Background: From Allahabad to Shantivan.

Born on 14th November, 1889 in Allahabad to Motilal Nehru (famous lawyer). Studied at
Trinity College, Cambridge University and Inns of Court School of Law. After obtaining a
degree in law joined the Bar at Allahabad High Court. Participated in the freedom struggle
with Gandhi and went to jail. The task of building the nation- India fell on his shoulders as
the first Prime Minister post independence. Started the Nehru- Gandhi dynasty. His father
defected to the “Swaraj party” in 1922, but Nehru stayed with Congress and even opposed his
father’s Nehru Report in 1928 which favoured dominion status for India.

Political influences: Italian patriot Garibaldi, M. K. Gandhi, G. K. Gokhale, Dr. Annie Besant
(joined theosophical society at the age of thirteen), C. R. Das

Broad political views:

(i) Was a republican and opposed imperialism (look at the family now!)
(ii) Avid traveller and historian (Discovery of India and Glimpses of World History)
(iii) Remarkable orator. (which we wish he passed on to Mr. Rahul Gandhi)
(iv) Did not advocate religion in politics
(v) Political democracy without economic democracy is meaningless. Therefore,
socialist democracy. Western model of democracy.
(vi) Socialist – not a hardcore communist
(vii) Against communalism or isolationism- but resulted in partition because he refused
to give up his quest for Prime Ministership
(viii) Greatest contribution to international politics- NAM preventing global bifurcation

CONTRIBUTION TO NATIONAL POLITICS

Democratic socialism: also known as evolutionary socialism

(i) Objective to create a welfare state

(ii) Parliamentary democracy
(iii) Mixed economy
(iv)As solution to class conflict
(v) Five-year plans
- First five-year plan: Land reforms, agricultural universities and green revolution
- Second five-year plan: steel plants in Rourkela, Durgapur and Bhillai
(vi)Collaboration of public and private sector
(vii) Co-operative societies

Features:

(i) equal facilities to all sections of the people;

(ii) prevention of concentration of economic power in a few hands through state
regulation and legislation;
(iii) elimination of monopolies and monopolistic trends in business, industrial or other
organizations,
 (iv) progressive extension of the public sector in key industries and power generation
and public control over significant areas of economic power;
(v) maximum utilization of technology for increasing production and lessening the
burdens of manual labour.
(vi) In the social sphere, the aim is the elimination of social inequalities through
legislation and extensive state-implemented welfare activities.

CONTRIBUTION TO INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

Panchsheel:

In 1954 Nehru signed with China the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, known in India
as the Panchsheel (from the Sanskrit words, panch: five, sheel: virtues; also known as the five
restraints), a set of principles to govern relations between the two states.

(i) Mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty,
(ii) Mutual non-aggression,
(iii) Mutual non-interference,
(iv) Equality and mutual benefit, and
(v) Peaceful co-existence.”

Panchsheel was incorporated into the Ten Principles of International Peace and Cooperation
enunciated in the Declaration issued by the April 1955 Bandung Conference of 29 Afro-
Asian countries.

On Dec 11, 1957, adopted by the UN GA.

In 1961, Conference on Non- Aligned Nations accepted Panchsheel as their core of NAM at
Belgrade.

One of the most important contributions by India to international politics.

NAM:

- Started to oppose polarization of the global order. By Indonesia, India, Egypt,

Yugoslavia and Ghana. Also known as The Initiative of the Five.
- New path for international relations. Upheld the panchseel.
- The current requirements are that the candidate country has displayed practices in
accordance with the ten "Bandung principles" of 1955:

(i) Respect for fundamental human rights and for the purposes and principles of
the Charter of the United Nations.
(ii) Respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations.
(iii) Recognition of the movements for national independence.
(iv)Recognition of the equality of all races and of the equality of all nations, large and
small.
(v) Abstention from intervention or interference in the internal affairs of another country.
(vi)Respect for the right of each nation to defend itself singly or collectively, in
conformity with the Charter of the United Nations.
(vii) Refraining from acts or threats of aggression or the use of force against the
territorial integrity or political independence of any country.
(viii) Settlement of all international disputes by peaceful means, in conformity with
the Charter of the United Nations.
(ix)Promotion of mutual interests and co-operation.
(x) Respect for justice and international obligations.

- Internal conflicts- India and Pakistan, Iran and Iraq, Soviet Russia invading
Afghanistan in 1979, has strained the policies and ideologies of the NAM.
- Role has dwindled post the cold war. General work on human rights in close
collaboration with the UN post the cold war.