The BJP, under the leadership of Narendra Modi, is making an incessant effort to erase the Nehruvian legacy but build one of its own by denying, distorting, defaming, and destroying the real History of this great statesman and his noble contributions to the development of modern India. They strongly feel that they could accomplish that task and put their stamp on History only if they shatter the Nehruvian monopoly over ideas and probably demolish the man himself.
The BJP and its allies have emphasized the roles of figures like Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, B.R. Ambedkar, and Subhas Chandra Bose to diminish Nehru’s contribution and create a new narrative. The Congress Party built much of its political identity on Nehru and the “Nehruvian Era,” and what the BJP is engaged in here is challenging or reframing that legacy to create its own foundational story of India. By criticizing the Nehruvian policies, whether domestic or foreign, the BJP wants to present itself as an agent of change.
They fully realize that History is power, how policies are created, critiqued, or institutions are named. Therefore, the BJP is deeply engaged in influencing that memory. For the Congress Party, Nehru remains an iconic figure whose legacy inspires and strengthens the party. The BJP and its ideological parent, the RSS, promote a civilizational model through a different lens than the Nehruvian liberal-scientific heritage. The BJP’s efforts to rename institutions, revise school textbooks, and promote a different narrative of India’s history are all part of this strategy.
Reacting to the renaming of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library to the Prime Ministers’ Memorial and Museum, the All India Congress Committee stated: “Mr. Modi can never take away Nehru’s gigantic contributions to the freedom movement and his towering achievements in building the democratic, secular, scientific, and liberal foundations of the Indian nation-state, all of which are now under assault by Mr. Modi and his drumbeaters.”
It is quite remarkable that, even six decades after his passing, the architect of modern India is still a target of the current Prime Minister, who seems determined to erase a great legacy. Will this effort succeed, or will the people of India always remember the visionary who led the country from oppression to freedom, modernity, and self-reliance? Behind this relentless campaign and unsettling mindset lies a profound discomfort with Nehru’s vision — the very concept of India as a diverse society where people of different religions, languages, ethnicities, and castes coexist in relative harmony. This vision, despite the current challenges, continues to inspire and guide us towards a more inclusive and forward-looking India.
In 2022, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) indicated that it would remove or modify school textbooks that referenced Nehru. Some chapters on the Mughal Empire, sections on Mahatma Gandhi, Hindu-Muslim unity, and the ban on RSS were reportedly removed as part of “syllabus rationalization.” India’s school textbooks have become a new battleground for Hindu nationalism. There were significant pushbacks from opposition parties, states, and academics. The State government of Kerala, for instance, has resisted or reversed moves it saw as altering historical narratives.
Sadly, Modi has succeeded somewhat in defining nationalism around a Hindu civilizational identity, replacing secular civic nationalism. The ideological terrain has undoubtedly shifted, as very few political parties in India today campaign on basic Nehruvian ideals. Nevertheless, as we celebrate the 136th birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru on November 14th, 2025, we remain in awe as we recall his contributions to India’s independence and to laying a strong foundation for a pluralistic and forward-looking nation.
One of Nehru’s most significant accomplishments was the crafting of the Indian Constitution with the help of B. R. Ambedkar, recognizing his intellect and pioneering legal and social thought. Nehru’s Objectives Resolution served as the moral preamble to Ambedkar’s draft. The Indian Constitution, one of the longest in the world, with 395 Articles and 9 Schedules, spells out the basic philosophy and the solemn resolve of the people of India to secure justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity for all its citizens. What Nehru accomplished through this document, with significant help and support from Ambedkar, was part of his vision to empower marginalized sections of society. Nehru is said to have defended Ambedkar in the Assembly when some conservatives opposed his ideas on women’s rights and the Hindu Code Bill.
Nehru was committed to ensuring social justice and the welfare of the masses as far back as 1938, by setting up the National Planning Committee under the Congress Party’s banner to improve the quality of life of ordinary citizens. These efforts culminated in the creation of a permanent Planning Commission to establish a just social order and ensure the equitable distribution of income and wealth. Nehru’s actions in these matters paint him as a socialist. However, he firmly believed that planning was essential for a developing country with scarce resources that needed to be managed optimally.
Working with Maulana Azad, the first Minister of Education, he was instrumental in establishing India’s first IIT at Kharagpur in 1951. He foresaw the importance of science and technology for national progress, enabling the country to compete with global institutions. The IIT model, later expanded to include Bombay, Madras, Kanpur, and Delhi, became elite institutions that produced successful engineers and scientists, and continue to drive the global technology revolution. He also played a leading role in creating the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and other similar organizations, and he supported the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore as a premier research center.
Under Nehru’s guidance, Azad also established three national academies to nurture and enhance India’s cultural identity: the Sahitya Akademi (1954) for literature, Lalit Kala Akademi (1954) for fine arts, and Sangeet Natak Akademi (1953) for music, dance, and drama. These institutions were created to preserve and promote India’s diverse linguistic and artistic heritage.
Nehru established institutions such as the Planning Commission, IITs, IIMs, UGC, CSIR, AIIMS, and cultural academies. Today, the BJP has abolished or restructured some of these educational and cultural bodies and filled them with ideologically aligned members. Yet, core institutions like the IITs, AIIMS, and CSIR remain strong and continue to embody Nehru’s scientific and academic spirit. This resilience of Nehru’s educational and scientific legacy, despite the political challenges, should reassure us that his vision for India’s progress is deeply rooted and will continue to guide us.
Undoubtedly, Nehru helped to build institutions that stood the test of time. The emerging nations of his era — such as Yugoslavia, Egypt, and Ghana — failed in this regard, and the results are evident for all to see. Nehru’s vision and leadership were critical in shaping India as we know it today. According to Journey of a Nation, edited by Anand Sharma, Nehru laid the foundation of a self-reliant, productive, and confident India, creating many of its institutions and leaving an indelible stamp on every aspect of the country.
It has been said, “History is not merely a record of the past; it is the moral compass of a nation. Those who attempt to erase it often underestimate the resilience of ideas rooted in truth and justice. Nehru’s idea of India, democratic, secular, inclusive, and forward-looking, has withstood wars, political upheavals, and ideological assaults because it rests on universal human values. His legacy is not confined to statues or institutions bearing his name; it lives in the Constitution, in the scientific temper of the Indian mind, and in the freedom that allows dissent and diversity to flourish”.
As India stands at another crossroads, the choice is not between Nehru and any individual leader, but between two competing visions of the Republic, one narrow and exclusionary, the other broad and humane. To remember Nehru is not an act of reminiscence; it is an affirmation of the moral and intellectual foundations on which modern India was built. His light, though dimmed by political hostility, continues to guide the nation, hopefully, toward reason, unity, and progress.
(George Abraham is a former Chief Technological Officer with the United Nations. He is Vice Chair of IOC USA. He can be reached at gta777@gmail.com)
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