Modi and Nehru: Two opposite sides of Indian democracy

"Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) is now Prime Ministers Museum and Library (PMML) Society w.e.f. August 14, 2023—in tune with the democratisation and diversification of the remit of the society," tweeted an office bearer of the council that runs NMML.

Very few could have noticed the renaming of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library on the eve of Independence Day. Popularly known as Teen Murti, the museum houses personal artefacts of the first prime minister of India along with a huge library and archives. It has been a centre of intellectual activities in the national capital and has immensely contributed to enriching the idea of India during the post-Nehru era. It attracts a significant number of researchers across the world. Though the renaming attracted only a stoic reaction from Rahul Gandhi, it has angered the Congress party.

"From today, an iconic institution gets a new name. The world renowned Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) becomes PMML—Prime Ministers’ Memorial Museum and Library.”

Mr Modi possesses a huge bundle of fears, complexes, and insecurities, especially when it comes to our first and longest serving Prime Minister. He has had a single point agenda of denying, distorting, defaming, and destroying Nehru and the Nehruvian legacy. He has erased N and put P instead. That P is really for pettiness and peeve.

But he 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. Despite the relentless assault, Jawaharlal Nehru’s legacy will live on for the world to see, and he will continue to inspire generations to come," says spokesperson Jairam Ramesh. Rahul Gandhi's reaction that Nehru ji is known for his work, not his name, is obviously a political reaction to distance himself from a controversy that may earn some more abuse from the BJP. Ramesh has certainly touched on an important aspect of Modi’s personality. The Prime Minister has been openly displaying the narcissism no prime minister of India has ever shown. Many people will dislike any attempt to compare Jawaharlal Nehru and Narendra Modi, but it is required at least for the limited purpose of comparing two prime ministers of a vast country like India. Ramesh rightly talks of the democratic, secular, scientific, and liberal foundation of the country. But the point needs further elaboration.

Does Modi only suffer from a complex so far as the name of Nehru is concerned, or does his aversion for Nehru go beyond it? Modi’s tirade against Nehru has deeper ideological roots. Nehru has never compromised on issues of democracy and secularism. These ideals were so ingrained in his personality that he never dreamed of decimating his political opponents. Modi, in contrast, is ruthlessly trying to destroy opposition parties. He has been resorting to means no one in the past had even dreamed of.

The contrast between the two can be seen in their independence speeches at the end of their terms. The speech of Modi on the 77th Independence Day obviously attracted such huge attention that he declared that he would come back in 2024.

"When I came in 2014, I came with a promise of change. In 2014, I made a promise to you that I would bring about change. And the 140 crore members of my family placed their trust in me, and I made every effort to fulfill that trust. The promise of Reform, performance, and transformation changed into belief because I had promised change. Through Reform, performance, and transformation, I have turned this promise into a belief. I have worked tirelessly, I have worked for the country, I have worked with pride, and I have done it with the spirit of "Nation First." Based on my performance, you blessed me once again in 2019, and the promise of change brought me here. The next five years will be years of unprecedented development. The next five years are the golden moments to realise the dream of 2047. And next time, on the 15th of August, from this very Red Fort, I will present to you the achievements of the country, your capabilities, the progress made by you, and the successes achieved with even greater self-confidence," Modi asserted.

Though supportive media only talks of how many times he referred to ‘dynasty’, ‘corruption’ and appeasement, they ignore his reciting his own name and persona innumerable times. They do not point out that the prime minister reduced himself to a poor film actor while talking of making and fulfilling of "commitments". It would be relevant to quote from the speech of Prime Minister Nehru on Independence Day in 1956.

"Soon we are going to have general elections. Everyone has the right to express his views, and parties can present their programme to the people and try to bring them around to their opinion. If you do not like the present government, you are welcome to change it. I will be happy to serve in any capacity. But violence and chaos have no connection with democracy. We must think carefully about where all this will lead us. Is the carefully moulded civilization of India beginning to develop cracks? India has been moulded by thousands of years of culture, which cannot be taken away from us. Secondly, we have been moulded by the freedom struggle. If the people represent neither the old nor the new but believe only in hooliganism, how can they serve India?" Nehru says. He appeals to the people, saying that they may throw away his government, yet he would be serving the country. He also acknowledges that every party has the right to mobilise the people around its ideologies. The parties he is referring to include the Bhartiya Jan Sangh, the earlier version of the present BJP.

(The author is a senior journalist. He has experience of working with leading newspapers and electronic media including Deccan Herald, Sunday Guardian, Navbharat Times and Dainik Bhaskar. He writes on politics, society, environment and economy)