| Subject: Nehru`s first tv interview |
Author:
Ramnik Shah
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Date Posted: Tue, August 21 2007, 21:03:35-4
We in Britain are right now experiencing a season of multiple media coverage of the 60th anniversary of the partition and independence of India and Pakistan, with a huge range of programmes, both on radio and tv, plus other happenings elsewhere. Some people probably feel overwhelmed by it. The other day even at the British Library I found an exhibition of an interesting collection of old pictures and documents, and even some surprisingly clear newsreel footage in colour (obviously touched up) on a tv monitor screen of events surrounding the actual occasion. The BBC in particular has a rich bank of archive material and this has been dug up and put on show. Among other things, this includes Nehru`s "tryst with destiny" address to the nation on the eve of indepedence, but also that of Jinnah`s to the Pakistan National Assembly, though I found the latter to be rather dull and uninspiring, in contrast to Nehru`s dynamism. Then there are all these `going back to the roots` travelogues like that of Sanjeev Bhaskar and Saira Khan, evocative and thought-provoking, even if somewhat prosaic and unoriginal. Other stations and outlets too have joined in the circus. Channel 4`s `Empire`s Children` series has been particularly noteworthy. For me, all these have been matters not so much of sentimenal as historical significance - for as a second generation diasporan I have always looked at the land of our ancestors with a certain degree of detachment, from the perspective of an objective, if interested, outsider.
Even so, it was exciting to come across a recording of Nehru`s first ever tv appearance and press conference in 1953 - see details below. It will particularly appeal to people of an older generation who were witness to the development of India as a major third world force through the 1950s. The half hour programme is worth listening to a couple of times.
Don`t forget this was at a time when tv journalism was still in its infancy. It was a wide-ranging interview, in which he was quizzed by three leading British commentators, who asked him searching, albeit polite, questions about the whole spectrum of his and India`s thinking, attitudes and policies on foreign and domestic issues. Starting with the Queen`s Coronation and the follow-up Commonwealt Prime Ministers` Conference that he had just attended, they moved on to discuss India`s post-independence achievements and goals (he thought India was going to be self-sufficient in food production sooner rather than later), the religious and cast divides and the secular state, the threat posed(or not) by communism, relations with China, with Pakistan and so on. The China issue was dwelt on at length - in terms of economic progress and political rivalry for leadership of Asia etc . On India`s democratic model, he pointed out that if this slowed down progress it was because there were necessary checks on the system because of constitutional safeguards and the way the courts were interpreting these provisions - even so early on in the new republic. He was asked about the lack of an effective opposition, to which his response was quite convincing: it wasn`t as if there was a lack of opposition, because it did exist, both in Parliament (Congress had 350 members while the other parties had 150, but they were not united and there was no two-party system with a leader of the opposition as in Britain, which if it evolved, well, that was fine but it could not just be imposed) and outside in the country at large.
As for Pakistan, he thought the two countries were on an even keel and their leaders were in regular touch. Then there was even a question about what he thought of the Chinese government`s insistence that the overseas Chinese were to be regarded as its citizens and not those of the countries where they were living and he thought it was for them to determine how they viewed these things.
But then, it was on Africa that he became most passionate. This part of the interview (about half way) took about 5 minutes and is worth special attention. He said Africa had long been suppressed and had fallen behind as a result. The interlocutors were most concerned about how he looked upon the European settlers, and whether there were any differences in his approach to West Africa and South, Central and E Africa where there were these large European concentrations. He was quite uncompromising, and on Kenya Indians, he reiterated the Indian government`s advice to them to identify themselves with the African cause and aspirations or even be prepared to get out of there. He was asked about India`s stance on apartheid and African freedom struggles. He said he would have been shouting his views even more vociferously, from the rooftops, expressing a moral view about the rights and wrongs of the matter, if he were not PM of India. He clearly felt very strongly about the inherent injustice of colonialism and white domination. He drew a distinction between raising these matters at the UN level - which is where India had put S AFrica in the dock - and the nature of Commonwealth solidarity and dialogue - which was between friends with a view to influencing their behaviour. For that reason he had not criticised British policy at the UN - though he had been critical of French actions in its North African possessions.
His was a sterling performance, considering that this was his first `live` extended interview on tv. One could almost see him think aloud during his off-the-cuff answers given from his perch on the hot seat; these were surely the beginning of his broad vision of India`s non-alignment worldview. At all times however he came across as a solid, sincere, somewhat shy senior statesman. Do see it for yourselves at http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/trial/open/aip/3607 though this, I understand, is not available to viewers outside the UK; what a pity! Incidentally, as can be seen from the accompanying the programme note below, he was immaculately dressed in the European mode; this was to change during the latter part of the decade to his own unique `Nehru` style long jacket.
RAMNIK SHAH
Surrey, England
Press Conference: Jawaharlal Nehru
The first time the first Indian prime minister appears on television.
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BBC TELEVISION SERVICE TVFirst Broadcast: 12 Jun 1953
Watch Now
Duration: 31 mins
Programme Synopsis
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Having attended the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, Jawaharlal Nehru answers questions from British journalists in this press conference-style programme. He tackles queries on the Indian attitude to the British, the recent communist takeover in China, the Kashmir dispute with Pakistan, and his ideal of India as a secular, democratic state.
Categories: Factual, History, Current Affairs
Did you know?
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Jawaharlal Nehru became the first prime minister of India in 1947. Attending the Queen's coronation was important for diplomatic reasons, since Nehru believed it was desirable for India to remain in the Commonwealth, and he could use the occasion as a platform to attack the apartheid system in South Africa.
Contributors
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Contributor table Presenter William Clark
Contributor Donald McLachlan
Contributor H V Hodson
Contributor Jawaharlal Nehru
Contributor Kingsley Martin
Collection Flipper
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Related BBC links
India & Pakistan '07Video Nation: India & PakistanAsian Network: Asian NationCountry Profile: BangladeshCountry Profile: IndiaCountry Profile: PakistanIn Depth: Kashmir
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