The Socialist Orientation of Jawaharlal Nehru

The basic ideological thrust of Jawaharlal Nehru was not a result of his adherence to any particular school of political or economic thought. It rather was shaped by his direct involvement with the masses, the appalling problems of economic deprivation and social backwardness. He believed in no dogma and enunciated none of his own. On the other hand he saw the redemption of India in adopting a modern scientific outlook and deploying large-scale mechanized methods of production that will at the same time he free of the exploitive tendencies of a capitalist society. Nehru did not like the upsetting of the present social structures to attain the socialistic ends as would the Marxists. All the same he was not convinced of the efficacy of the moral precept of Gandhi’s Trusteeship system. He wanted to build the edifice of the future on the present, either and this is what distinguishes Nehru from the usual theoreticians and practitioners of socialism. This has even led some to describe him a Fabian who believe in gradual developments to achieve the aim of a just society. In this centenary presentation the author has delved into the various shades and nuances of Nehru’s socialistic orientations. She has based her work on a wide variety of authentic material which includes almost all the known writings of Nehru himself. The study is bound to add to the complete understanding of Nehru’s socialistic leaning and his experiments with socialism.