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| Sunday,13 November 2005 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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India's Children's Day - tomorrow Sri Lanka and many other countries celebrated Children's Day on October 1. However, our neighbouring country India has her own Children's Day, which is tomorrow, November 14. Why November 14? It is the birthday of Sri Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India. Jawaharlal Nehru was born on November 14, 1889. He was the eldest child and only son of Motilal Nehru, a very successful lawyer and a great nationalist working with Mahatma Gandhi. Nehru had two sisters; Vijaya Lakshmi Pundit, the first woman to be elected President of the United Nations was the elder of these two sisters. Motilal Nehru, though a strong nationalist, had his son educated by English tutors at home. Anand Bhavan, their home in Allahabad, was a grand house, set in a magnificent garden with tennis courts and a swimming-pool. That was one of the few big houses with electricity at that time. Nehru had another tutor who taught him Hindi. In 1905 when Jawaharlal Nehru was 16 years, his father took him to England and entered him to Harrow, one of the leading boys' schools. From Harrow he went to Cambridge University where he studied Natural Sciences. He also studied Law and became a barrister, and returned to India in 1912, after seven years in England. 1916 was a very eventful year in Nehru's life. That year he married Kamala Kaul. It was an arranged marriage. Their only child, a daughter, was named Indira Priyadarshani. She went on to become the third Prime Minister of India. Although Nehru had become a barrister, perhaps to please his father, he was not keen on practising as a lawyer. Like most young men of his generation, he was longing for freedom from foreign rule. The turning point in his life was his meeting with Mahatma Gandhi for the first time in 1916. Mahatma Gandhi was 20 years Nehru's senior. The young man was impressed, especially by the stand taken by Gandhi that they should fight Great Britain without fear or hate. He gave up the European attire and started wearing 'Khadi' made of home-woven cloth, and leading a simple life. From 1919 he became an active member of the Indian National Congress which was fighting for "Swaraj" - Independence and sovereignty-(complete power to govern the country). He served as General Secretary of the party twice, and was elected its President in 1929. From time to time Congress leaders were arrested and imprisoned for various acts of civil disobedience. In the 24 years between 1921-1945, Nehru was imprisoned eight times, the longest period being from August 1941 to June 1945. Altogether, he was in prison for more than nine years. Prison gave him plenty of leisure to read, write, and think deeply on what he read and about the future of his country. He wrote letters to his daughter to educate her addressing her "Indira Priyadharshani, dear to the sight and dearer still when sight is denied". He explained in simple language the course of history from the beginning of ancient civilizations to the present day (1929). These letters were published in book -form titled Letters from a father to a Daughter. Continuing and extending these letters, Nehru wrote, while in prison, Glimpses of World History (published in 1934). His autobiography, is dedicated "To Kamala who is no more". Kamala, his wife, who was ailing for a long time died in a sanatorium in Switzerland in 1935. The publicity leaflet distributed when the autobiography was first published in Britain in 1936 referred to Nehru as "One of the great men of our time." Nehru visited Sri Lanka many times. The first was in 1931 when he spent "a restful holiday in Nuwara Eliya" with his wife and daughter. On the next visit he went to Anuradhapura and spent quite some time gazing at the Samadhi Statue of the Buddha. Nehru was one of the special invitees to our country in the Buddha Jayanthi year - 1956. When India became a free and independent country (August 1947), Jawaharlal Nehru was elected Prime Minister. He held that post until his death on May 27, 1964. He followed a neutral policy in foreign affairs. At the Bandung Conference in April 1955, he said "We are not copies of Europeans or Americans or Russians. We are Asians and Africans." He was one of the world leaders who started the Non-Aligned Movement. Whenever he could take time off his heavy schedules, he loved to spend time with children. He enjoyed their company. He invited them to his house - the PM's official residence - on his birthday. So, after his death, to keep alive his memory among the future children of India, his birthday, November 14, was declared Children's Day. - Sumana Saparamadu |
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