Nehru’s I-Day Speeches Showed His Govt Neither Had Strategic Clarity Nor Accountability

As India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru had an unparalleled opportunity to inspire a nation emerging from centuries of colonial rule, his role as India’s first Prime Minister was not merely administrative, it was symbolic of a new era. However, a close analysis of his Independence Day speeches reveals that Nehru often missed the chance to truly uplift and motivate the Indian populace. Instead, his speeches were characterised by repetitive themes, deflections of responsibility, a lack of inspiration, and a patronising tone that failed to resonate with a country in need of leadership.

Repetitive Themes Without New Insights

One of the most striking features of Nehru’s Independence Day speeches is the recurrence of certain themes, particularly his focus on inflation and economic challenges. In 1950, Nehru attributed the rising prices of essential commodities to the Korean War, stating, “The price rise of essential commodities is also a thing, there is a war in Korea and people have increased the prices of essential commodities here, what is the meaning of this?” This was not an isolated instance. 

By 1959, nearly a decade into his tenure, Nehru was still grappling with the issue, saying, “We sometimes forget that we are engaged in doing great things, to make this country great again. You are facing problems even now, that of price rise. This isn’t in our total control yet but we will control it.”

Nehru’s consistent references to inflation over the years underscore a failure to address the problem with effective solutions. Instead, his speeches often deflected blame onto external factors such as the Korean War, or internal culprits like hoarders and black-marketers. His 1955 Essential Commodities Act, aimed at curbing hoarding, led to bureaucratic exploitation rather than resolving the underlying issues. Despite years of complaints, Nehru’s inability to propose concrete solutions created a cycle of repeated promises without substantial action.

Avoiding Accountability

Another recurring element in Nehru’s speeches is his tendency to avoid taking responsibility for the government’s shortcomings. In 1948, he acknowledged the economic challenges facing the country but offered no concrete solutions. “…inflation and rising prices and unemployment oppress the people… It is this war we have to fight, the war against economic crisis and to rehabilitate the disinherited.” The rhetoric of battle and struggle was a familiar refrain, yet Nehru often stopped short of outlining actionable steps.

By 1950, Nehru’s speeches took on a more defensive tone, as he deflected blame onto the Indian people themselves.

“But I would say again, this is independent India and we celebrate the anniversary of independent India. But with independence comes the responsibility. The responsibility is not only of the government, but also of every independent individual and if you don’t understand that responsibility and then the people of India have not exactly understood the true meaning of independence.”

Instead of offering solutions or taking ownership of the government’s role, Nehru shifted the burden onto the populace, framing their lack of understanding as a key issue.

In the same speech from 1950, Nehru scapegoated the business community as he accused them of exploiting the situation. 

“The other problem is that there are a lot of people in this country who are trying to make money from other people’s problems, be it a businessman or shop-owners they are hoarding food grains for their benefit so that they get huge price or maybe in a year or two when they need it they can bring it out.” 

He followed this with a rare admission of his own shortcomings, “You will say, it is a big talk, the same Jawahar Lal had said in the last two or three years that people who do such things should be given the strictest of punishments. A lot of such big talks happen, but when will actions be taken against these people? It is absolutely okay for you to question me on this and I am ashamed of myself on how we become so lackadaisical?”

A Lack of Inspiration and Strategic Clarity

For a nation in need of inspiration, Nehru’s speeches often fell short. Rather than rallying the people with a vision of progress and unity, Nehru’s words were frequently tinged with condescension. His reflections on Pakistan, for instance, lacked the clarity and resolve needed during times of geopolitical tension. 

In 1957, he remarked, “Our neighbour is Pakistan, which is a part of us, part of our hearts and arms. How do we even think of fighting them? This is like harming ourselves.” While it appears he is advocating for peace, Nehru’s words reveal a stunning ignorance about the true nature of geopolitics.

Any statesmen, worth his salt, knows, that, in this world, nations compete with each other to maximise their power. Nations which are unable to recognise this fundamental reality, suffer. As the Greek historian Thucydides remarked in his book, ‘History of the Peloponnesian War’, which analyses the conflict between Sparta and Athens, “The strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must”.

Nehru was from a prosperous anglicised family and surely must have read the Western Classics. Despite that, the fact that he could never comprehend the brutal nature of geopolitics, reveals his limitations as a leader. His attempt to downplay the seriousness of the conflict, left the nation without a clear direction. India, to this day, is paying the price.

Contrast this with the current Prime Minister’s strategic clarity, who in his speeches, often paraphrases a maxim from the Indian epic ‘Ramayan’ - “Peace isn’t possible without strength”.

Nehru’s naivety wasn’t limited to Pakistan.

His response to the Chinese aggression in 1962 lacked the assertiveness required in the face of an international crisis. 

“We tried to be friendly with all countries and continue to do so. We succeeded also to some extent. But it’s unfortunate that our brothers at the borders do not have right intentions sometimes and speak about war. But we don’t have to panic, and get ourselves immobilized but maintain alertness and readiness.”

Nehru’s emphasis on not panicking, while important, overshadowed the need for decisive action and recognition of the gravity of the situation.

His failure to honour the sacrifices of the Indian Army in his 1963 speech, following the Sino-Indian War, further highlighted a disconnect with the sentiments of the people.

A Patronising and Preaching Tone

Throughout his speeches, Nehru often adopted a tone that could be perceived as patronising, which did little to endear him to the Indian public.

In 1949, he lectured the population on the importance of not wasting food, saying, “One of our most important problems today is that of growing more food. We must avoid wasting food at all costs. We must conserve our present resources with great care. We have to tighten our belts. If the cooperation of the people is forthcoming, we shall solve not only this problem but many others.”

While the message of conservation was vital, the delivery came across as a sermon rather than a rallying cry.

Nehru’s 1959 speech, where he implied that Indians were inherently less hardworking than people in other countries, further alienated him from the masses.

“Prosperous countries became so because of their hard work whether it's Europe, America or any other Asian country. In India, we haven’t had the habit of working hard generally. It’s not our fault, these things can happen. But the fact is that we don’t work as hard as Europeans, Japanese, Chinese, Russians and perhaps Americans. Don’t think that they prospered due to some magic, it happened due to hard work and intelligence.”

Such statements, while perhaps intended to motivate, instead painted the Indian people in a negative light, undermining their efforts and contributions.

Imagine motivating your kid by negatively comparing her/him to other people. Does that ever work?

No Report Card or Call to Action

A significant omission in Nehru’s speeches was the lack of a report card on previous promises. Instead of reflecting on past commitments and progress, Nehru often made vague references to the slow pace of government work. In 1951, he admitted, “We make big maps and plan to build roads for Rs 50 lakh or Rs 1 crore worth of work, and this is how the blueprints kept stacking in our offices. Files had big noting on them but those roads, and schools never got built or took a long time to get completed. This is how the government functions, slowly.”

This acknowledgment of bureaucratic inefficiency was not accompanied by a clear strategy to overcome it, leaving the public with little hope of tangible progress.

Nehru’s failure to launch mass movements or articulate a vision for the future further limited the impact of his speeches. At a time when the country needed a unifying force, Nehru’s addresses were devoid of the calls to action that had characterized the freedom struggle. His reliance on lofty ideals without concrete follow-through created a gap between rhetoric and reality.

Bottom Line?

Jawaharlal Nehru’s Independence Day speeches reflect the complexities of a leader, who despite his pivotal role in India’s history, struggled to connect with the needs and aspirations of a newly independent nation. His repetitive themes, avoidance of accountability, lack of inspiration and strategic clarity, patronising tone, and failure to provide a report card on his government’s performance, all contributed to missed opportunities in galvanising the Indian public. While his contributions to post-Independence India are not trivial, a critical examination of his speeches reveals a leader who, several times, fell short of the momentous task before him.