Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi paid tribute to India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, at his memorial ‘Shantivan’ in New Delhi. The tribute marks the 60th anniversary of Nehru’s passing, reflecting on his immense contributions to the nation.
In a heartfelt post on social media platform X, Kharge emphasized Nehru’s indispensable role in shaping modern India. “The history of India is incomplete without the incomparable contribution of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the architect of modern India,” Kharge wrote in Hindi. He highlighted Nehru’s advancements in scientific, economic, and industrial fields, and praised his dedication to democracy.
आधुनिक भारत के शिल्पकार, भारत को वैज्ञानिक, आर्थिक, औद्योगिक व विभिन्न क्षेत्रों में आगे ले जाने वाले, लोकतंत्र के समर्पित प्रहरी, स्वतंत्र भारत के प्रथम प्रधानमंत्री व हमारे प्रेरणास्रोत, पंडित जवाहरलाल नेहरू जी के अतुलनीय योगदान के बिना भारत का इतिहास अधूरा है।
“हिन्द के… pic.twitter.com/w1Y1rw8z5O
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) May 27, 2024
Kharge quoted Nehru, underscoring the late leader’s vision of national unity and equal opportunity: “The protection of the country, progress of the country, and unity of the country is the national religion of all of us. We may follow different religions, live in different states, speak different languages, but that should not create any wall between us. All people should get equal opportunity in progress. We do not want some people in our country to be very rich and most of the people to be poor.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid homage to Nehru, acknowledging his legacy in a post on X: “I pay homage to former PM Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru ji on his death anniversary.”
I pay homage to former PM Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Ji on his death anniversary.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 27, 2024
Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Nehru’s great-grandson, shared his tributes as well. “Respectful tributes to the architect of modern India and the first Prime Minister of the country, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on his death anniversary. As a visionary, he dedicated his entire life to building India through the freedom movement, establishing democracy, secularism, and laying the foundation of the Constitution. His values will always guide us,” Gandhi posted in Hindi on X.
आधुनिक भारत के शिल्पकार, देश के प्रथम प्रधानमंत्री, पंडित जवाहरलाल नेहरू जी की पुण्यतिथि पर उन्हें सादर नमन।
एक दूरदर्शी व्यक्ति के रूप में उन्होंने अपना संपूर्ण जीवन – स्वतंत्रता आंदोलन, लोकतंत्र स्थापन, धर्मनिरपेक्षता और संविधान की नींव रखते हुए भारत निर्माण के लिए समर्पित… pic.twitter.com/e5v3nvL9IO
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 27, 2024
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh reflected on Nehru’s final days, recounting his last public interactions and his profound influence by the life and message of Buddha. “Nehru conducted his usual almost-monthly freewheeling press interaction on May 22, 1964. Towards the end of that meet, he was asked about succession and he jokingly replied: ‘my life is not ending very soon.’ Nehru then spent a few days in Dehradun from where we have his very last photo alive. He returned to New Delhi on May 26th. Perhaps the last act of his that night was to write a letter to Seiiche Hirose in Japan. A few hours later, in the early morning of May 27th at 6:25 am, Nehru lost consciousness, and he was declared dead at 2 p.m.,” Ramesh shared.
आज जवाहरलाल नेहरू की 60वीं पुण्य तिथि है।
22 मई, 1964 को नेहरू ने सामान्य रूप से लगभग हर महीने होने वाली प्रेस वार्ता की थी। उस वार्ता के अंत में उनसे जब उत्तराधिकार के बारे में पूछा गया तब उन्होंने मज़ाक में जवाब दिया था: “मेरा जीवन इतनी जल्द ख़त्म होने वाला नहीं है”।
इसके… pic.twitter.com/ND09kR8u4x
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) May 27, 2024
Ramesh also noted Nehru’s admiration for Emperor Ashoka, which influenced the incorporation of the Ashoka Chakra in the national flag and the Sarnath Lion Capital as the national emblem.
Nehru, India’s first and longest-serving Prime Minister, remains a pivotal figure in India’s history. His vision for a unified, secular, and progressive India continues to inspire future generations. The Congress party’s tributes reflect their ongoing commitment to the values Nehru championed.
