Unlike other leaders of the time, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru refuses to fade from the popular narrative. As the first Prime Minister and one of the founders of the Republic of India, he continues to cast a long shadow.
Love him or criticise him, you cannot escape Nehru's long shadow. From campuses to neighbourhoods, it is everywhere. His quotes are cited by supporters and critics alike, his speeches are quoted in parliamentary sessions and townhalls, his policies are hailed and criticised to drive contemporary political debates, and his decisions are also used to invoke contrasts with contemporary governance or are even rarely cited to draw parallels.
At a time when the polity refuses to forget Nehru for a host of reasons, in Outlook's upcoming issue, we look at the time and decisions of Nehru, the white, black, and the grey, going beyond the binaries and looking at the politics around his personality and the historic successes and blunders that are so often discussed today.
