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Pandit Nehru (1889-1964)Indian prime minister. Born on 14 November 1889 in Allahabad, Jawaharlal Nehru was the son of the Indian nationalist Motilal Nehru. Educated at Harrow and Cambridge University in England, he was called to the English Bar in 1912. When he returned to India, he was more an English gentleman than an Indian nationalist. But in 1920 Nehru was converted to the need for political action by the Amritsar massacre and the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. After visiting the Soviet Union, and despite imprisonment by the British colonial authorities, he soon became prominent on the left wing of the Indian National Congress, and by 1930 was widely seen as Gandhi's protégé. Short-tempered, aggressive and a ladies' man (once having a love affair with viceroy Lord Louis Mountbatten's wife), he was very unlike Gandhi in temperament but shared his goals. He backed the 1940 Quit India campaign, and was imprisoned again for his political activities from 1943 to 1945. On his release, he became more important in the practical negotiations on Indian independence than the other-worldly Gandhi. He became the country's first prime minister on independence on 15 August 1947. Nicknamed 'Pandit' (Teacher), Nehru's greatest failing was his lack of understanding of Muslim grievances and his inability to reach a compromise with Jinnah. So, although he managed to steer India into becoming the largest democracy in the world, he was unable to reduce the tensions between that country and Pakistan. Although his economic policies were not very successful, he pioneered the idea of international non-alignment, and died a much-revered leader on 27 May 1964. His reputation helped create a political dynasty, with both his only daughter Indira Gandhi and his grandson Rajiv Gandhi becoming prime minister. |
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