Nehru was an extraordinary giant of our freedom struggle, a prominent maker of modern India, a great believer of pluralism, the chief architect of our democracy, socialism and secular ethos. These were intertwined with science, technology and innovation in his scheme of things. His artistry of crafting and building a new nation from the older version marred by orthodoxy, hierarchy and the wreckage of a decaying empire was remarkable.
Nehru instilled democratic values in India. He cherished and strengthened democracy, knowing that by opting for the ballot box and propagating ideas of equality, in the words of Walter Crocker, he was abolishing the dominance of 'upper class Indian nationalists of English education' like himself from the political system. Nehru's commitment to democracy was reflected in the respect he showed to Parliament, the Opposition, independence of the judiciary, free elections, and freedom of the press. Underlying this institutional machinery was the value system of Gandhi based on communal harmony, non-violence, the importance of each individual and the emancipation of the oppressed sections of the society which Nehru was heir to. He knew democracy required the spirit of tolerance and cooperation, and made Indians believe they had the capacity to sustain the democratic spirit.
For Nehru, knowing India meant understanding its heterogeneity, multiplicity and complexities. He knew the myriad 'private universe of thought and feeling' of Indians is the source of India's strength, with its capacity to transform divisions into diversity and variety into plurality.
The challenge in his times was to establish the integrity of the Indian past leading to the vitality of the Indian present which was a marvel of plurality shaped by difference and absence of uniformity. So he sought to discover a history that might help unify our people, free them of British renditions, make them conscious of 'unity in diversity'. How we cope with the clashes within the plurality, resolve them and coexist harmoniously formed the existential dilemma of India for Nehru.
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