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Nov 14th as the “Day of Shame and Lamentations for India.”

Why Indians celebrate Children’s Day on Nov 14th is a bit of a mystery to me. Of course I know that Jawaharlal Nehru, the father of the Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty was born on Nov 14th. Why would anyone consider him to be significant for Indian children is the mysterious part. If the facts be considered, Indians should observe Children’s Day on some other day than a day that is somehow related to Nehru. For two very pertinent reasons. First, contrary to the government brainwashing, Nehru wasn’t particularly fond of children. He was, according to some reliable sources, very short-tempered with them and had them removed from his presence immediately after the de rigueur photo ops. Sure, he liked roses and the ladies but I find all claims that he somehow adored children rather incredible.

But there is a more significant reason why I believe that Nehru should be the last person you’d want to associate with children. His policies have condemned a few generations of Indian children to horrifically sad childhoods. Hundreds of millions of children have had to grow up hungry and without even a decent primary education. Perhaps he did not specifically intend it to be so, but his social and economic policies have direct and robust links to India’s poverty, and children are the most vulnerable segment of the population under the stress of poverty.

Nehru was in dictatorial command of India for 17 years following India’s “independence” in 1947. To the one at the top of the heap goes the credit or the blame for the success or the failure of the enterprise. When the British left (and I use the word “left” advisedly), they transferred power to the Indian National Congress. Mohandas Gandhi had made Nehru the supreme commander of the INC — and therefore the Supreme Commander and Dear Leader of India. Nehru set India on such a disastrous path that it took until 2014 merely to get rid of his progeny from the levers of government. How long it will take for India to dig itself out of the hole that Nehruvian socialism has buried it in? I can’t tell for sure but given the depth, I am guessing about half a century. It will require not only time, but consummate skill and infinite dedication. Most of all, it will require an educated citizenry and polity. Which, in our case, we have not got.

Ganesh, the Remover of Obstacles, needs to be petitioned most earnestly. Mere human effort will not suffice, I think.

But times they are a-changing. Once upon a time, the government had control over what was published and what was said over the air-waves. So they concocted a fake story about how wonderful MK Gandhi, his blue-eyed boy Nehru, Nehru’s daughter (half of India believes that Indira was Gandhi’s daughter), her son Rajiv (the glorified bus driver aka as a pilot), Rajiv’s Italian wife (not merely uneducated but incompetent in everything other than hatching evil schemes), her son (some village is definitely missing its idiot) — the whole Nehru-Gandhi-Maino clan has been for India.

That fake story is unraveling fast. Thanks to the internet, people have the opportunity to read a more accurate story. Also, I am most thankful for smart phones and the modern mobile network for people to access the content on the internet. I am technology optimist and if anyone needs convincing that technology can do immense good, all you have to do is to point them to how technology will perhaps help India’s motto — Satyam Eva Jayate or Truth Alone Prevails — become a reality for Indians. Indians will know the truth about Nehru and then they will observe Nov 14th as the “Day of Shame and Lamentations for India.”

I would give it about 10 years for that change to happen.

Here are a couple of pieces related to Nehru the Disaster. (Yes, in our lifetime itself, that’ll be the title. You have your Alexander the Great. Nehru the Disaster will roll off the tongue equally easily. Just like Teresa the Merciless. And Raul the Retard.)

1. “Judging Jawaharlal Nehru on his 125th Birth Anniversary” is a quick read by Kumar Anand over at Spontaneous Order. I even wrote a comment there. Here it is, for the record:

Kumar Anand, you have very succinctly answered some of the usual Nehruvian apologetics, Nehru was incompetent and furthermore, was blind to his incompetence. The fact that he believed in governmental control of the economy can be easily understood — although that does not justify governmental control — by noting that he was in control and that being in control was consistent with his authoritarian nature, and that it suited him personally that he dictated the path to the “commanding heights of the economy.”

2. Rajnikant Puranik wrote a blog post to mark the occasion and says, “This blog (Part-I) attempts a summary evaluation of Nehru as a political leader. Being a summary, it does not go into details. Subsequent blogs in this series would take up each aspect in detail.”"Evaluating Nehru

Puranik’s post is really long. I have put it in the “to be read as soon as I am done with a blog post” pile. Now that I’m done with this blog post, I am ready to go read it and learn.

INCIDENTALLY:

1. I am in Leuven, Belgium. Got here on Tuesday morning and will leave for Mumbai on Monday morning.

2. I am done with most of what I was busy with (ask no questions and you’ll be told no lies) the last few months. That means I am now going to be regularly writing, on this blog and elsewhere.

Atanu Dey on India's Development

Atanu Dey
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PJ O’Rourke: Every government is a parliament of whores The Amazing Power of Technology Swami Vivekanand: To the 4th of July No True Islamic State Herbert Simon — Information consumes attention Yoga has no Religion Hayek on “The Mirage of Social Justice” An Open Letter to PM Shri Modi Prefer a Functioning Economy Political Discrimination is Socially Harmful Markets & Competition Ministry of Power, Coal, and New and Renewable Energy John Stuart Mill on the Liberty of Thought and Discussion Reading Ronald Coase Universal Literacy Man versus the State What Comes Before An ad from 1947: “The Uphill Task Ahead” Pohela Boishakh, Vishu, and Puthandu Greetings Rich People Spend More Goodbye, Mr Lee Kuan Yew Friday the 13th, Pi Day the 14th & Beware the Ides of March Money is the root of all Evil Warren Buffet’s Letter to the Shareholders The Man Lee Kuan Yew Admires the Most An Informed Citizenry is the Bulwark of a Democracy Problems and Solutions People I Admire – Part Doh Nelson Mandela on Education Criticizing Modern Indian Holy Cows Considered Dangerous Richard Dawkins on the Monotheistic God List of Pages on Teresa the Merciless People I Admire Lee Kuan Yew is under Intensive Care On Monkeys, Cats & the Generality Principle The Great Indian Bamboozle has to Stop 2400 hours of electricity for Delhi — every year? Make India first to “Make in India” Republic Day Thoughts on Reading the Constitution A Day of Shame and National Mourning for India The most dangerous man to any government Socialism, Competition and Politicians Open Thread: Ask me anything Aakash, the “iPad Killer”, Vaporware has Evaporated The Dreamer and the Dream Circular Firing Squad of Flying Attack Monkeys Target Rajiv Malhotra We need more Anandamide, not Jihadamide Constitutions Matter in our Daily Lives The Only Home We’ve Ever Known Adam Smith on the Division of Labor The Passing of Former President Mr APJ Abdul Kalam Socialism Works its Wonders in Venezuela - also in West Bengal Why the terrorists killed the satirists of Charlie Hebdo Islam Poses an Existential Threat The Wisdom of the Crowd On Knowing Enough to Know that You Don’t Know NITI — New Initiatives for Transforming India Will India Recover? The Unbearable Stupidity of Controlling Prices Nov 14th as the “Day of Shame and Lamentations for India.” The Indian Constitution — Part 2 Hayek on Valuing Individuals Mr Modi goes to Washington