Five biggest blunders of Jawaharlal Nehru and Congress. Everything started in early 1946 when the Indian National Congress had to elect a new president. It was an accepted fact that the leader chosen as Congress president would become the first prime minister of independent India. Three candidates were in the race: Acharya Kripalani, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Sardar Patel. The working committee of the INC and the pradesh committees had to send their nomination for one of the three candidates. Sardar Patel was easily the most popular. Everyone knew his efficiency and his toughness for tackling difficult problems. Twelve out of 19 Pradesh committees nominated him. None nominated Nehru. From the start Gandhi had indicated that he favored Nehru. His reasoning was that his British education was an asset: Jawaharlal cannot be replaced today whilst the charge is being taken from the British. He, a Harrow boy, a Cambridge graduate, and a barrister, is wanted to carry on the negotiations with the Englishmen. Another point Gandhi made was that while Sardar Patel would agree to work as Nehrus deputy, the reverse might not happen. He also felt that Nehru was better known abroad and could help India play a role in international affairs. Eventually, in deference to Gandhi, Kripalani nominated Nehru and withdrew from the race. Patel had no choice but to follow his colleague so that Nehru could be elected unopposed. Dr Rajendra Prasad later stated: Gandhi has once again sacrificed his trusted lieutenant for the sake of the glamorous Nehru. It is how India got a so called Pandit as its first prime minister. 1. After his election as Congress president, he gave his support to his friend Sheikh Abdullah (he called him his blood brother) who had been jailed by Maharaja Hari Singh of Kashmir. In June 1946, he decided to go to the valley to free Abdullah. The situation was certainly not shining in Kashmir (as in the rest of India), but to take on the maharaja at this point in time was a serious mistake. In 1946 Kak then PM of Kashmir objected to accession because of Nehrus attitude otherwise it would have been acceptable in other circumstances. In September, he decided to offer Kashmirs accession to India. This was refused by Nehru, who first wanted Sheikh Abdullah to be freed and installed as prime minister of the state. This was not acceptable to the maharaja. Things came to a head at the end of October 1947 when raiders from the North West Frontier Province entered the state, killing, looting, and raping along. On October 26, they had reached the outskirts of Srinagar. Hari Singh agreed to sign the Instrument of Accession. On the same day a historic meeting was held in Delhi with Mountbatten, the governor general, as chairman. A young army colonel named Sam Manekshaw, who attended the meeting, recalled: As usual Nehru talked about the United Nations, Russia, Africa, God Almighty, everybody, until Sardar Patel lost his temper. He said, Jawaharlal, do you want Kashmir, or do you want to give it away? He [Nehru] said, Of course, I want Kashmir. Then he [Patel] said: Please give your orders. 2. Nehru declined a US offer to India to take the permanent seat on the UNSC in 1953 & suggested that it be given to China. Situation could be different if Nehru accepted that proposal. India would got Veto power 59 years back which would be helpful in many ways. 3. Nehru called for a UN ceasefire at a time the Indian troops were going to win back J&K in 1948. Few more days and whole Kashmir (Including PoK and Gilgit Baltistan) would be part of India. 4. Years later, his Panchsheel and India-Chini-bhai-bhai, was put to the sword by the same Chinese, who back-stabbed him and invaded and occupied a portion of Kashmir in 1962. It is said that 1962 Chinese invasion, was a brutal shock to Nehru, that he died of Heart Attack in May 1964.Again the foreign policy of Nehru failed. He could have taken American help to repulse China but he didnt. 5. Speaking English is not Secularism. Speaking Sanskrit and Singing Vande Mataram is not communalism. Nehur was a secular and Liberal leader. He was secular that he forget everything about India. When Cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits from the Kashmir Valley and Hindus in East Pakistan and West Pakistan happened during 1947-1965. He didnt even tried to allow them for rehabilitation in India. Due to this, Millions of Hindus were either Killed, Raped or Forcefully converted into Islam. Once Indira gandhi came into power, Things changed a bit (Rehabaltion of Kashmiris in India and Hindus of East Pakistan settlement in West Bengal but it was too late and too little.) In retrospect, despite Nehrus love for western principles, his incapacity to take decisions in time, his inability to work with colleagues like Patel, and his friendship with individuals such as the Mounbattens or Abdullah, who had their own interests, blinded him so much that he did not further Indias national interests. The consequences have been tragic and the muddle created 64 years ago remains far from being sorted out. Kashmir problem and Himalayan blunder, were two children of Jawaharlal Nehru.
Posted on: Thu, 14 Nov 2013 17:48:32 +0000
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