CHILDREN'S DAY

Jawaharlal Nehru

 

I st Prime Minister of India

In office

August 15, 1947 – may 27, 1964

Born 14 November 1889

Allahabad, United Provinces, British India

Died 27 May 1964 (aged 74)

New Delhi,India

Nationality – Indian

Spouse – Kamala Nehru

Children – Indira Gandhi

Profession – Barrister

Religion – none (Atheist)

Nehru was born the eldest child of Swarup Rani and the wealthy barrister Motilal Nehru in the city of Allahabad, now in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The Nehru family came of Kashmiri Brahmin stock and their gotra was Kaul. Motilal had moved to Allahabad many years before and developed a successful legal practice. He was also an active member of the fledging Indian national movement led by the Indian National congress. Nehru and his two sisters – Vijaya Lakshmi and Krishna – were brought up in a large mansion, Anand Bhavan, and were raised predominantly in the English custom, then thought necessary by the Indian elite.

Nehru studied in Harrow school, and in Trinity College in England. He took his barrister degree in 1912. He returned to India soon after to set up a legal practice. However, politics soon occupied him, particularly the Congress-led struggle for Indian independence. After the British massacre of protesters in Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar in 1919, an outraged Nehru devoted all his energies to the freedom movement. Although initially sceptical of his son's political views, Motilal Nehru too joined the latest Congress efforts in pursuit of Indian independence rapidly rose to became Gandhi's trusted lieutenant. His protests, though strictly non-violent, would land him in jail for a total of nine years over the course of his life. During his time in prison Nehru wrote”Glimpses of World History” (1934), his his "Autobiography" (1936), and "The Discovery of India" (1946). These works earned him some distinction as a writer, in addition to his growing reputation in the Indian independence movement. Under Gandhi's direction, Nehru led the Indian National Congress for the first time in 1929, at the Lahore session. He was again elected to the Congress presidency in 1936, 1937, and finally in 1946, at which point his political prestige in the independence movement may have been regarded as second to none but Gandhi.

He was married to Kamala Kaul, also a kashmiri brahmin,on February 8, 1916. They had one daughter, Indira Priyadarshini, later Indira Gandhi. Kamala Nehru was also an active participant in the Independence movement but died in 1936 of tuberculosis . He would remain single for the rest of his life

Children's Day is celebrated in India on November 14 every year. This date marks the birth anniversary of Independent India's first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Children's day is celebrated on this day in recognition of his life long fondness and work for children. He always regarded all children with affection and love, and well known for being likeable to children. Children also loved him very much and called him "Chacha Nehru" ("Chacha" meaning uncle, younger brother of father). Chacha Nehru has very attractive personality in Indian history .