Sunday, November 24, 2024

The Great Nehru "Destruction": A Rather Inconvenient Reality Check

 

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Oh, how wonderfully fashionable it has become to bash Jawaharlal Nehru! After all, what did India's first Prime Minister ever do except, you know, merely lay the foundation for the world's largest democracy? Such a trifling achievement, really.

Let's join the chorus of critics who have mastered the art of historical amnesia. Because surely, establishing premier institutions like the IITs, AIIMS, and BARC was such a terrible mistake. I mean, who needs world-class engineers, doctors, and nuclear scientists anyway? Clearly, Nehru was completely misguided in believing that India needed a "scientific temper" to progress. How dare he establish institutions like ISRO that now casually sends missions to Mars at a budget less than what Hollywood spends making movies about Mars?

And speaking of his "mistakes," let's talk about those pesky democratic institutions he built. How inconvenient that he insisted on establishing a robust parliamentary democracy when he could have easily become a dictator like so many of his contemporaries! What a nuisance that he strengthened institutions like the Election Commission, an independent judiciary, and a free press. Just imagine how much simpler things would be without all these democratic checks and balances getting in the way of absolute power!

His secular vision? Oh, please! How absurd to imagine that a nation with hundreds of languages, religions, and cultures might need a framework for peaceful coexistence. Surely, it would have been much better to let the country splinter into religious enclaves right after independence. After all, what's a few civil wars between friends?

Let's examine his terrible "blunders" in detail, shall we?

The "Disaster" of Scientific Progress

What a catastrophe that Nehru insisted on building institutions like the Atomic Energy Commission in 1948! All it did was make India a nuclear power and establish a robust civilian nuclear program. How foolish of him to start space research in the 1960s with the Indian National Committee for Space Research, which later became ISRO. Now we're stuck with the ability to launch satellites, conduct Mars missions, and help other countries with their space programs. The shame!

And those IITs he established? What a waste! They've only produced thousands of world-class engineers, tech entrepreneurs, and innovators who have contributed to global technological advancement. Surely, India would have been better off without institutions that consistently rank among the world's best engineering schools.

The "Failure" of Democratic Institutions

Oh, how Nehru "failed" India by insisting on democratic values! Just look at the terrible consequences:

- A robust parliamentary system that has survived numerous challenges

- Regular free and fair elections (the world's largest democratic exercise)

- An independent judiciary that can and does check executive power

- A vibrant free press that speaks truth to power

- A professional civil service selected on merit

What a disaster that India didn't follow the path of many newly independent nations that embraced military dictatorships or one-party rules. How unfortunate that he established conventions like parliamentary debates, Question Hour, and respect for opposition voices. Clearly, these are all unnecessary impediments to efficient governance!

The "Misguided" Foreign Policy

And let's not forget his most "terrible" creation: non-alignment. How dare he suggest that a newly independent nation should chart its own course in foreign policy rather than becoming a satellite state of either superpower during the Cold War? What foolishness to build relationships with both the US and USSR, maintaining strategic autonomy while securing technological and economic cooperation from both sides!

His support for anti-colonial movements worldwide? How embarrassing! His emphasis on Asian solidarity and Third World cooperation? How naive! All it did was establish India as a moral voice in international affairs and create goodwill among newly independent nations. Surely, it would have been better to simply align with one bloc and sacrifice all autonomous decision-making capability.

The "Problematic" Economic Vision

Yes, let's criticize his economic policies while conveniently forgetting the context of a newly independent nation starting from scratch after two centuries of colonial exploitation. How dare he focus on building basic industrial infrastructure, establishing public sector units in strategic sectors, and investing in science and technology?

Sure, some of his economic policies needed updating (as they eventually were in the 1990s), but let's ignore the fact that he built the basic industrial and scientific infrastructure that made later economic liberalization possible. Who needs steel plants, power stations, and technical institutions anyway?

The Legacy That Refuses to Die

How inconvenient that despite all attempts to diminish his legacy, Nehru's contributions stubbornly refuse to fade away. Modern India's scientific achievements, its stable democracy, its strategic autonomy in foreign affairs, and its secular fabric (though under strain) all bear his unmistakable imprint.

Every time ISRO launches a satellite, every time Indian engineers make global headlines, every time India conducts a peaceful transfer of power after elections, every time the Supreme Court stands up for constitutional values, and every time India maintains an independent stance in global affairs – Nehru's ghost refuses to be exorcised.

A Rather Inconvenient Conclusion

So yes, let's continue pretending that Nehru's legacy is being "destroyed." Let's ignore the fact that the very institutions, principles, and scientific temper he fostered enable modern India's achievements. Let's overlook how his emphasis on democracy and secularism helped hold together one of the world's most diverse nations.

After all, it's so much easier to criticize from the comfort of the 21st century than to appreciate the monumental task of building a modern nation from the ashes of colonial rule. It's more convenient to forget that the India we know today – with its space program, nuclear capabilities, democratic institutions, and global influence – stands on foundations he laid.

But here's the truly sardonic part: the very critics who seek to diminish Nehru's legacy do so using the democratic spaces he created, express themselves through the scientific and educational institutions he built, and enjoy the fruits of the modern nation-state he helped establish.

Now, isn't that deliciously ironic?


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