Jawaharlal Nehru’s name may have been dropped from the Teen Murti House Museum and Library by the Union government, but during his recent visit to the US and Egypt, it was perhaps not easy for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to steer clear of Nehru’s looming presence. Nehru was one of the founders of the Non-Alignment Movement—the cornerstone of Indian foreign policy for decades—along with Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser. And the legacy still endures.
In Washington, before the guests at the state dinner hosted in Modi’s honour tasted the marinated millet, the US Marine band played ‘Ae mere watan ke logon’—evoking memories of the 1962 Sino-Indian war when president John F. Kennedy helped India, even without a formal alliance.
Although the India-US honeymoon under Nehru lasted just a short while, Kennedy became a hero in India as the US shared crucial aerial photographs which were key to India’s war efforts, just like intelligence was shared in 2020 when violence erupted in the Galwan Valley. Kennedy also broke protocol and greeted Nehru in his plane when he arrived for a visit in 1961.
As Modi nibbled samosas with Vice President Kamala Harris, the soundtrack had moved to “There’s no mountain high enough... to keep me from getting to you’’, symbolising how far the relationship has come over the years. Modi’s state visit has formalised the possibility of joint defence production between the two countries, taking the partnership to the next level. The comfort level on display was possible because the relationship has been over 30 years in the making, starting with the end of the Cold War and blossoming further with the civil nuclear deal, through the tenures of multiple presidents and prime ministers.
Denne historien er fra July 09, 2023-utgaven av THE WEEK India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra July 09, 2023-utgaven av THE WEEK India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
