Jawaharlal Nehru – Indian Political Thought – O.P. Gauba

Introduction

• Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (1889–1964) was a prominent freedom fighter and an influential statesman of modern India.

• During the final phase of the Indian national movement, his leadership was second only to that of Mahatma Gandhi.

• When India gained independence in 1947, Nehru became the first Prime Minister of India.

• He continued to serve in this position from 1947 until his death in 1964.

• Nehru played a significant role not only in national politics but also in international affairs, contributing to India’s global standing.

• Along with his political leadership, he also demonstrated remarkable ability as a writer and intellectual.

• Nehru gained recognition as a historian and political commentator, reflecting deeply on historical and political developments.

• He did not write a single systematic treatise presenting a complete account of his political philosophy.

• Instead, his political ideas can be understood from his reflections on Indian and world history and from his views expressed in practical political issues.

• His writings, speeches, and political actions collectively reveal the foundations of Nehru’s worldview and political thought.

• Important sources for understanding his political philosophy include:

  • Autobiography (1936)

  • Glimpses of World History (1939)

  • The Discovery of India (1946)

  • as well as his numerous articles, letters, and speeches.

• These works provide valuable insight into Nehru’s historical perspective, political ideas, and vision for India and the world.

Nehru… was a Marxist who rejected regimentation, a socialist who was wholly committed to civil liberties, a radical with a preference for non-violence, and a world citizen who combined his international obligations with a total involvement in India, saw the necessity of self-reliance even in a shrinking world and stressed the need to adapt every ideology to the Indian condition.

~ S. Gopal: The Mind of Jawaharlal Nehru (1980)

Nehru’s Vision of Science

• Jawaharlal Nehru strongly advocated the importance of science and scientific temper for the social reconstruction of India.

• He believed that Indians must cultivate a scientific outlook in order to benefit from scientific knowledge and its practical application through modern technology.

• As the first Prime Minister of independent India, Nehru established numerous scientific laboratories, research institutions, and industrial establishments.

• He described these institutions as the “temples of modern India”, emphasizing their importance for national development.

• In his message to the Silver Jubilee Session of the Indian Science Congress (1938) at Calcutta (now Kolkata), Nehru stated that science alone could solve major social problems such as:

  • hunger and poverty,

  • insanitation and illiteracy,

  • superstition and rigid traditions,

  • wastage of natural resources,

  • and the paradox of a rich country inhabited by starving people.

• Nehru regarded science as a powerful instrument of human emancipation and social progress.

• However, he did not accept a form of science that merely searched for truth in isolation without considering its social consequences.

• His appeal to scientists emphasized several key ideas:

  • Science should serve the common people by helping solve practical problems related to food, livelihood, and basic necessities.

  • The scientific method of thinking and scientific temper should extend beyond laboratories and influence all spheres of life, including politics.

  • Science should address broader human issues, including social, economic, and psychological problems.

  • Scientific advancement must be combined with wisdom and sensitivity toward the spiritual dimension of human life.

• In The Discovery of India, Nehru clarified the scope and limits of science.

• He explained that science deals with the domain of positive knowledge, focusing on objective facts and empirical inquiry.

• However, the scientific temper it creates goes beyond mere accumulation of knowledge.

• According to Nehru, the ultimate aims of human life include:

  • the pursuit of knowledge,

  • the realization of truth,

  • the appreciation of goodness,

  • and the experience of beauty.

• The scientific method of objective investigation cannot fully explain all aspects of human experience.

• Important elements of life such as art, poetry, emotional appreciation of beauty, and moral goodness lie partly beyond the strict boundaries of scientific inquiry.

• In Nehru’s understanding, scientific temper means approaching problems with an open and rational mind.

• It involves maintaining a critical attitude toward traditional beliefs and established ideas.

• Scientific temper encourages the search for truth and new knowledge.

• It requires refusing to accept ideas blindly without testing and verification.

• It also implies the willingness to revise earlier conclusions when new evidence appears.

• A scientific outlook relies on observed facts and evidence, rather than preconceived theories or dogmas.

• Nehru contrasted the scientific temper with traditional religious beliefs.

• He argued that as human knowledge expands, the domain of religion in the narrow sense gradually decreases.

• With increasing understanding of nature and life, people rely less on supernatural explanations.

• Once human beings understand and control certain phenomena, they no longer remain mysterious.

• However, Nehru acknowledged that ultimate mysteries of existence still remain beyond the full comprehension of the human mind.

• Despite these limits, life continues to offer the beauty of the world and the excitement of constant discovery.

• Scientific exploration opens new horizons of knowledge, new possibilities for better ways of living, and enriches the fullness of human life.

• Jawaharlal Nehru’s concern for both science and human welfare led him to advocate the idea of scientific humanism.

• This concept emphasizes the integration of scientific progress with human values and ethical responsibility.

• Nehru believed that the modern mind should possess qualities such as:

  • being practical and pragmatic,

  • ethical and socially responsible,

  • altruistic and humanitarian in outlook.

• According to him, the modern outlook is guided by practical idealism aimed at achieving social betterment.

• In earlier times, science often treated nature as something separate from human beings.

• However, modern thought recognizes that human beings and nature are closely interconnected.

• This shift in perspective has helped bridge the gap between humanism and the scientific spirit.

• As a result, a growing synthesis between science and human values has emerged, forming the basis of scientific humanism.

• Nehru appreciated efforts to establish harmony between the world of facts and the world of spirit.

• He believed that scientific knowledge should coexist with ethical and spiritual awareness.

• In modern medical science, this integrated outlook is clearly visible.

• Physicians now understand that it is not enough to treat only the physical body of an individual or society.

• True healing requires attention to both the body and the mind or soul.

• This approach reflects Plato’s idea that physicians for the body and physicians for the soul are inseparable and indivisible.

• Nehru also referred to Albert Einstein’s warning that the future of humanity increasingly depends on its moral strength.

• Scientific progress without moral responsibility could threaten the well-being of mankind.

• In essence, scientific humanism means that the power created by scientific advancement must be used for the service and welfare of humanity.

• Scientific achievements should not be used for private profit, domination, or exploitation of others.

• Instead, science must contribute to human progress, social justice, and the collective good of society.

Scientific Temper

Scientific temper refers to an inclination to rely on scientific method for discovering truth and acting on the truth so discovered. It does not subscribe to miracles, magic or sorcery. It draws conclusions only from scientific evidence and reason, and rules out any role of abstract forces or supernatural causes, movement of heavenly bodies, acts of ghosts or evil spirits, etc. in regulating human life, as science and superstition do not go together.

Politics and religion are obsolete. The time has come for Science and Spirituality.

~ Jawaharlal Nehru

The future belongs to science and those who make friends with science.

~ Jawaharlal Nehru

The spectacle of what is called religion, or at any rate organized religion, in India and elsewhere, has filled me with horror and I have frequently condemned it and wished to make a clean sweep of it. Almost always it seemed to stand for blind belief and reaction, dogma and bigotry, superstition, exploitation and the preservation of vested interests.

~ Jawaharlal Nehru

Science and technology have freed humanity from many burdens and given us this new perspective and great power. This power can be used for the good of all.

~ Jawaharlal Nehru