The popular perception of Nehru as being unconcerned with religion is not entirely false. But it’s also not entirely accurate. There were periods in his life when he had a strong attraction to religious writings and concepts. He was imprisoned during the Non-cooperation Movement from 1921–1922, which was one of these times. In the first few months of 1922, Nehru wrote Gandhi two extraordinary letters.
The initial letter was written on January 9, 1922. Here, Nehru discusses the literature he has been reading in prison, which is primarily religious texts. He says, for example, “I have read Glover’s Jesus of History—a book of absorbing interest—and have likewise done a good bit of the Bible in the light thereof. I’ve started reading the Ramayan seriously, along with Tulsi, and while I go for my morning and evening walks, Kabir’s bhajans and slokas from the Bhagavad Gita serve as memory exercises. As you can probably guess, I have consistently said my prayers, gone to bed at the time you specified, and gotten out of bed at the same time when, in Nanak’s words, ‘the Heavens rain nectar’.”
The second letter was written on February 19, 1922, which was four weeks later. Recently, an individual from Aligarh named “Khwaja Saheb” joined Nehru in prison. Nehru writes to Gandhi, “It is a delight to learn Urdu from Khwaja.” Its stately writing is nearly indicative of Mussalman’s uncomplicated splendors. Along with teaching Nehru the Urdu alphabet, Khwaja also offered him significant passages from the Koran and a few couplets from Urdu poets each day. I offer to give Khwaja anything from the Gita while also giving him something from the Upanishads. Nehru had finished the Balakand and Ayodhyakand sections of the Ramayana while working with a fellow prisoner named Ram Nareshji.
News Mania Desk
