical Society at … To troubleshoot, please check our , and if you can't find the answer there, please JAWAHARLAL NEHRU'S CONTRIBUTION TO SECULARISM 217 in India and elsewhere, has fìlled me with horror'.15 About himself he admitted *1 am not a religious man, dogmas do not appeal to me'.16 Thus, to Nehru religion is 'narrow and intolerant of other opinions and ideas; it is self-centered and egoistic'.17 Therefore, religion, 'does not He was born to Shrimati Swarup Rani Thussu and Shri Moti Lal Nehru, a prominent lawyer in Allahabad. Being modern does not mean being unconcerned with or contemptuous of tradition and culture. Beliefnet is a lifestyle website providing feature editorial content around the topics of inspiration, spirituality, health, wellness, love and family, news and entertainment. Enjoy the best Jawaharlal Nehru Quotes at BrainyQuote. Writing a foreword to a book Dharam Nirpeksh Raj Jawaharlal Nehru lucidly explains his concept of a secular state: ‘We talk about a secular state in India…. Described as Hindu Agnostic,Nehru thought that these religious taboos were preventing India from going forward and adapting to modern conditions: “No country or people who are slaves to dogma and dogmatic mentality can progress, and unhappily our country and people have become extraordinarily dogmatic and little-minded.” Nehru considered that his afterlife was not in some mystical heaven or reincarnation but in the practical achievements of a life lived fully with and for his fellow human beings: … ... religion and association.” There were to be safeguards for minorities, backward and tribal areas. Sign up for Beliefnet's Hindu Wisdom newsletter. He came back to India in 1912 and started his practice as a lawyer. Hinduism. FAQs In his presidential address to the Lahore Congress in 1929, Nehru admitted that although he was born a Hindu, he does not know how far he is justified in calling himself one, or speaking on behalf of the Hindus. Jawaharlal Nehru, first prime minister of independent India (1947–64), who established parliamentary government and became noted for his neutralist (nonaligned) policies in foreign affairs. Essay on Jawaharlal Nehru in English - The concept of religion and secularism have played an important role in the history of our country. If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian. contact us Keywords: Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was a veteran political leader. Jawaharlal's daughter Indira married a Muslim, his name was changed to Gandhi. Jawaharlal Nehru: Early Life: Jawaharlal Nehru was born into an affluent Kashmiri Brahman family in Allahabad on November 14, 1889. 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