The Oxford India Nehru

0.0

An outstanding personality of twentieth-century Indian history, Jawaharlal Nehru was a pivotal figure in India’s independence movement and the country’s first Prime Minister. An active politician for most of his life, Nehru was also a renowned writer and scholar. The Oxford India Nehru, part of the prestigious Oxford India collection, draws from the entire range of Nehru’s writings and speeches, and brings together more than 200 letters, articles, book extracts, political statements, prison diary entries, and early personal correspondence. Covering a wide variety of subjects—be it marriage feasts, the annexation of Tibet, monsoon clouds, the Suez Canal, the responsibility of scientists, the betrayal of Czechoslovakia, fundamentals of social behaviour, or honey—the writings reflect the phenomenal range of Nehru’s interests and activities. The first section, ‘Culture and Society’, reveals Nehru’s belief that for future progress, knowledge of our past culture and civilization is essential. Nehru’s intense admiration for Gandhi and the unique relationship they shared is reflected in the section on Gandhi. ‘Congress’ and ‘Toward Freedom’ reveal how closely Congress work and the Independence movement were linked in the struggle for freedom. ‘Independent Years’ covers seventeen years of Nehru’s life as Prime Minister. The section ‘India and Beyond’ reflects his active involvement in world affairs. While the ‘Personal’ section provides glimpses of Nehru’s private life, the writings in the ‘General’ section bring out the extraordinary breadth of his interests.

0.0

Jawaharlal Nehru (1889–1964), statesman, first Prime Minister of independent India.Uma Iyengar is Founder-Editor, The Book Review. She has edited The Oxford India Nehru (OUP 2007) and co-edited, along with Sarvepalli Gopal, the two-volume The Essential Writings of Jawaharlal Nehru (OUP 2003).