Jawaharlal Nehru (i/darlal neru/; Hindi: , Urdu: 41 November 1889 27 May [4] 1964 ) often referred to affectionately as 'Pandit-ji',

', was an Indian statesman who was the first and longest-serving Prime Minister of India (19471964). One of the leading figures in the Indian independence movement, Nehru was elected by the Indian National Congress to assume office as independent India's first Prime Minister, and re-elected when the Congress Party won India's first general election in 1952. As one of the founders of the Non-Aligned Movement, he was also one of the principal leaders of Indias independence movement in the 1930s and 40s. Nehru established parliamentary government and became noted for his neutralist policies in foreign affairs. The son of the wealthy man and politician Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru became a leader of the left wing of the Congress when fairly young. Rising to become Congress President under the mentorship of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Nehru was a charismatic and radical leader, advocating complete independence for India from the British Empire. In the long struggle for Indian independence, Nehru was eventually recognized as Gandhi's political heir. Throughout his life, Nehru was also an advocate for Fabian socialism and the public sector as the means by which long-standing challenges of economic development could be addressed by poorer nations.

Life and career

Nehru raised the flag of independent India in New Delhi on 15 August 1947, the day India gained Independence. Nehru's appreciation of the virtues of parliamentary democracy, secularism and liberalism, coupled with his concerns for the poor and underprivileged, are recognised to have guided him in formulating socialist policies that influence India to this day. They also reflect the socialist origins of his worldview. His daughter, Indira Gandhi, and grandson, Rajiv Gandhi, also served as Prime Ministers of India. Upon his return from Kashmir in May 1964, Nehru suffered a stroke and later aheart attack. He was "taken ill in early hours" of 27 May 1964 and died in "early afternoon" on same day, and his death was announced to Lok Sabha at 1400 [30] local time; cause of death is believed to be heart attack. Nehru was cremated in accordance with Hindu rites at the Shantivana on the banks of theYamuna River, witnessed by hundreds of thousands of mourners who had flocked into the streets of Delhi and the cremation grounds.

Life of Jawaharlal Nehru

Jawaharlal Nehru was born on November 14, 1889 in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. Born with the proverbial silver spoon, Jawaharlal had a western upbringing and studied in the famous Harrow School and Trinity College in England. In 1916, at the age of 27, Jawaharlal married Kamala Kaul and the following year saw the birth of their only child Indira Priyadarshini. After an initial brush with legal practice, Jawaharlal Nehru joined the Indian National Congress and started his political career under the tutelage of father Motilal Nehru. After the successful Champaran and Kheda Satyagrahas, Mahatma Gandhi emerged as the undisputed leader of the masses and Nehru soon became one of his trusted aides. Under Gandhi's influence Nehru shunned his western lifestyle and traveled extensively to garner resistance against the British. Through the 1920s Jawaharlal Nehru earned accolades for his passionate anti-British stance and was elected Congress Party president in the 1929 Lahore session. Nehru played a prominent role in the 1930 Salt Satyagraha launched by Gandhi and when Congress called for the historic Quit India movement in 1942, he and Subhash Chandra Bose were at the forefront of the mass protests against the government. The moment of freedom has arrived and after some internal conflicts in the Congress Party Nehru was chosen as the head of the interim government. He took office as the first Prime Minister of India on August 15, 1947. As Independent India's prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru launched a series of economic and social initiatives in line with his vision of a socialist Indian nation. Apart from domestic issues, Nehru emphasized on forging alliances with other like-minded countries and was instrumental in founding the Non-Aligned Movement. The 1962 Chinese invasion of India's northeastern states was a big setback to Nehru's peaceful policies and his government also had to face corruption charges. After a period of illness, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru passed away on May 27, 1964