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Part of the Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru series, this volume includes lectures, writings, letters, speeches, and other literary works of Nehru, covering three months of his Prime Ministership, from 1 January to 31 March 1958. It reveals his wide range of interests in both national and international affairs. The first chapter mainly deals with Nehru`s approach on areas like the role of the youth, rural development, and social change. The second discusses issues of national progress more particularly his views on economy (industry and labour, food, and agriculture); education and culture; language issues; science and technology; and social issues. An important test for Nehru`s leadership came in the form of the infamous LIC scandal called ˜The Mundhra Affair` leading to the resignation of the finance minister. The third chapter reflects Nehru`s concern on the inquiry into the incident and the role of the attorney general.
Issues of governance“general administration, services and appointments, citizenship, refugees and rehabilitation both at the central and state level inform the fifth chapter. The next two chapters deal with issues of defence and parliamentary and constitutional matters respectively. Chapter seven concerns with the Indian National Congress, particularly the Guwahati Session and the organizational matters. The states of Kashmir and Sikkim form the basis of chapters eight and nine respectively. Peace and disarmament were topmost of Nehru`s agenda during this period and the large section is devoted to external affairs and foreign relations. Towards the end, the volume discusses issues like Nehru`s interaction with the press; his letters to the chief ministers, and some miscellaneous information.
So the story of Jawaharlal Nehru is that of a man who evolved, who grew in storm and stress till he became the representative of much that was noble in his time. It is the story of a generous and gracious human being who summed up in himself the resurgence of the ˜third world` as well as the humanism which transcends dogmas and is adapted to the contemporary context. His achievement, by its very nature and setting, was much greater than that of a Prime Minister. And it is with the conviction that the life of this man is of importance not only to scholars but to all, in India and elsewhere, who are interested in the valour and compassion of the human spirit that the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund has decided to publish a series of volumes consisting of all that is significant in what Jawaharlal Nehru spoke and wrote¦ the whole corpus should help to remind us of the quality and endeavour of one who was not only a leader of men and a lover of mankind, but a completely integrated human being.” Indira Gandhi
ISBN-9780198070665
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