Summary/Abstract |
This article attempts to revisit Nehru’s ideology and to re-contextualise it in an era of globalisation. India has remained the reference point to assess Nehru’s ideology. His idea of nation and nationalism are discussed in the light of the recent attempts to redefine Indian nation and nationalism. Notwithstanding his commitment to secularism, Nehru also attempted to absorb Hindu communalist sentiments in the mainstream of Indian politics but at the same time he treated communalism as a grave threat to India’s integrity. Nehru’s vision to develop modern India not only with the help of science and technology but also by developing a scientific temperament and promoting democratic culture amongst people is the subject of debate. His views regarding the radical transformation of rural society through land reforms and community development programmes are discussed here. Nehru desired to reconcile the modern goals of economic development with traditional community values of small-scale agrarian societies. His contribution to consolidate democracy by gradually attaching the people to parliamentary institutions forms a significant component of this article.
|