Tag: Nehru

Why Emperor Modi needs Nehru, Gandhi, Indira and JP

Shivam VijLeave a comment

For Scroll.in on 14 October 2014

Nicholas Kamm/AFP

When the English built the New Delhi capital in 1931, they gave many major roads around it such Indian names as Prithviraj Road, Ashoka Road, Ferozshah Road, Akbar Road and Aurangzeb Road. This was only partly in response to growing Indian nationalism. It also served to legitimise the British Raj as the legitimate successor of empires past. For most of history, Delhi has been the capital of the land, and the British decided to move here from Calcutta to show who ruled it. Continue reading “Why Emperor Modi needs Nehru, Gandhi, Indira and JP” →

Politicians and their birthdays

Shivam VijLeave a comment

I think very highly of Jawahar Lal, but there’s something megalomaniac about politicians and their birthdays…

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(Click on the images to enlarge.)

Which is not to say Nehru’s investment in children was insincere or cyncila like Modi’s communication strategies…

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A prime minister celebrating his birthday as children’s day is for me, a lot less problematic than a president celebrating his birthday as Teacher’s day.