JAWAHAR LAL NEHRU
Jawahar Lal Nehru was born on November 14th 1889 in Allahabad one of India's ancient cities, where the Yamuna River flows into the Ganges. In Motilal's day,(father of Nehru)
India was part of the British Empire, and Motilal himself lived like a British gentleman, in a large house set in lush, sprawling grounds. He was found of western clothes and western food. He engaged British governesses for his two daughters adn a British tutorfo his only son,
Jawaharlal.
Motilal, a strong-willed, high-spirited, generous man known for his laughter and anger, was very fond of his son, and very proud of him. When Jawaharlal was fifiteen, Motilal sent him to Harrow, a public school in England. From there he went to Cambridge University. After Cambridge, Jawaharlal studied law, and then returned to India. However. his heart was not in a legal career.
Instead, he was deeply interested in politics - and in how to free India from British rule.
In 1916 Jawaharlal married Kamala Kaul. The wedding took place in Delhi, the capital of India.Motilal and the large party of guests booked a whole train to travel to Delhi.
The festivities went on for several days. Kamala was a shy bride. She was not very familiar with English or western customs and manners. It took time for her to adjust to the ways of Anand Bhavan, or Abode of Joy,as Motilal called his house. When their daughter was born the following year, Jawaharlal and Kamala called her Indira. They gave her a second name as well - Priyadarshini, or "dear to behold".
Like all fathers, Jawaharlal was fond of giving advice. The advice he gave Indira on her thirteenth birthday was:
"It is no easy matter to decide what is right and what is not.
One little test I shall ask youto apply whenever you are in doubt.
Never do anything in secret or anything that you would wish to hide.
For the desire to hide anything measns that you are afraid, and
fear is a bad thing and unworthy of you. Be brave, and all the rest follows".
Jawaharlal loved children and Rose flowers very much, and he fond of doing adventures.
The Britishers arrested Jawaharlal somany times. In fact, over the the next twenty-five years, Jawaharlal spent nearly ten years in Jail for the sake of India's Freedom struggle.
When Indira Gandhi was twelve years of old, Nehru became President of the Indian Natioanl Congress. At its 1929 session, the Congresshad deckared that it wanted nothing less than complete independence. Though she was still very young, Indira was one of those who took the pledge of independence which declared:
"The British Government in India not only deprived the Indian people
of their freedom but has based itself n the exploitation of the masses,
and has ruined India economically, politically, culturally and spiritually.
We believe, therefore, that India must sever the British connection."
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