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| The Hindu Phenomenon |
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THE NEHRUVIAN FRAMEWORK |
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individual human being or race or nation must necessarily have a
certain depth and certain roots in the past, which past is after all
the accumulation of generations of experience and some type of
wisdom. It is essential that you have that. Otherwise you become
just pale copies of something which has no real meaning to you as an
individual or as a group... 3.
This emphasis on roots, depth, past, basic mould and soil must come as a surprise to all those who are not familiar with this little known face of Nehru. It must also raise the question why he did not develop this theme and indeed why he kept this face of his, by and large, so well covered? Many answers are possible. The last of the three addresses I have in view was the Azad memorial lecture Nehru delivered on 22 February 1959. He said: When Islam came to India in the form of political conquest it brought conflict; it encouraged the tendency of Hindu society to shrink still further within its shell. Hence the great problem that faced India during the medieval period was how these two closed systems, each with its strong roots, could develop a healthy relationship. The Philosophy and the world outlook of the old Hindus was amazingly tolerant. The Muslims had to face a new problem,namely, how to live with others as equals. They came into conflict with Christendom and through hundreds of years the problem was never solved. In India, slowly a synthesis was developed. But before this could be completed, other influences came into play 4.
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