Jawaharlal Nehru

 

Portrait of Jawaharlal NehruJawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964), first prime minister of independent India from 1947 to 1964. At the age of sixteen he went to Britain to study at Harrow College and the University of Cambridge. After returning to India in 1912 he worked as a lawyer. In 1919 he joined the Indian National Congress, lead by Mahatma Gandhi. He was president of the INC from 1929 to 1931, and from 1942.

 

In August 1947, after the withdrawal by the British, Nehru became prime minister. He was prime minister until his death on 27 May 1964. As prime minister Nehru was greatly interested in foreign policy. It was said "India does not have a foreign policy, Nehru has a foreign policy.

 

Nehru made some impressive speeches to the General Assembly (see the links). In 1952 he suggested that the People's Republic of China should have the permanent seat in the Security Council in stead of the Republic of China. He even turned down the possibility of a permanent seat for India for this reason.

 

Medal for the birth centenary of NehruOn 11 October 1978 the General Assembly at a special meeting gave him a posthumous award for his contribution, in cooperation with the United Nations, to the international campaign against apartheid.

 

In 1987 the General Conference of UNESCO adopted a resolution paying homage to Nehru's vision of world peace, of understanding and friendship between peoples and nations, and of a world order in which different national cultures are appreciated by humanity as a whole.

 

Since 1964 the celebrations for Universal Children's Day in India are held on 14 November, Nehru's birthday.

 

 

Links

 

Nehru in Wikipedia.

Photos from the Truman Library showing Nehru meeting Ralph Bunche, Carlos P. Romulo and the Indian UN delegation.

In 1989 a special medal was struck by UNESCO in commemoration of the centenary of the birth of Nehru.

 

 

Catalogue - death commemoration

 

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics                        20 August 1964

 

 

Catalogue - birth centenary

 

German Democratic Republic                              7 November 1989

Tunisia                                                              29 November 1989

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics                        10 October 1989

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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last revised: 29 January 2011