Jawaharlal Nehru birth anniversary: Why India’s first prime minister is still relevant in the 21st century

Nehru was born on November 14, 1889, in Allahabad

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru played a significant role during India's fight for independence.

Nehru was born on November 14, 1889, in Allahabad (known today as Prayagraj) to Motilal and Swarup Rani Nehru. One of India's most celebrated freedom fighters, he served as the Prime Minister for 17 years, from August 15, 1947, till his demise on May 17, 1964, at the age of 74.

Children's Day is celebrated on November 14 every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru. He was referred to as ‘Chacha Nehru' by the children, who he loved dearly.

Nehru, a visionary leader, thought of India as a modern and self-reliant nation. However, today, his perceptions and policies are questioned and often ridiculed by many.

Modi's motto is to be a bigger leader than Nehru: Charan Singh Sapra

Remembering the first Prime Minister of independent India, on his birth anniversary, Mumbai Congress working president Charan Singh Sapra said, "He is politically relevant because of his vision for India. The institutions which he visualised and started building are still helping the country in its growth. During his tenure, the IITs, the IIMs, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and Bharat heavy electricals were built. From developing these companies, creating jobs, making India self-sufficient, creating products to making demands in the market, I feel whatever he had visualised, in his tenure, or probably till he lived he tried to implement all. Nehru created the foundation of independent India, whether it is cultural, economic or healthcare... In all spheres as the prime minister, he worked for the upliftment of the country and the countrymen. Hence, he is and will remain relevant for many years to come."

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When asked if the narrative has changed over the years, Sapra added, "I don't think so. But yes, the BJP is trying to change the narrative. The very motto of Narendra Modi is that he wants to be a bigger leader than Nehru. Modi wants to be the Prime Minister for a longer tenure than Nehru. He wants to challenge Sardar Vallabhai Patel. We have already seen a teaser when Modi changed the name of Motera Stadium to Narendra Modi Stadium. He changed the name of the stadium mainly because he wants to send a message to the masses that this is another Sardar Patel in India."

He also said that not just social media but also electronic media is used to change the narrative. "The media is controlled by big industrial houses. I am not blaming the journalists. The issue is that the industrial houses have taken over the media and the former is at the mercy of the central government. The system has changed. It is not democratic anymore. Modi wants to change the perception. He wants to show that he is the biggest leader, the tallest leader of independent India, even taller than Nehru and Patel.

While remembering Nehru, the Mumbai Congress working president shared, "Nehru believed in secularism, he never believed in divisive politics. No matter who gets elected as Prime Minister, to run a country of this size, multi-linguistic and multi-religious like India, one will have to follow secularism. Communalism polarisation can get you votes. They can help you win elections, but they cannot help you run the country. Today, this is why the country is becoming economically weak. The country cannot be run by "jhumlas". You have to be practical. You have to run the country on the plank of secularism, which Nehru tried to maintain and told the leaders of the future that secularism is the only plan. I feel, the sooner Modi understands this will be better for the country."

BJP misleading youth over what Nehru stood for: Priyanka Chaturvedi

Echoing similar sentiments is Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi. "Nehru continues to be relevant in today's era because it's not about him, but the ethos brought to India and how it changed India's democracy. He made it a liberal intrusive idea of India, which has a scientific temperament and will continue to be one idea that will continue to be relevant in a diverse nation such as ours. He chose united diverse India over a very narrow-minded outlook of how India should be perceived."

The Rajya Sabha MP further expressed that Nehru's narrative has been undermined. "His narrative has been undermined, reduced to distortion, and he has been blamed for everything, which is unfortunate. In a nation like ours, which was as diverse during the time of independence as it is now, and the struggles that our freedom fighters had to for through to gain independence, is now being questioned by senior cabinet ministers, who are targeting him and trying to tarnish his image. Nehru was not just a national leader, he was and continues to be an important global leader. He played an important role in India's foreign policy, India's non-alignment movement, which, in spirit, is followed by the central government while demonising him."

She further said the younger generation has been misled over what Nehru stood for. "They (BJP) have tried to mislead the younger generation about what he stood for. They have even gone to an extent, right from social media to the Internet. They have gone to the extent of re-filing Nehru's Wikipedia pages, trying to bring in an ugly narrative about him. This goes against the spirit of who we are and what we believe in, which is the idea of India's vision towards a better future."

While remembering Jawaharlal Nehru, Chaturvedi shared, "Celebrating Children's Day was an important occasion. It also reminded us of the contribution of India's first prime minister towards nation-building where he kept the young and the children first. He understood that the future generation needs a scientific temperament and set up IITs and institutions that we have to be proud of whether we talk about it or not. Big infrastructure projects that India needed at that time were given the onus. One thing cannot be forgotten - his larger-than-life persona in Indian history and its relevance in the Indian context, even today."

Nehru has been vilified for political purposes: Preeti Sharma Menon

Meanwhile, Preeti Sharma Menon, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Mumbai President, said, "It is India's misfortune that today Jawaharlal Nehru is no longer relevant. India has been blessed with statesmen like Nehru and Sardar Patel. With philosophical and political geniuses like Mahatma Gandhi, but this was almost a century ago. Today, mediocrity is prevailing in all walks of life, especially in the political and public spheres. It is beyond the comprehension of the political class of today to emulate and understand the greatness of Jawaharlal Nehru."

"Nehru has been vilified for political purposes. He has been considered a hero by one party or another party for political purposes. But the real intellectual class of Jawaharlal Nehru does not exist anymore in this country in the political circles and therefore, sadly, has become irrelevant. India will rise to a golden age again, but it is only when people in public life rise to the stature of people like Jawaharlal Nehru," she further said.