Nehru: The Quintessential Democrat
Outlook|March 11, 2024
Meticulous about attending Parliament and listening silently to attacks on him, Nehru was a model of parliamentary decorum
Mani Shankar Aiyar
Nehru: The Quintessential Democrat

THE only time Mahatma Gandhi and Savarkar met was when in 1910 they clashed at a meeting in London over the true meaning of the Bhagavad Gita. Whereas Savarkar treated the Mahabharat literally as a war in which the Hindu realised himself "in violence" (ref. Vinayak Chaturvedi, the foremost Savarkar biographer), the Mahatma took the epic metaphorically, particularly the Bhagavad Gita, as a poetic metaphor for the struggle between good and evil.

While they never met again, Gandhi steadfastly refused to answer the bile in Savarkar's repeated excoriation of Gandhi's doctrine of non-violence and Satyagraha. In the political field, after Savarkar became the President of the Hindu Mahasabha in 1938, Savarkar's repeated humiliation on the political battlefield at Gandhi ji's hands was total. India rejected Savarkar's Hindutva till his dying breath.

But the current saffron forces cannot afford to continue the vicious attacks on him as Gandhi ji remains a revered figure in the Indian consciousness. So, they turn their guns on Gandhi ji's handpicked successor, Jawaharlal Nehru, handpicked precisely because Gandhi saw in Nehru an equally impassioned champion of Hindu-Muslim unity, Gandhi ji's highest goal.

Readers are invited to please note that although Gandhi ji was a most devoted Ram bhakt, he never even mentioned the Ram Janmabhoomi or the need to "liberate" it from a 500-year-old mosque. Indeed, Gandhi went further in ordering Sikh and Hindu refugees at the height of the communal madness in AugustSeptember 1947 to immediately return to the minority community all mosques, dargahs and Muslim shrines captured by our refugees as places of dwelling. He sought religious harmony not in avenging himself on "one thousand years of slavery" but in recognising that all religious paths lead to the same goal of spiritual salvation.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der March 11, 2024-Ausgabe von Outlook.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der March 11, 2024-Ausgabe von Outlook.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS OUTLOOKAlle anzeigen
US Economy: What's At Stake
Outlook

US Economy: What's At Stake

A Donald Trump presidency carries high risks for global growth due to tariffs, while Kamala Harris is less profligate with far more fiscal discipline

time-read
6 Minuten  |
November 11, 2024
Celestial Despair
Outlook

Celestial Despair

Set in the dusty city of Ranchi, Celestina and Lawrence is a film governed by unkept promises and incorrigible desires

time-read
3 Minuten  |
November 11, 2024
Who are we? Who is Them?
Outlook

Who are we? Who is Them?

This Jharkhand election will be a direct fight between the JMM and the BJP on Adivasi identity and the issue of infiltration

time-read
5 Minuten  |
November 11, 2024
Maha Versus Bharat
Outlook

Maha Versus Bharat

Can Shiv Sena and NCP's region-centric politics survive against the BJP's all-sweeping nationalistic style?

time-read
5 Minuten  |
November 11, 2024
An Ideal Couple?
Outlook

An Ideal Couple?

The US-India partnership is likely to endure as it is based on the national interests of both countries

time-read
5 Minuten  |
November 11, 2024
Dollar Democracy
Outlook

Dollar Democracy

American politics is a big circus

time-read
6 Minuten  |
November 11, 2024
The Outrider
Outlook

The Outrider

The shift in Kamala Harris' immigration policies reflects the national mood against illegal immigrants

time-read
6 Minuten  |
November 11, 2024
The Anarchist
Outlook

The Anarchist

Misogynist, repeat sex offender, rape accused and felon-Donald Trump is only growing stronger

time-read
3 Minuten  |
November 11, 2024
Roe, Roe, Roe Your Vote
Outlook

Roe, Roe, Roe Your Vote

For millions of women, the 2024 election isn't just about picking a president; it's about defining the kind of country America will be

time-read
8 Minuten  |
November 11, 2024
No Country for Women
Outlook

No Country for Women

Abortion is one of the deciding factors in US elections. It is time to reflect on our own practices and prejudices

time-read
6 Minuten  |
November 11, 2024