Never Tell Them We Are The Same People Notes On Pakistan

An unprecedented and timely collection of writings by and on Jawaharlal Nehruthe man who shaped newly independent India and the icon whose legacy is the subject of intense and often angry debate today. Who is this Bharat Mata whose victory you wish asked Jawaharlal Nehrua leading light of the Indian freedom movement who would become the countrys first prime ministerat a public gathering in 1936. And then he explained the mountains and rivers forests and fields were of course dear to everyone but what counted ultimately were the people of India...spread out all over this vast land. Bharat Mata Mother India is essentially these millions of people and victory to her is victory to these people. This collection of writings and speeches by and on Nehru shows us the mindthe ideology born of experience observation and deep studybehind this democratic and inclusive idea of India. It is a book of particular relevance at a time when nationalism and the slogan Bharat Mata ki Jai are being used to construct a militant and purely emotional idea of India that excludes millions of residents and citizens. Who Is Bharat Mata contains selections from Nehrus classic booksAn Autobiography Glimpses of World History and The Discovery of India his speeches essays and letters from the pre and postIndependence years and some of his most revealing interviews. The concluding section of the book comprises reminiscences and assessments of Nehru by his contemporariesamong them Mahatma Gandhi Bhagat Singh Sardar Patel Maulana Azad Aruna Asaf Ali Sheikh Abdullah Ramdhari Singh Dinkar Ali Sardar Jafri Martin Luther King Jr and Atal Bihar Vajpayee. In this carefully puttogether anthologywhich also carries an illuminating introductionNehru emerges as a remarkable man of ideas and action who had an instinctive understanding of Indias civilizational spirit as also a clear commitment to the scientific temper and as a leader who despite the compulsions of politics remained a true democrat. His legacy continues to be extremely relevantfor in the words of the editor an understanding of Nehrus political and intellectual journey is a precondition for Indias survival as a democratic polity and as a humane compassionate society.