Three Men, One Baton

Is there any logic to the selection, other than the fact that all three have been authored by Nanda and sport his trademark marriage of documentation, felicitous style and impartial rendering of judgement? Certainly. They cover over a century of Indian history, seen through the lives of these three men. Moreover, the three were linked to each other by a subtle chain of historical coincidence. Gandhi publicly acknowledged Gokhale as his political guru 8212; the first two came in touch when Gokhale took up the gauntlet in British India on behalf of the Indians in South Africa. It was Gokhale who advised Gandhi, on his return to the home country, to travel across the land and connect with its people 8212; advice which eventually brought the British Empire to its knees. It was Gandhi who saw the real Nehru, behind the exterior of the bored lawyer and scion of India8217;s new aristocracy. Gandhi gave meaning to Nehru8217;s life, awakening his latent talent and channelling it into a force to be reckoned with.

Reading the books in tandem brings into sharp relief certain commonalties between the three statesmen. Nehru would have been astonished to find how much he actually had in common with Gokhale, despite his intolerant castigation of the moderate leadership 8212; which, against Gandhi8217;s advice, he retained in his autobiography. Nanda explodes the myth that the moderates were credulous tools of the British at best, or helpless stooges at worst. He points out that though they professed their faith in the British and their intentions, their activities were always thorns in the imperial side. And of the moderates, it was Gokhale whom the British came to respect and fear. Respect, because he was scrupulously honest in his intent, expression and behaviour. Fear, because he was relentless in his polite undermining of the British administration, exposing its shortcomings mercilessly in the Councils. If there was a difference between Gokhale and Nehru, it was one of temperament, never intent or objective 8212; Gokhale was patience personified, Nehru in a perpetual hurry.

In a famous caustic aside, Acharya Kriplani had once said that in the Congress, it was the word of Gandhi that really counted, and Nehru was only a good draughtsman. Nanda8217;s essays show that if that were so, then he was also a very good apprentice, because it was the years under Gandhi8217;s tutelage which prepared him for the years in power.

Three Statesmen is the title, and three statesmen they were. And in a nuanced introduction, Nanda threads together their public lives to mine the past in an effort to understand the present.