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Jawaharlal Nehru
Nehru
Historical Figure
Nationality: India
Year of Birth: 1889
Year of Death: 1964
Cause of Death: Stroke and heart attack
Religion: Agnostic (raised Hindu)
Occupation: Lawyer, Activist, Politician, Author of Non-Fiction
Spouse: Kamala Nehru
Children: Indira Gandhi
Unnamed son (d. 1924)
Relatives: Rajiv Gandhi (grandson)
Political Party: Indian National Congress
Political Office(s): Prime Minister of India,
Foreign Minister,
Finance Minister,
Minister of War
Fictional Appearances:

Jawaharlal Nehru (14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat, diplomat, barrister, and author who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20th century. Nehru was a principal leader of the Indian nationalist movement in the 1930s and 1940s. Upon India's independence from the United Kingdom in 1947, he served as the country's first prime minister, holding the office for 17 years. Nehru promoted parliamentary democracy, secularism, and science and technology during the 1950s, powerfully influencing India's arc as a modern nation. In international affairs, he steered India clear of the two blocs of the Cold War. A well-regarded author, his books written in prison, such as Letters from a Father to His Daughter (1929), An Autobiography (1936) and The Discovery of India (1946), have been read around the world. He fostered a political dynasty; both his daughter, Indira Gandhi, and his grandson Rajiv Gandhi later served as prime minister.

Jawaharlal Nehru in "The Last Article"[]

Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1947) was a leader in India's struggle for independence from Britain and later Germany. Unlike his colleague, Mohandas Gandhi, Nehru had a rudimentary grasp of the inherent immorality of Nazism which allowed it to prove remarkably resistant to the non-violent pressures of Satyagraha. He remembered the testimony by a Jewish refugee named Simon Wiesenthal, who had fled from Europe and into India, although Gandhi refused to believe it.

Nehru joined Gandhi on a march up Chandi Chauk, the Street of Silversmiths, toward Qutb Road, in violation of a German ban. When German troops met Gandhi and his people, Gandhi's unflappable response left them puzzled, and so they simply began walking along side the marching Indians.

However, word soon reached Field Marshal Walther Model, the commander of the German occupation force, who arrived on the scene and personally took control. After several demands that the demonstration break-up, Model dropped a handkerchief on the ground, and warned Gandhi that if anyone passed it, the Germans would open fire. Nehru warned Gandhi that he believed Model would order his men to shoot. Gandhi acknowledged this, and proceeded, prepared to give up his life. Nehru followed. However, many of Gandhi's followers marched ahead of him, to his horror, and were shot down. Nehru and another man promptly tackled Gandhi, keeping him under cover. They immediately pulled Gandhi to safety, much to his chagrin.

"The Last Article"
POD: c. 1940
Type of Appearance: Direct
Date of Death: 1947
Cause of Death: Execution by firing squad


Once safe, Gandhi began taking stock of events. He realized that this incident, unlike the Amritsar massacre was not a moment of panic. Nehru agreed, but saw a silver lining in that there would be an immediate work stoppage. Gandhi suffered another shock when he learned that Model had ordered the "mercy" killings of the wounded in Qutb Road. Still, he took for granted that Model would be censured. He was horrified when a radio broadcast by William Joyce announced that Reichminister Reinhard Heydrich congratulated Model on his actions, and issued a price on both Gandhi and Nehru's heads.

Gandhi and Nehru became fugitives, until a Muslim turned them in to the authorities. Nehru was promptly executed, though Gandhi was granted a final audience with Model.[1]

Jawaharlal Nehru in The War That Came Early[]

The War That Came Early
POD: July 20, 1936;
Relevant POD: September 29, 1938
Appearance(s): Last Orders
Type of Appearance: Contemporary reference

Hindu leaders Mohandas Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru were quite vocal about securing India's independence from Britain. This accelerated after the Second World War ended in Europe in 1944, but continued to rage on in Asia.

British MP Ronald Cartland wondered what the factions of India would do should the British leave. Bobbety Cranborne thought they would slaughter each other by the carload.[2]

References[]

  1. See, e.g., Kaleidoscope, pgs. 214-244.
  2. Last Orders, pg. 381, HC.
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