Revisiting Nehru’s Legacy: What Got India Right (and Wrong)

Image created using AI

I recently stumbled upon my old notes from Shashi Tharoor’s “Nehru: The Invention of India” and found myself reflecting on his sharp analysis of Nehru’s four foundational pillars. Tharoor’s assessment feels particularly relevant as we navigate today’s India.

The Four Pillars Under the Microscope

Democratic Institution-Building & Secularism: The Lifelines 

Tharoor calls these “indispensable to India’s survival as a pluralist land,” and I couldn’t agree more. When I see countries like Pakistan or Sri Lanka struggling with institutional fragility, or witness how quickly democracies can crumble elsewhere, Nehru’s insistence on strong democratic foundations seems prescient. Today, as we grapple with questions around minority rights and institutional independence, these pillars remain our safety net.

Socialist Economics: The Costly Mistake 

Here, Tharoor’s criticism hits hard but fair. The License Raj didn’t just slow growth—it normalized corruption and created a bureaucratic maze that took decades to untangle. However, I’d argue it wasn’t entirely “disastrous.” Those IITs and IIMs that drive today’s tech boom? Thank the socialist focus on education. But yes, the economic cost was enormous, and we’re still playing catch-up with China and other Asian tigers.

Non-Alignment: More Strategic Than Given Credit ⚖️

This is where I part ways with Tharoor’s assessment. He sees it as preserving “self-respect” without concrete benefits, but I think he undersells its value. Non-alignment kept us out of proxy wars, gave us negotiating power with both superpowers, and helped establish India as a leader among developing nations. Today’s multi-alignment policy is essentially Non-Alignment 2.0.

The Relevance Today

What strikes me most is how these debates continue to shape contemporary India. We’re still balancing democratic ideals with efficient governance, wrestling with the state’s role in the economy, and trying to maintain strategic autonomy in a multipolar world.

Nehru got the fundamentals right—democracy and pluralism. His economic vision needed course correction, which eventually came. But his foreign policy template? Still relevant as we navigate relationships with the US, Russia, and China simultaneously.

What’s your take? Are we still living in Nehru’s shadow, or have we truly moved beyond his framework?