Comparing Gandhi and Nehru's visions for India's future

Ghandi and Nehru

Both Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru were instrumental founding fathers of the modern India, an India independent from colonial powers and poised to become the world's largest democratic power. The two leaders worked together and it was a blend of their personal philosophies that became the underpinning of the independence movement in India. Nehru became India's first Prime Minister in August of 1947, immediately after independence. Therefore, Nehru bore a heavy political burden of showing Indian citizens, and indeed the whole world, that India was indeed capable of self-rule.

Gandhi and Nehru shared much in common in terms of their visions of India's future and the methods by which to achieve independence. Both men objected to colonial rule and were reviled by the British people in power. The British incarcerated Jawaharlal Nehru, and Gandhi engaged in self-imposed asceticism as a means to raise awareness for the cause. Although Nehru did not share Gandhi's taste for spirituality and abstinence, the two men agreed on most matters related to the architecture of the new nation. One of the main differences between Gandhi and Nehru was "Nehru wanted independence immediately whereas Gandhi believed Indians had to be made ready for their own freedom," (Tharoor).

Nehru spent 17 years of his political career as the first prime minister of India, helping to make democracy stick in a diverse nation. Therefore, Nehru also understood the need for patience and long-term solutions for India. After his 17 years, democracy had indeed become "entrenched" in Indian society. Jawah arlal Nehru's daughter Indira succeeded him but proved tremendously unpopular because of her attempt to suspend personal freedoms by calling a "State of Emergency." The ousting of Indira Gandhi was proof that democratic ideals had won over the Indian worldview; Indians would no longer accept a tyrannical government (Tharoor).

Mahatma Gandhi's and Jawaharlal Nehru's visions for India's political, economic, and social future are entwined. In fact, Nehru was directly influenced by Gandhi. Were it not for Gandhi's message of liberation via peaceful protest, Nehru might not even have believed it possible or likely to oust the Raj in a way that would improve rather than destabilize the nation. As Yergin and Sanislaw point out, Nehru was the son of a wealthy lawyer who, although a member of India's main political party that called for independence, did not advocate any radical changes from the status quo. After all, the wealthy and privileged enjoyed many perks on the part of the British presence in India such as the ability to advance economic enterprise. Yet "even in his own privileged life," the young Jawaharlal Nehru "saw that Empire and British rule were a humiliation," (Yergin and Stanislaw).

When Nehru met Gandhi he first began formulating a comprehensive vision of India's future. He also envisioned the types of long-term solutions that Gandhi advocated. Peasants throughout India were already showing signs of unrest and were revolting throughout the nation. Gandhi toured the country on his spiritual-political platform in an attempt to channel India's anger into constructive methods of creating change. The power of Gandhi's message was obvious to Nehru, who would have likely relied on his father's contacts rather than on Gandhi's grassroots organization to oust the Raj.

Gandhi opposed communism, which becoming a popular ideology in India at the time the independence movement stirred. After all, many Indian peasants saw hope embedded in communist doctrine. Communism promised the redistribution of wealth, which was sorely needed. Socialism did entrance Nehru, who seeked to incorporate some of the Soviet system into his new India. However, Gandhi developed a deep mistrust for the Soviet model.

Nehru saw some promise in the Soviet embrace of heavy industry, whereas Gandhi did not. Gandhi's vision was a bit more humble, centered on empowering peasants instead of big business. Nehru's vision was far more ambitious than that of Gandhi. For Gandhi, the peasants would be pleased to use traditional means of self-sufficiency to become empowered. Gandhi did not have any plans for India to compete in the race for industrial prowess. On the other hand, Nehru's vision "was that of extensive application of science and technology and industrialization for better living and liberation from the clutches of poverty, superstition and ignorance," ("Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964)").