JAWAHARLAL NEHRU'S THOUGHTS

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OUR INHERITANCE

“India's strength has been two- fold, her own innate which flowered through the ages and her capacity to draw from other sources and thus add to her own. She was far too strong to be submerged by outside streams, and she was too wise to isolate herself from them, and so there is a continuing synthesis in Indias real history and many political changes which have taken place have had little effect on the growth of his variegated and yet essentially unified culture. I am proud of our inheritance and our ancestors who gave intellectual and cultural preemience to India”.

(An address at the Aligarh Muslim university, 24 January 1948)

THE BASIC REALITY

“If India is to play any effective part in world affairs, or even in her own development , she has to function in conformity with the ideals that she has held for these many years. Those ideals are essentially of peace and co-operation , of national freedom , of a growing internationlism leading to a world order , of equality among nations and people , of and of eradication of want and misery of millions who suffer from it .

We live in an age of paradox and continuing crisis. We talk of peace and prepare for war. We discuss internationalism and one world and yet narrow nationalism governs our activities....... we move from one temperory expedient to another, never catching up with the pace of events. Priding ourselves on shaping history, we function day to day as slaves of the events that inexorably unroll themselves before our eyes and fear possess us and hatred follows in its train”.

(An address at the university of California Berkeley 31 october 1949)

STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL

we live in a period of tremendous potential conflict and every nation begins to think more and more in terms of survival. When people think in terms of survival , it means the desire of survival asserts itself , then logical thinking and reasoning faculties do not even function.......If humanity continues to think in terms of encompassing fear and of mear survival, then fear itself will inevitably bring out all inhuman instincts. When the real struggle for survival comes, few may survive and , possibly , those who survive will not be human..”

(An address at UNESCO Indian National Commission, New Delhi 24 march 1951)

OUR DUTY

we belong to a great country, a country that is not only great physically , but in things far more impotant . If we are to be worthy of our country , we must have big minds and big hearts , for small men cannot face big issues or accomplish big tasks. Let each one of us do his duty to his country and his people and not dwell too much on the duty of the others. Somepeople get into the habit of critisizing others without doing anything themselves. Nothing good can come out of that criticism. So whatever you may be , whether you are in the Army , AirForce or Navy or in the civil employee of the government , each one of you must do your duty efficiently and in the spirit of service to the nation. With the vast number of our countrymen apply themselves to their tasks in their innumerable capacities and co-operate with others for getting the petty things that divide them, we shall marvel at the speed with which India will progress.

(Independence day speech from the Red Fort August 15th 1949 )

PASSION AND PREJUDICE

“ It is one of the foremost importance that we should not loose ourselves in the passion and prejudice of the moment. If we are to aim high, we should adhere to the high principles which have always formed the background of Indian thought from the days of Buddha to our own days when Gandhiji showed us the path to right action. Greatness come from vision , the tolerance of spirit , compassion , and an even temper which is not ruffeled by ilfortune or good fortune. It is not through hatred and violence or internal discord that we make real progress as in the world today, so also in our own country, the philosophy of force can no longer pay and our progress must be based on peaceful co-operation and tolerance of each other. “
“In India the first essential is the maintanance of the unity of the country, not merely a political unity but a unity of the mind and the heart, which precludes the narrow urges that make for this unity and which breaks down the barriers raised in the name of religion or those between state and state or , for that matter any other barrier “.

(A broadcast to the nation 31st december 1952 )

NEED TO FIGHT COMMUNALISM

“We must be on our guard against the destructive tendencies in the country which rise their head whenever an occasion offers itself. Among these destructive tendencies are some which come under the name of communalism – politics under some religious grab , one religious group being incited to hate another religious group. Then there is provincialism or statism. There is castism , perhaps the most insidious and dangerous of all in our country “.

(A speech at Trichur December 1953)

EMOTIONAL INTEGRATION

“ Thousands of history have conditioned our people and made our country what it is – an abiding unity and , at the same time great diversity. People of many religion live in this country , many great languages flourish among our people. And yet , inspite of this variety , their has been a deeper unity which has held us together . Each one of us must realise that the only future of India and her people is one of tolerance and co-operation which has been the basis of our culture from ages past. “

WHO LIVES IF INDIA DIES ?

“The one thing that should be obvious to all of us is that there is no group in India , no Party, no Religious Community , which can prosper if India does not prosper. If India goes down we go down , all of us, whether we have a few seats more or less, whether we get a slight advantage or we do not. But it is well with India if India lives as a vital , free country , then it is well with all of us, to whatever community or religion we may belong.

(Reply to debate on objectives resolution in the constituent assembly january 22nd 1947)

LOVE FOR PEOPLE OF INDIA

I have received so much love and affection from the Indian people that nothing that I can do can reply even a small fraction of it , and indeed there can be no repayment of so precious a thing as affection. Many have been admired , some have been revered, but the affection of all classes of the Indian people has come to me in such abundant measure that i have been overwhelmed by it . I can only express the hope that in the remaining years i may live , i shall not be unworthy of their affection. “

From Will and Testament , 21st june , 1954