The Elitist called Pandit nehru

About elitism of Nehru, let me tell you about the incident that took place during his arrest at the start of Quit India movement.

Nehru, who was arrested at a family flat in Bombay, later described the start of the Quit India movement as ‘the zero hour of the world’. According to one of his biographers,’the household staff was hardly unfamiliar with arrests. They quickly laid out a breakfast, which Jawaharlal loved: a bowl of cornflakes, eggs, bacon, toast, coffee. the inspector saw the spread and said there was no time for breakfast.” shut up!” said Nehru.” I intend having breakfast before I go.” India’s future prime minister was to be kept in prison for 1040 days.

From “Nehru: the making of India” by M.J. Akbar, London 1988 page 349

Later as the train, reached Poona, instead of being whistled through as planned, the stationmaster had arranged for some urgent shunting to take place, and the train had to stop. Seeing a crowd of congress supporters on the platform being charged by lath-wielding police, Nehru jumped out of the corridor window’ with remarkable agility’, closely followed by Sharp, who tried to coax him back onto the train.

Nehru struggled violently’, insisting that the beating of his comrades should cease, and shouting ‘I don’t care for your bloody orders’ at the inspector. ‘He is a big man,’ wrote Sharp inspector general in command) in his police report.’ And was having a fair share of the struggle with Me.’ with the aid of two constables and a sub-inspectors, the eminent nationalist was dragged back on board the train. One policeman ‘as proof of the violence’ suffered a kick in the leg and a small scratch on the wrist. As for sharp, ‘I myself am feeling the effects of a sprained finger.’

From “Spontaneous Revolution: The Quit India Movement” by Francis Hutchins, New Delhi 1971 page 268

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About the image:
The picture of laughing Nehru and Edwina was taken by the great photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson in 1948.