Modi’s Challenges : A Rejoinder - Nehru Cannot be Spared! by R.Chandra Prakash

K.B.Ganapathy’s Abracadabra, (dated 19 th and 20 th Nov 2024), is a frank and bold narration of concurrent history. It points to the root causes for the predicament the sacred geography of Bharat is confronted with today. And which set the challenges before the patriot Modi. However, the Abracadabra gives an impression as if the rot began with the regime of Indira Gandhi. This rejoinder will try to substantiate the fact that it all started long before Indira Gandhi, even before Independence, with Nehru, and of course during entire period of his Prime Ministership.

Many of us, born during forties and fifties, grew up highly influenced by the ‘charismatic’ personality’ aura of Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehru’s books, mainly The Discovery of India (1946) and Letters from a Father to his Daughter (1929) shaped our idea of nationalism; political and economic policies during our growing up period. His personal links with the British leaders during independence struggle was portrayed as extraordinary political capital. November, 14 th his birth day, became “Chacha Nehru” day, a national celebration among the children. Thereby, seeding among the young minds loyalty to the Nehru clan. Gandhi’s Partiality

However, now our generation has realized as to how Gandhi’s endearment of Motilal Nehru and Jawaharlal Nehru, and the entire Nehru family resulted in political turns and twists, many of them very diabolic indeed, in the national landscape of pre-independence history. Despite proven political skills, academics and commanding contributions during Bardoli Movement and Salt Satyagraha by Vallabh Bhai Patel, Gandhi not only sidelined him, but gave special importance to Nehru.

Similarly, even though Subhash Chandra Bose won the election of the President of Indian National Congress [INC] Working Committee with a thumping majority, defeating Nehru during the crucial pre-second World War, Gandhi prevailed upon Bose to give way to Nehru. Even Ambedkar and many other capable congress leaders did not get their due place in the national scene because of Gandhi’s open partiality towards Nehru. Interestingly, Gandhi had resigned from the INC long before that and was not even its primary member!

It is such open non-democratic and whimsical maneuvers by Gandhi which made Nehru a very tall national figure in the political history. And this laid the foundation to the dynastic politics, imprinting of fake ‘Gandhi’ and Gandhian philosophy. And it is here that we find the root cause of post-independence pseudo-secularism and fake socialism which have caused immense damage to the Sanathana Dharma. Had Gandhi followed democratic principle and encouraged all those competent nationalists, Nehru would never have been the first Prime Minister of independent India, and the story of Bharat would have been entirely different.

Constitution and Nehru-era

It is an irony that fake-Gandhi Congress today is crying hoarse that Modi is going to make fundamental changes into the ‘sacred’ Constitution, fake copy of which is being flaunted in the recently held ‘save Constitution’ rally. Abracadabra has narrated how Indira Gandhi made a mince-meat of this ‘sacred Constitution’.

However, one cannot forget the fundamental damages inflicted upon the Constitution during the Nehru-era. The very first amendment was carried out in June 1951, within one and half year of its implementation! This single amendment consisted of modifications of Articles: 15, 19, 85, 87, 174, 176, 341, 342, 372 and 376. And it inserted Articles 31A and 31B. as also Schedule 9. And   Schedule 9 introduced laws which encroached upon the property rights, freedom of speech and equality before law! Between 1951 and May 1964, Nehru’s period, as many as 16 Amendments effecting multiple and far reaching changes into the Constitution were made. Yet, today the Congress has the temerity to allege that Modi will change the Constitution, when in reality no such endeavor is visible.

B. R. Ambedkar’s views on Nehru

B. R. Ambedkar not only played a major role in framing of the Constitution but he was also Law Minister in Nehru’s first cabinet. His academic acumen and patriotism are matter of great admiration. He had to resign from the Cabinet within a short time on a matter of principle, and also due to his differences with Nehru’s policies and attitude. His resignation speech delivered on 10 th Oct 1951 “exposes Nehru’s facade as a democrat who believed in debate and dissent..... exposes Nehru as a ‘liar and habitual breaker of his word, a Prime Minister with zero integrity, ability and competence but one who was endowed with extraordinary manipulative skills and was adept at backstabbing his own colleagues and friends”. (Source: Team Dharma Dispatch – How Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru Ousted Dr.B.R.Ambedkar from the Cabinet: The Full Story.)

These words might have been considered highly personal views of Ambedkar who might have been hurt then, but the happenings of Nehru-era now substantiate many of his observations.

Nehru – Originator of Dynastic Politics

In the recent past hundreds of books and articles have appeared exposing faux-pa by Nehru. Nehru’s handling of Kashmir issue, his unexplainable faith and love for Abdulla dynasty, stealthily injecting of Article 370 and 35A into the Constitution to provide Special Status to Kashmir, his China policy, and many more, are now fully explained national disasters. The damage caused is not restricted to Kashmir. Entire socio-political fabric of the nation and the Sanathana Dharma have been adversely affected.

Appointment of his own sister Smt. Vijayalakshmi Pandit to the United Nation as Permanent Representative, and above all, designating his daughter Indira Gandhi first as his Hostess and gradually encouraging her to take active part in the government and party affairs fully expose his distrust in democratic values. Hence, it is Nehru who has laid the foundation of dynastic politics in the country.

Dynastic Politics and Corruption –The Real National Challenges 

If Indira Gandhi was first beneficiary of the Dynastic Politics, she also became a role model for many more dynastic political parties to emerge on the political landscape of the country. In Karnataka it is Devegowda’s J.D(s); in Tamil Nadu it is Karunanidhi’s D.M.K; in Uttar Pradesh apart from many it is Mulayam Singh’s S.P; in Bihar it is Lalu Prasad Yadav’s R.J.D; in Maharastra it is Thackeray’s Shiv Sena and Sharad Powar’s N.C.P; in West Bengal it is Mamatha Banerjee’s T.M.C and many more. Interestingly, most of them are the off-shoots of post-1968 Indira’s National Congress!

These dynastic political parties have a very narrow geographical control, mostly based on caste, regionalism, and of course money power generated by and for the corruption! Even, Bharatiya Janata Party [BJP], which has had its origin in nationalistic and patriotic origin in its Jan Singh-era, has had to face factionalism and charges of corruption. If in Karnataka it was Yediyurappa, then in Uttar Pradesh Kalyan Singh. Unfortunately, in a torn political mandate, for which mostly these dynastic parties are responsible, make them the King Makers! Because, today Indian politics is no more a competition of principles or dogmas, it is the power of caste and cash.

It is their damaging impact on the national scenario which is a real challenge a patriot and an honest leader, Modi faces. However, Ganapathy is spot on when he quotes Ronald Reagan – “Problem is not the Problems, but it is the Solution”.