Jawaharlal Nehru

Jawaharlal Nehru was a nationalist leader as well as a statesman who eventually filled the role of the first prime minister for an independent India. He was born to a lawyer from Kashmir in Allahabad in 1889. He was educated in England where he studied law until he returned to India in 1912 to practice law. His career is marked by three major events. The first is his participation in the Indian National Congress. The second is being recognized as Gandhi’s successor. The third was becoming the first prime minister. All of these helped paved the way for India’s successful independence and continued independence.

Nehru joined the Indian National Congress in 1919 in order to fight for autonomy from Britain. He was influenced by the leader of the group: Mohandas Gandhi. Nehru was imprisoned by the British multiple times during the 1920’s and the 1930’s because of his “civil disobedience”, but that did not stop him from actively speaking out. By 1928, he was elected president of the Indian National Congress.

He was recognized as the successor to Gandhi by the end of the Second World War. He played a major role in negotiating the independence of India. He was opposed to the idea of a divided India, whose division would be based on religion. This proposition was put forth by the Muslim League. It was Louis Mountbatten who advocated this division, seeing it as the quickest way to mediate a solution. It was then that Nehru agreed with great reluctance.

In 1947, Nehru was the first prime minister for the independent nation of India. He maintained this role until he died in 1964. During his rule in this position, he implemented a policy of industrialization for India and moderate socialist economic reforms for the country. He was popular for developing the positive neutrality during the Cold War and was a major spokesperson for the former colonies in Africa and Asia who also wanted independence. While he served as prime minister he oversaw the dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir.

Overall, Nehru remains a popular and inspiration figure not just because of his role as the first prime minister of India, but because of his work with the Indian National Congress, his succession over Gandhi in the Indian National Congress, and his role as the first prime minister, serving from 1947 until 1964. Since his rule his daughter and grandchild have served in his footsteps working with his political efforts.