" In the ancient times, India became great because our ancestors kept their minds open to new ideas and to all new developments in the outside world and showed adventurous spirit when they undertook perilous voyages across the high seas and cultivated great minds.
(1/n).
In later period, that spirit almost disappeared and India degenerated because she lost contacts with outside world, while internal quarrels weakened the nation marking her a prey to foreign aggression.
(2/n).
Modern India should derive inspiration from our ancient history as well as learn lessons from the world outside. We cannot grow by closing our doors and shutting ourselves in dark cells. "__ Jawaharlal Nehru.
" If you go to Kashmir, you will find an extremely beautiful tree called the chinar. Now you cannot grow the chinar in Delhi. However much you may try, there is no way of growing it in any other part of India.
(1/n).
Therefore it is narrow-mindedness to think that all of us should become identical in our food and dress habits. What will be the result if you do that? You cannot succeed in doing so as the country will come to a standstill.
(2/n).
Also, you create a spirit of anger among the people of the different provinces and create dissensions when you try to coerce them."~Jawaharlal Nehru.
" Gradually, a change came. We became afraid of others and shrank into ourselves. We did not want either to go out ourselves or to let others come in. We developed narrow grooves of thought and narrow divisions among ourselves, each division keeping apart
(1/n).
divided into various castes and groups. We practically imposed a ban on our people to go outside India. People were afraid that they would lose their caste or religion if they went out of India .
(2/n).
We came to attach more importance to what we ate, drank or touched than to other, far more important, aspects of life. The transformation that you see now was gradual __ this shrinking into ourselves, this closing of our eyes to all that and that there was going on
" People talk about a secular State. Some think about it as a silly word and yet, what we simply mean by it is to have a normal and a civilized country. The communal idea is synonymous with an uncivilized idea. It is a primitive idea, a vulgar and a childish idea.
(1/n).
It does not matter where it exists, whether in the mind of a Hindu, a Muslim, a Sikh, a Parsi or a Christian. It may be in anybody's mind. If it is there, it shows an uncivilized thinking.
(2/n).
Therefore, if you are to go ahead, you have to get rid of this narrowness of outlook and thinking, which prevents our growth.
Now, it is obvious enough that this narrowness of outlook has been one of the major weakening factors in India.
" We were a small people but we had the privilege of serving under a great leader, Gandhiji, and we learnt much from him and we held aloft the torch of India's freedom and not only held that aloft, we have held aloft also that things which Gandhiji always taught us,
(1/n).
that we must always pursue peaceful and good methods, that even a good objective does not entitle us to use bad methods. So we have held aloft this torch of freedom and the torch of peace.
(2/n).
And sometime or other, the time will time will come when this generation will hand over that torch to the younger generation which is preparing for it today. May you be worthy of India and worthy of carrying that torch aloft."~Jawaharlal Nehru.
" I was going back alone to my home, which was no longer home for me, and there by my side was a basket and that basket contained an urn. That was all that remained of Kamala, and all our bright dreams were also dead and turned to ashes.
(1/n).
She is no more, Kamala is no more, my mind kept on repeating.
I thought of my autobiography, that record of my life, which I had discussed with her as she lay in Bhowali Sanatorium. And, as I was writing it, sometimes I would take a chapter or two and read it out to her.(2/n).
She had only seen or heard a part of it: she would never see the rest; nor would we write any more chapters together in the book of life.
" I have no objection to any kind of religious faith that you practise, or any individual may practise, provided, of course, you do not force it down on me. I want freedom of conscience, just as I wish to give you freedom of conscience, faith and worship.
(1/n).
But undoubtedly, speaking from the point of view of the social fabric, certainly, in the last few hundred years, the caste system has been a disrupting influence coming in the way of India functioning with unity. It has weakened us.
(2/n).
Each group thought of itself rather than of the other, and of course, was overwhelmed in turn.
Taken from a speech at a public meeting , Madras , 9 October 1952. AIR tapes , NMML. Extracts . For other parts of the speech , see post page number 343_345 , 649 and 677_678.