Jawaharlal Nehru's Honors and the Bharat Ratna: A Historical Overview

Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, was honored with the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award. He received this prestigious award in 1955 for his significant role in the Indian independence movement and his contributions to the building of a new democratic nation.

Nehru played a crucial role in the Indian National Congress and was a key leader in the struggle for independence against British colonial rule. His commitment to democracy, secularism, and social justice were instrumental in shaping the foundation of the newly independent India. Nehru served as Prime Minister from 1947 until his death in 1964, working tirelessly towards the economic and social development of the country.

The Bharat Ratna was conferred upon Jawaharlal Nehru in recognition of his exceptional leadership, statesmanship, and tireless efforts in the nation-building process. In foreign policy matters, he was one of the architects of the Non-Aligned Movement, which gave India a new direction away from the power politics of the superpowers of the time, the US and USSR, and kept the nation free from block politics.

Controversies and the Nomination Process

The honorable nomination process of the Bharat Ratna award has been a subject of debates. The practice of awarding the Bharat Ratna has generally been straightforward: the Prime Minister recommends names to the President of India, who then accepts such nominations. However, there is no mention of this process in the official gazette notification of India dated January 2, 1954, which instituted the Bharat Ratna.

Before Nehru was decorated with the Bharat Ratna in July 1955, it had been awarded only on two occasions. On India's Independence Day in 1954, C. Rajagopalachari, S. Radhakrishnan, and C.V. Raman were honored. On the Republic Day of 1955, Bhagwan Das and M. Visvesvaraya received this prestigious award.

The Bharat Ratna was conferred upon Nehru on July 15, 1955, at a special state banquet hosted by President Rajendra Prasad at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The then president kept this decision a closely-guarded secret, announcing it only after Nehru's triumphant return from a tour promoting peace in Europe and the Soviet Union.

Political Ideological Differences

Despite their ideological differences, especially regarding the role of religion in politics, President Prasad and Prime Minister Nehru maintained respect for each other. Nehru was opposed to Prasad's social conservatism, and Prasad had expressed reservations against the Hindu Code Bill proposed by B.R. Ambedkar. However, when the first presidential elections were held in 1949-50, Nehru favored Rajaji as president, while Patel supported Prasad.

Another conflict between Prasad and Nehru arose in 1951 over the Somnath temple in Gujarat. Despite his annoyance, Nehru advised Prasad not to attend the temple's inauguration, but Prasad chose to remain present to maintain a respectful distance between politics and religion.

Conclusion

The conferment of the Bharat Ratna upon Jawaharlal Nehru serves as a testament to his exceptional and tireless efforts in nation-building and his significant contributions to India's independence movement. While controversies and differences in political ideology were present, these did not overshadow the mutual respect and commitment to the national cause shared by President Prasad and Prime Minister Nehru.