Letters for a Nation: From Jawaharlal Nehru to His Chief Ministers 1947-1963

by Jawaharlal Nehru, Madhav Khosla (Ed.)

Letters for a Nation: From Jawaharlal Nehru to His Chief Ministers 1947-1963 by Jawaharlal Nehru; Madhav Khosla (Ed.), 9780143425779

Genres: India, History, Politics, Nonfiction, Society

352 pages, Paperback

First published October 14, 2016

About the author

First prime minister of independent India (1947 – 64), Nehru was educated at home and in Britain and became a lawyer in 1912. More interested in politics than law, he was impressed by Mohandas K. Gandhi's approach to Indian independence. His close association with the Indian National Congress began in 1919; in 1929 he became its president, presiding over the historic Lahore session that proclaimed complete independence (rather than dominion status) as India's political goal. He was imprisoned nine times between 1921 and 1945 for his political activity. When India was granted limited self-government in 1935, the Congress Party under Nehru refused to form coalition governments with the Muslim League in some provinces; the hardening of relations between Hindus and Muslims that followed ultimately led to the partition of India and the creation of Pakistan. Shortly before Gandhi's assassination in 1948, Nehru became the first prime minister of independent India. He attempted a foreign policy of nonalignment during the Cold War, drawing harsh criticism if he appeared to favour either camp. During his tenure, India clashed with Pakistan over the Kashmir region and with China over the Brahmaputra River valley. He wrested Goa from the Portuguese. Domestically, he promoted democracy, socialism, secularism, and unity, adapting modern values to Indian conditions. His daughter, Indira Gandhi, became prime minister two years after his death.

Reviews

[Saurabh Goyal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reflecting on Nehru’s political career, The Guardian wrote that if Nehru were a different person, India would have been a different country. Such was the deep personal imprint of Nehru on modern India; such was the unrivalled political power that he commanded.

Such centralization of power in a person was not unique to India. Rather it was the norm in Post-colonial societies in Asia and Africa. But what was different was how Nehru exercised his power. And in that single difference lies the reason as to why India could build a robust democracy, whereas other Post-colonial societies floundered and continue to flounder.

Reading Nehru’s letters to chief ministers is an extraordinary experience in many ways.

First, despite of unrivalled personal power, Nehru acted with a deep sense of responsibility. He repeatedly reminded the CMs that what could appear as mundane administrative and political decisions of their governments were highly consequential; they will set the ball rolling for public institutions of India; and that their action will set the norms for the future. If Institution-building is true sign of a statesman, Nehru did know the alchemy of statesmanship.

Second, consider these questions. Why would a person with unchallenged power deliberately submit himself to scrutiny and public justification? Why would the first leader of a newly independent society not treat it like a clean slate and remake it in his own image? What does it mean to lead a country facing overwhelming challenges- poverty, hunger, communalism, communism, illiteracy etc.? And finally, what kind of confidence in the future of one’s poor and unlettered country it takes, for leader to raise the banner of non-alignment in an ideologically over-determined geo-politics?

Nehru’s letters do answer these questions and much more. They tell you the story of not just a Prime-minister leading his country. But of an elder brother who laboriously imparted political values and skills to next generation of leaders; of an Indian who despite his aristocratic aura belonged to his ordinary and under-privileged fellow Indians; of a patriot who could be clear eyed about the wrongs and failures of his country and yet could take pride in the remaining good; and of a statesman who even in the face of overwhelming immediate challenges would not reduce his ambitions for his country. Nehru’s was to transform India into the ‘light of Asia’.

In our contemporary political discourse there is a lot of muckraking and mudslinging on Nehru. Some of the criticism may well be justified on some grounds- his economic policies, his reading of China’s intentions, his idealistic view of UN etc. But as Nehru writes in one of his letters it is easy to be wise after an event. Politics does involve risk taking and some leaps of faith. And some failures and miscalculations are absolutely inevitable. So when we indulge in condescension of history we reveal our own narrow appreciation of the way politics work.

Today when our politics is a daily bonfire which burns trust and dreams, these letters will leave one with a deep sense of nostalgia. For a politics not caught up in here and now, but with one eye on eternity. For a leadership which can evoke awe and respect. For political debates not limited to petty goal scoring, but about world-moving ideas. But most importantly they leave one with a rankling introspection: are we up to being the deserving heirs to these grand figures in history? If you care enough this question will unsettle and unease you. Well Nietzsche could not be truer when he wrote that being heir to something great is a dangerous thing.

[Umesh Kesavan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This selected collection of letters written by our first prime minister to the then chief ministers showcase the variety of concerns which engaged the great man and the newly independent country then. Minority rights, Hindu communalism , planning , judiciary-executive relationship ,food emergency , Kashmir, China , Cold war, Gandhi - a wide range of topics discussed threadbare with civility and finesse. What is striking is that Nehru always tries to couch the idealistic of thoughts in pragmatic terms. This book must become the fourth indispensable companion to understanding Nehru's vision better (along with the famous trilogy of books written before 1947).

Within two months of winning general elections in 1952, Nehru was penning a letter to Chief Ministers explaining to them what the Tunisian problem is all about. Nehru was the last of his kind. Long live Nehru.

[Shivansh Goyal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing in the sense that it familiarizes you with the India of 1947. The struggles to make the institutions, setting up the principles for the functioning of the country and the key decisions and rationale's for them at the time. In the present, it is easy to criticize people responsible for decision making in the turbulent and poverty-stricken times of Indian independence.
1) However, this book shows the extent of limited resources, unavailability of trained and educated people with rifts of every form between every conceivable community in India. In this impoverished time, strong institution building, laying down of strong principles and encouragement of science, rationality, and data-driven policymaking was way ahead of its time. Today's emphasis on scientific education and pride in Indian science and engineering finds its roots in the ideas of sculptors of India.
2) In this book, we see Nehru emphasizing peace as the most important tool for growth and development. He championed peace all around the world. India went against every major nation on various occasions to support a non-violent and peaceful negotiation. India under Nehru fought colonialism as clearly explained by the example of Indonesia. However, a practical understanding of the political scenario is also visible where Nehru was one of the first in recognizing the permanence of the PRC government in China and recognized it at the expense of the Republic of China. He tried to forge a peaceful and friendly relation with the new country, however, we find a naive and rookie attitude of Nehru in trusting China and believing that every country aims for peace. The understanding of USSR citizens and why they accepted of communism is also commendable. Nehru's effort led to the formation of the non-alignment movement and India worked for peace all around the world.
3) As India was supposed to be a protagonist in the religion-based division of Pakistan and minority persecution there, therefore Nehru took extra steps to ensure the secular nature of India. He was sternly against the communal and communist forces who disrupted every move forward taken by the government of India.
4) He once again kept Indian markets closed and strongly advocated planning. However, in the modern world, capitalism has made countries powerful and thus capable of uplifting them out of poverty. I don't know if capitalism in India which was already very divided and uneducated would have led to an increase in inequality with a negligible portion of people holding the majority of assets. However, I think once India opened up its markets a lot of good has come, although inequality has peaked. So, I am still not sure about this decision of Nehru.
5) It is clear with the tone and even direct references about the belief of Nehru in strong democratic principles.
6) One naive thing Nehru believed as far as I understood was his belief that common Indian man after Indian independence living a normal life would feel a sense of greater responsibility of nation-building and will work efficiently. I believe this is an ingenuous idea and planning made us increasingly inefficient as it relied on that basic principle/belief.

[Vik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent compilation

[Mamunuru Shankar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nehru decided to express his opinions on many socio-political issues, national and international included, in his fortnightly letters to the Chief Ministers (CMs) of the states. With brief interruptions, he managed to keep up this practice until before his death. Madhav Khosla, a constitutional lawyer, edited these letters under various headings and brought them in a single volume. It appears from these letters that Nehru was trying to think loudly and share his concerns with the CMs who can respond and come up with their points of view. Self-reflection and retrospective thinking, he probably thought, would bring out our shortcomings and give us a chance for course correction. While he was proud of India’s progress, though, at a pace not to his satisfaction, he is very critical of himself for his failures. Many a time he expresses despair and seeks the advice of the CMs without any inhibition. He used to treat them as equals and partners in mission nation-building. It is not clear, however, whether he received any response from any of these very capable leaders.

It is instructive to read his letters to the CMs to get an idea of Nehru’s India, his rationale, and the motivations behind his actions and policies. He stands out in his unflinching commitment to democratic institutions and the processes insisting on openness and transparency. Like many leaders of his age, he was a product of his times. The terrible miseries of the second world war and rampant exploitation of colonial powers and the changing world politics have influenced his worldview. That explains his aversion to any war which he thought would push countries into an abyss of misery and he strongly felt that all war preparations by their very nature are detrimental to economic development. Nehru was straddling the colonial and post-colonial world at the time of Indian independence and had low trust in huge predatory multinational corporations. Socialism being the flavor of the times, he was attracted to it envisioning an egalitarian society. Being skeptical about communist methods he preferred to be a social democrat. With his fascination for the planned economy, he went for an overly controlled, centralized top-down economic development model knowing fully well that it breeds sloth, inefficiency, and corruption, which it did. Though he understood the limitations of state ownership of all means of production, he was not particularly enthusiastic about private enterprise.

His ideal to keep India nonaligned and strive for peace between the nations may be lofty and pragmatic for a newborn nation-state, but it is untenable where anarchy is the order of the day in international politics. It is difficult to maintain this policy without betraying contradictions. His foreign policy was put to test during his interaction with China to settle the border issue. Toward the end of his life, the invasion of China occupied his mind and he tried to analyze its motivations. Though long and detailed, the argument appeared to be convoluted as he somehow believed that the invasion was aimed at scuttling nonaligned movement. In hindsight, it appears that Nehru erred in judging the mind of Chinese leadership. He appeared naïve, especially when he rejected the security council membership for India in favor of China ( He mentioned this in his letter).

Madhav Khosla has done a commendable job by bringing out, in Nehru’s own words, his take on many contentious issues. Nehru, a hated and detested figure of the present dispensation, is a man who is true to the spirit of the constitution, built and upheld the democratic institutions knowing fully well that his party and its ideology may be thrown out of power by the same democratic process. Such was his conviction that he believed that it is the people’s will that should prevail even if it goes against his idea of India and even if he becomes irrelevant. On many issues, Nehru tried to think holistically and appeared often ambivalent. While this gave him an image of a soft idealist, no one can deny the fact that the problems and issues India faced then were unique for having adopted a liberal democracy for a predominantly illiberal society. Whether reform should be top-down state imposition or bottom-up from within the society was a subject of animated discussion and remains an issue. The cabinet which took over power at the dawn of independence was grappling with the evolving complex situation cautiously crossing the river while feeling the stones. None of his present opponents pause to give him any benefit of the doubt. It is not even expected. He is portrayed as a villain and a man who sold India. Appalling as it appears, it is the least surprising. Is Nehru infallible? Not really, as he happens to be human! Having presided over India for over 18 years his policies and actions are open for scrutiny and judgment. Many great leaders in history were criticized by the later generations. Nehru is not an exception. At any rate that is the price one has to pay for being in public life. Nehru would not have objected to any criticism as he faced it in abundance even during his lifetime.

It is quite possible that scholars would contextualize Nehru’s actions to arrive at a balanced judgment. He may be blamed for many of his failures but being a villain, hopefully, may not be one of them. At the time of independence, India deserved a man at the helm who can nurture democracy, unite the nation by outwitting the potential centrifugal forces, and get international recognition to India. Nehru with his team was that man. Without him, we would have had a different India. The democracy that survived Nehru got us a new dispensation that blames him for every shortfall in India after more than fifty years of his demise. As we had the leadership we deserved in 1947 now we have the one we deserve. That after all is the logic of democracy!

[S Ashok · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jawaharlal Nehru wrote fortnightly letters to all Chief Ministers continuously for 16 years.
This book is the collection of this letters written by Nehru. The letters are valuable today to as we look back at the concerns facing our first Prime Minister in nation building right after independence. As Nehru other writings were predominantly before independence, this collection of letters document the issues facing the nation and how Nehru approached it as Prime Minister.
First and foremost it is truly remarkable that we had such a great man as our Prime minister during those crucial years. Much has been said about his failings in the economic front or in his inaction during the Chinese war. But we need to understand that any incident that is today in the past was in the future once and the benefit of hindsight is unavailable to people grappling with issues in the present. In spite of his shortcomings, he was truly remarkable for the manner in which he built this nation. These letters are evidence of his spirit and thought process.

The letters finest aspects are manifold, to begin with Nehru reminds time and again the importance of building democratic roots. We have been a feudalistic nation for many years and after a prolonged struggle got independence from the British. We established a democratic nation based on adult franchise, but there were tremendous challenges, be it our extraordinary illiteracy and poverty. No country in the world stepped into a universal democracy with such levels of poverty and illiteracy. Hence it was important to nourish the country and its leaders in democratic practice. Nehru in these letters was continuously advising the chief ministers in understanding the role in solving the nation's problems. He was such a popular leader with a huge mandate and had absolutely no opposition for many of the years in power. But he was so open and democratic in dealing with the states. He rarely overstepped his limits even for rightful reasons as he was aware of the dangers of overstepping which can create a wrong precedent in a democratic country.

He was a tremendous unifying force between multiple factors which was trying to tear apart the country. Especially the problem of communal riots that happened after independence had shaken the national leadership. Nehru was gravely aware of this threat which this majority communalism was posing to the country. Hence he was worried whether the country will be torn apart due to communal riots, hence he kept a constant vigil against this and kept reminding the states against this menace. This is something for which he was criticised as appeasing the Muslims and hating the Hindus but I feel it is absurd to caricature Nehru this way.
In addition to the communal problem, the government had to face a communist insurgency to violently overthrow the popular government. Nehru was a staunch socialist but above all he was a liberal who was against the suppression of civil liberties and the violence propagated in the name of communism. Hence he had a take tough decisions but he constantly kept remembering the states against unduly detaining communist leaders also reiterating time and again that he was only against the methods and not the ideology as such.
It was Nehru's vision to develop India through economic centralized planning and predominance to public sector over private industry. This was mostly something that was accepted the world over as the example of Soviet Planning enabling it to grow faster was considered a worthwhile example to follow. Also, the private players themselves were not so willing to invest in heavy industries which India wanted. Hence it was Nehru's vision through which public institutions in science and technology were developed this created the platform for the economic progress we are benefiting from today. Although there were some lacunae in his understanding and his complete belief in public officials to bring in change. But he created a sense of idealism in public institutions and inspired many in nation-building and development in science and technology.

Nehru also acts as a window to the international events that were affecting our foreign policy.
He goes extensively to explain the great power politics happening in the world and the rationale behind our foreign policy of nonalignment. He was criticised for being too naive on internal issues and was blinded by his good sense which was lacking in the contemporary. He was an internationalist in the truest sense and he was sometimes not ruthless enough while dealing with petty leaders belonging to other nations. This was indeed a mistake, a mistake of being ahead of his times. But in general, in these letters we see Nehru being highly reflective and carrying a deep understanding of international issues. Say for example when he explains the real motive of China to invade India was to sabotage the nonalignment policy of India and to force Soviet Union to help China by forcing India to the US block. This shows a clear understanding of the internation issues at stake in a very broad sense.

In many ways this letters are important as a document to understand the problems faced by India after independence and how our best minds tackled it.

[Arun Pandiyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mere two months after Independence, Nehru chose to write to the heads of India’s provincial governments. “It is in times of exceptional stress like the present, that it is more than ordinary incumbent on us to keep in close touch with each other, so we can put forth concerted efforts to overcome the grave dangers facing us.” Nehru proposed to form the habit of a fortnightly exchange of letters and initiated the practice that he continued until his death in 1964. Nehru wrote to his Chief Ministers on the 1st and 15th of each month and by the time Nehru wrote his final letter, nearly four hundred letters had been written.

Firstly, a particular thing I observed while reading these letters is that nearly seventy percent of them addressed a specific issue of food crisis. To feed a population of 340 million, Nehru had to rely heavily on food aid from other countries. He continuously stressed a vital point on the downside of importing food grains that it subsequently depleted the foreign reserves meant for trade. For the opponents of the Green Revolution and the admirers of the so-called ‘organic farming’, a below excerpt from a letter written by Nehru on addressing the scarcity of food grains can give a rudimentary understanding of India’s abysmal production and food security during the first three decades after independence. He wrote,

“…….an attempts to change our food habits with existing facts. If there is not enough rice, more wheat should be consumed. If both wheat and rice are lacking, then we must take to something else to some extent.”

Secondly, Nehru’s emphasis on economic liberation formed the next most discussed topic in his letters. Nehru truly believed that the evils of communalism, provincialism and other social frailties can be fought over if the individual’s standard of living is improved. Nehru detested the communists and in most of his letters, he often reiterated the evils of communism, especially the curbing of civil liberties in the Soviet Union. In the economic sense, Nehru held on to a very rational belief that “In a democratic society, a so-called mixed economy is inevitable.” These letters also portray how Nehru sought to avoid any rigid or doctrinaire thinking. He often reiterated, “Even in my life, I have seen the world so much that I do not want to confine my mind to any rigid dogma. In a rapidly changing world, nothing is more dangerous than a static state of mind and complacency. Even economic science is not so static and conditions have changed greatly.”

Thirdly, Nehru discussed his policy of non-alignment to guard our independence in face of a complex international situation demanding allegiance to either of the two blocks in a great length in many of his letters, envisaging India to be free from the clutches of warring superpowers. These letters were no less than the seminal lectures on India’s foreign policy, external affairs, and international relations, and they detail the trials and errors, the events and personalities, hopes and challenges faced by him as a foreign minister by providing us with an indispensable account of that time. For the critics of the non-alignment policy, these letters proceed to cover the reasons for Nehru’s steadfast belief in global collaboration. His dispassionate belief in global peace and balance of power stemmed from thinking of his time that a new world would be formed in the future, which would be closely knit together than ever before which can eventually facilitate greater and peaceful progress.

To summarize, what does this collection of letters tell us about Nehru? For one, many of them showcase Nehru’s obvious commitment to socialism, secularism, national development, and world peace. Second, his vision for a modern and industrialized India. Third, his belief in coordinated action (despite his unrivaled personal power within Congress and outside of it) was reflected in the tone of these letters. They were written with authority but they were not mere instructions. Fourth, the ideals which he stood for – a liberal society structured around individual freedom and a state respectful of procedures and norms. Finally, his submission to public scrutiny and accountability.

[Chandar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of excerpts from Jawaharlal Nehru’s letters to the Chief Ministers, astutely edited by Madhav Khosla, produces a fascinating portrait of one of the foremost intellectuals of modern India. Nehru’s assiduity, conviction, extraordinary sagacity, and commitment to consultative and collaborative processes is just astonishing, especially in contrast to current trends. Letters.. is right up there along with Glimpses.., Autobiography, and Discovery… just as educative, insightful and honest.

Khosla presents the excerpts in chronological order, organized around five themes – citizenship, democratic institutions, national planning and development, war and peace, and the international order. Nehru wrote starting from 15th October 1947, once a fortnight on the 1st and 15th of every month and stuck with it almost unremittingly through upheavals (6 days after Gandhi’s assassination, two months after the war with China!) and had written almost 400 letters by the time of his demise in 1964. While all Chief Ministers of provinces (called Prime Ministers before 1950!) were Congress leaders till 1957, there were Communists, Socialists, and Congress rebels too thereafter. But his tone and manner were always that of a colleague, sharing information, insights and admission of failures with equal candor and generosity of spirit.

The current obsession with trashing him and his legacy is not surprising considering his unequivocal stance on communalism and the duplicity of the RSS. Public memory may have faded, but reading his assessments of communalism, communist violence, police firings to quell disturbances, circumstances leading up to Article 370, the first and second amendments to the Constitution dealing with land reform and freedom of speech, and so on, is like a running commentary on the times. And it seems nothing short of a miracle that we have survived as a nation. He is equally scathing of corruption, lack of debates in AICC meetings, and a sense of complacency setting in. And contrary to the current narrative he was not naïve about China, raising alarm bells as early as 1950 when Tibet was annexed. Perhaps, having lived through two World Wars and the horrors of the Partition, just not spoiling for a fight.

[Anirudh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This compilation of letters written by Nehru to his chief ministers over a fifteen year period provides you with brilliant insights about 1950s India.

Most letters are concerned with one or more of the following topics:
- Agricultural growth and land redistribution
- Banning RSS, promoting secularism, and fighting majoritarianism
- Preserving and encouraging diversity (especially regarding languages)
- Kashmir: Section 370, autonomy and integration
- India's changing relationship with Pakistan (East and West)
- Rise of China and rationalization of its ambitions/acts
- Non-alignment as great foreign policy
- Five year plans, mixed economy and thoughts about communism

While most of these are well known facts, either as Nehru's big wins or failures, an interesting insight that comes through is how seriously Nehru thinks of himself. He seems to want his readers to think of him as a just philosopher, and of India as a country of great prestige and wisdom.

His desire to maintain this image seems to have imprisoned him, and eventually led to his big mistakes - especially with respect to Kashmir and China.

[Amarjeet Mehto · Rating 4 out of 5]

This structured collection of Nehru's fortnightly letters to the chief ministers of the country during his Prime-ministership further puts weight on his visionary character with regard to the federalism he ought India to be along with providing some glimpse of the thought and thinking of this great statesman about India of that time entangled in great mountainous challenges from food security to communal harmony, from building administrative institutions to educational/research institutions to mention a few in order to mould India as a country to which world could look up to.

[Amit Acharya · Rating 5 out of 5]

The bandwidth of knowledge which nehru expresses through these letters are just mesmerizing. Though the tone is a bit sermonizing & avuncular, he always stresses on core principles of civil liberty, democracy, foreign relations & secularism. The young country needed a leader like nehru to steward the ship among the choppy waters. I don't know how the chief ministers reacted to these letters, but I think most of them knew they could fall back upon nehru for sage counsel.

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

A brilliant book. Made me proud that we once had amazing statesmen as leaders of our country. This book is a must read for anyone who wants to re imagine India. The architecture of India is there in all authenticity. If only the subsequent leaders followed this man's vision, India would have done well for its citizens and neighbours. Great book!

[Lakshmi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great leader , visionary who spoke his mind. India is fortunate that we had a leader who led us in the path of democracy when the world was in chaos and ideological differences and wars were a norm.

A leader who wrote to his Premier’s frequently and yet ensured that nothing is imposed on the state’s forcibly.

Amazing read and great insights to then just independent India

[Aniket Patil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminds you the different situations and moods in which nehru was. excellent.

[Anshil Yadav · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dive into Pt Nehru’s heart and mind. How he analyses national and global affairs is a thing of beauty.

[Sambit Dash · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review can be seen here

[Saurabh Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before getting started one should know what one is going in for. The book consists of excerpts from letters by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to his Chief ministers, written in simple and lucid language. Therefore one shouldn't expect in depth analysis or philosophical discourse over the issues (for which Nehru was known for) mentioned in the letters. Nevertheless readers can get to know about the then issues troubling India and an insight into the thought process of our first Prime Minister. Though many of us may have read what & how PM Nehru felt on the troubling issues viz. economy, Kashmir stalemate, Minorities treatment, democracy, International relations etc., but here through his letters we can get the thrill of reading his thoughts in his own words.

Though the book consists of edited excerpts of letters written by PM Nehru to CMs of the states, but it has been aptly named as "Letters for a Nation" as the letters delve into critical analysis of array of issues which should be concern of any conscious citizen. Moreover many issues dealt within this work are equally relevant in 21st century India as they were then and Nehru's thoughts on them provide ample guidance to administrators and masses on how to deal with them.

PM Nehru was a conscience keeper of India during its post-independence turbulent, fragile yet formative years. His letters (Staggering figure of over 400) on the issues of the day are remarkable proof of that.

His tilt towards what may be perceived as (highly) idealistic position is clearly palpable in his letters. May it be the issue of assuring minorities amidst passionate communal environment, voicing his concern over excessive use or even abuse of preventive detention provisions or supporting tribal communities in their quest for conserving their beautiful culture. In all the issues Nehru was driven by his zeal of justice, inclusiveness (cultural, economic) and aiming for higher standards of governance instead of taking the easy route in the guise of supposedly practical limitations of political compulsions.

Editor Madhav Khosla has arranged the letters into 6 sections based on broad classification. Though this will reinforce the issues dealt with but due to more or less repetitive mention of same issues again and again it may get bit boring. For this readers can read multiple sections, instead of reading serially, using multiple bookmarks.

As for my favorites. First is the letter-p189,"From a letter dated 13July 1958"- involving his discourse on communism & its variant (though distinctly different) socialism. Another are last two letters in part 4 ("War & peace" section), where he delves into the reasons for China's 1962 aggression. Though his analysis is only partial and i would like to read his complete letter on this traumatic issue. And last but not the least was the second last letter in part 5 "India and world" from a letter dated 20th July 1955. Here it was enlightening to read as to the reasons for meager civil liberties in the then USSR. Though Pundit Nehru seems to be more forgiving of USSR's then brutal suppression of civil liberties, to which readers (including me) may not fully subscribe. But through this letter (apart from others) we get a glimpse into his hold on international issues.

Finally i loved the book and would love to get hold of unedited letters on the issues of my interest (there is in fact complete collection published in five volumes by G. Parthasarathi), as they seem to be the sole source of Nehru's thought on issues of the time.

[Renya Ragavi · Rating 5 out of 5]

After becoming the 1st prime minister of Independent India nehru wrote letters to his chief ministers on the 1st and 15th of each month. Nearly 400 letters were written in the period of 1947-1963 and his Final letter was written on 21 Dec 1963.

Nehru Discuss about a wide range of topics like Minority Rights , Food Security, Communalism , Kashmir issues , China war , Socialism to his chief Ministers . These letters show Nehru's Vision on many subjects which act as a guidance to many of the current problems which we face today.

Through these letters we can clearly see how much struggles and difficulties are there to maintain peace , law& order in a big population country like India ..also, how much care and effort was put to plan/develop a policy/commission and to function a Government. This collection covers a range of themes & subjects including Citizenship, War & peace , Law and order , National Planning & development, Governance & corruption and India' s place in the world . These letters also cover many world events , crises & conflicts the country faced during the 1st 16 years after independence..

Nehru believed the problem of Poverty , Under-development & unemployment can only solved through the growth of science and technology.

Nehru wanted India to be on the side of Peace and non-violence and he believed war is a poor solution to any conflict.

[Samita Kaur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insight into our first prime minister's vision of a free India. His view for a secular country. Great read. Reading this book one realises that what a great man he was! His vision for free India and to maintain peace and harmony. His strong believe in bringing India forward as a nation where there is no discrimination on the basis of caste, colour, creed, religion or colour.His deep concern to bring India out of the shackles of narrow domestic walls. Such a great man who laid foundations of FREE INDIA with his mentor Mahatma Gandhi.

[Nikunj · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book deals with the letters written to his Chief Ministers by our beloved Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru during his tenure as the first PM of independent India. They represent muse, reflective as well as profound thoughts regarding various contemporary issues during his tenure. They reflect on his vision for India as a nation and as a civilization for years to come. Unless you are an ardent fan of Nehru you will find the book boring.

[Shashank · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with his other works, this one is a concise history of his contemporary world. The depth and sagacity of his letters is amazing. issues are addressed in the letters are thought provoking and still relevant.

[Anuradha Goyal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Detailed review here http://www.anureviews.com/letters-nat...