Overview

Sovereignty, democracy, secularism, pro-poor orientation and modern scientific outlook, core values of the India’s Independence Movement have in short been described as ‘the Idea of India’. Jawaharlal Nehru not only fought for these values during the freedom struggle but also played a pivotal role to implement them in the newborn nation after independence.

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9780143471950

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Reviews

An invaluable piece of study and analysis and an intellectual weapon in the hands of defenders of democracy, secularism, and the Constitution.--Rajmohan Gandhi, Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Professor Aditya Mukherjee's book comes . . . at a very appropriate moment, marked as it is by a commitment to full accuracy achieved by profound scholarship. I earnestly hope that it would obtain the wide readership it so richly deserves.--Irfan Habib, Professor Emeritus, Aligarh Muslim University This book must be read widely, just so that truth be told, as we cherish Nehru's contribution to India's democracy ... Professor Aditya Mukherjee expounds Nehru's philosophy and his endeavour to build India as an independent sovereign, democratic, secular and pro-poor nation respecting diversity. He elaborates on how Nehru as a 'man of action' built the institutional framework, structure and culture of politics and economy based on these values. This is so contrary to the imagination of India as a Hindu Rashtra ... This book is truly inspirational, compelling us to take forward Nehru's imagination of India.--Shantha Sinha, Padma Shri, Magsasay Award winner, Founder Chairperson, National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the man who led from front the freedom struggle, steered India's transition from the colonial rule to a democratic government, envisioned and founded the many institutions necessary for sustaining the new born democracy and brought a unique combine of socialism and humanism at the centre of India's evolving modernity, has so far remained inadequately understood. Professor Aditya Mukherjee's depiction of Nehru - the person, the thought and the action--cures that inadequacy with utmost fidelity to historical facts. Anyone desiring to know how India evolved in the decades around Independence and how lasting has been Nehru's contribution to that great transformation must read this work. It is simply outstanding for the depth and the perspicuity with which every essential strand of the unique Nehruvian Consensus has been illuminated.--Ganesh Devy, Padma Shri, Winner of the Sahitya Academy award Professor Aditya Mukherjee has in this landmark presidential lecture to the Indian History Congress presented Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru as a philosopher-historian-statesman. It is at once courageous, creative and civilisational.--Kumar Ketkar, Senior Journalist and former Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha When a colony mutates into an independent nation-state, in a post-colonial situation, the nationalism it supports often changes into a majoritarian identity, and therefore includes only selected citizens. Nehru resisted this. He shunned both majoritarianism, and using fascism to advance personal power. Instead, he endorsed the idea of India as a democratic and secular state, as this study demonstrates so decisively.--Romila Thapar, Professor Emerita, Jawaharlal Nehru University

Author Information

Aditya Mukherjee retired as Professor of Contemporary History, Jawaharlal Nehru University. He was elected the General President of the Indian History Congress 2023-24, and was visiting Professor/Fellow at premier institutions like the Duke University (USA), University of Tokyo, University of Rome, Institutes of Advanced Study at Nantes (France).

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