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The Wire
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
Unchallenged at Home and Abroad: Jawaharlal Nehru's Leadership With the Non-Aligned Movement
May 27 is the death anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru. As the nation observes today the 61st death anniversary of India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, not only the architect of modern India but also of its foreign policy, it may be worth recalling his role in the founding of the Non-Aligned Movement six decades ago. This month marks the 70th anniversary of conference of Afro-Asian countries held in Bandung, approximately 100 miles from the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, in the last week of May 1955. It was the Bandung Conference which laid the foundations of the Non-Aligned Movement that was to be later inaugurated in the then Yugoslavian capital of Belgrade in 1961. The Asian Relations Conference was held in New Delhi from March 23 to April 2, 1947 at the initiative of Jawaharlal Nehru, then the Vice-President of Viceroy's Executive Council (interim Prime Minister). It was the first conference of Asian countries ever and Nehru chose Sarojini Naidu, the tallest woman Congress leader (she was president of the Indian National Congress in 1925) to preside over the conference. This was perhaps symbolic of many strides towards women empowerment that India would take after gaining independence a few months later. As many as 243 delegates from 28 Asian countries participated in the conference which was held in Purana Qila (Old Fort) in New Delhi. Nehru declared in words that have become memorable to be often quoted in the context of India's foreign policy: 'For too long we, of Asia, have been petitioners in Western courts and chancelleries. That story must now belong to the past. We propose to stand on our own feet and to co -operate with all others who are prepared to co-operate with us. We do not intend to be plaything of others.' Even five months before the conference, within a week of taking over as the interim prime minister, Nehru broadcast to the nation on September 7, 1946: 'We propose, as far as possible, to keep away from the power politics of groups, aligned against one another, which have led in the past to world war, and which may again lead to disasters on an even vaster scale…We are particularly interested in the emancipation of colonial and dependent countries and peoples, and in the recognition in theory and practice of equal opportunities for all races.' Thus, all the principles of India's foreign policy were enunciated by Nehru at the dawn of the nation's independence: non-alignment, freedom, honour, non-interference and equality of peoples and nations. With Nehru as the pivot, India, Indonesia and Burma became the nexus of an independent Asian viewpoint. In 1954 when Gamel Abdul Nasser became the leader of the new Republic of Egypt, the West started putting pressure on him to join the Baghdad Pact. But he was influenced by the example of the three Asian countries and refused to join the Anglo-American pact. Nehru seized the opportunity to broaden the base by including Egypt and other African countries to create a distinctive Afro-Asian presence in world affairs. The idea of a wider conference of Asian and African countries had been earlier mooted at the South East Asian Prime Ministers conference in Colombo, April 1954. Unchallenged at home, by the beginning of 1955, Nehru had also emerged as one of the most influential leaders in the world. As S. Gopal, wrote in Jawaharlal Nehru – A Biography ( Volume 2, 1947- 1956): 'Abroad his status was equally unchallenged. No single individual had done more, in the years since the Second World War, to project Asia on to the world stage.' The stage was now set for the first meeting of Afro Asian countries that President Sukarno of Indonesia offered to host at Bandung which an Arab delegate thought 'did not look an Asian city at all. It was too clean.' The conference was held for seven days in the last week of April 1955. But a month earlier, Nehru, who religiously kept parliament informed of all matters – national and international – told the Lok Sabha on March 31: 'When the history of this time is written in the future, two things will stand. One is coming of atomic energy, and the other the emergence of Asia…This conference is something historic. It is unique. Of course, no such thing has ever happened before and the fact of representatives of 1,400 million people meeting even though they have differences amongst themselves is a matter of utmost significance.' Twenty-nine countries of Asia and Africa were invited to Bandung, including China for the inclusion of which both Nehru and U Nu of Burma had to make extraordinary efforts to convince those who were strongly opposed to China's participation. The plenary session during the historic Bandung Conference. Photo: Public domain. The conference lasted seven days, the highlights of which are best described in the words of Nehru himself: 'The Bandung Conference has played an important role. It has represented various forces that have been developing in the past few years and has compelled the attention of other countries to these new developments. While the fact that there are some new independent countries in Asia is known to everybody, the real significance of this is not always appreciated. There is, in large parts of Asia and Africa, an intense desire to be left free to work out our destiny. We want progress at a rapid rate. But with all our past memories of colonial domination, we suspect any attempt at interference or patronage… 'The aggressive attitudes of communism or anti communism find no echo with us and we see no reason whatever why we should lose our own individuality, give up our thinking and become a mere camp follower of others… 'We are little tired of the conflicts and hatreds of Europe and see no reason why we should succumb to them…The Bandung Conference was the first clear enunciation by the countries of Asia especially that they have an individuality and viewpoint which they are not prepared to give up because of the views of or pressure from other countries.' But, he cautioned, it would be absurd to expect that the Bandung Conference would lead to the solution of international problems: 'The Bandung Conference should not be judged so much from the forceful speeches delivered but from the joint statement issued at the end.' The joint communique established 10 principles for developing friendship and cooperation among nations some of which were: a) respect for the fundamental human rights and principles of the UN Charter; b) respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nation; c) abstention from intervention or interference in the internal affairs of another country; d) refraining from acts or threats of aggression or the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any country; e) settlement of all international disputes by peaceful means; f) recognition of the equality of all races and nations; and g) respect for justice and international obligations. Earlier, on May 3, while briefing the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP), the Nehru said: 'A rather remarkable thing is that at the conclusion of the Conference almost every country has commended it, has approved of it- certainly the American press, the British press, the French press, the Russian press, the Chinese press and others. It is a remarkable thing that something should be done which is approved of by all these people who usually never agree about anything.' Winston Churchill, Nehru's one-time foe, wrote to him, almost two months after Bandung, on June 30, 1955: 'I always admired your ardent wish for peace and the absence of bitterness in your consideration of the antagonisms that had in the past divided us. Yours is indeed a heavy burden and responsibility, shaping the destiny of your many millions of countrymen, and playing your outstanding part in world affairs.' In this letter, and another one he had written a few months earlier Churchill used the phrase 'the light of Asia' for Nehru. So what may be the relevance of Bandung today? Its 70th anniversary is a good opportunity for India, Indonesia and some other countries of Asia and Africa, to revive the Non-Aligned Movement, which in the words of late prime minister Indira Gandhi, the chairperson of the movement in 1983, was the 'history's biggest peace movement.' In a recent article in a daily, former foreign secretary Shyam Saran wrote: 'The Bandung Principles or Das Sila remain valid as norms for inter-state relations and for creating a more democratic world order. They should be revived. NAM, which incorporated the Bandung Spirit, became the the largest peace movement in history, creating a zone of peace between contending ideological and military blocs. We need a similar space free of great power contestation.' But for that to happen India needs a leadership that has the wisdom, vision and global stature of Jawaharlal Nehru. Praveen Davar is an ex-Army officer, columnist and editor of The Secular Saviour.
Forbes
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Kesari Chapter 2' Ranks Among Global Top-Scoring Films
Indian stars R Madhavan and Akshay Kumar in a still from the Hindi film 'Kesari Chapter 2'. Indian star Akshay Kumar's latest outing Kesari Chapter 2: The Untold Story Of Jallianwala Bagh made an opening collection of $5.8 million worldwide. The film, based on a book, made it to the top grossing films for the weekend on Comscore's latest list. Kesari Chapter 2 made $4.2 million in India in its first three days at the box office. Kesari Chapter 2 is a captivating film that has engrossed critics and fans alike. The film saw an impressive box office run over the first weekend at the ticket windows. Directed by debutant Karan Singh Tyagi, Kesari Chapter 2 is based on the book The Case That Shook The Empire. Raghu Palat and Pushpa Palat wrote the book. The film features Akshay Kumar alongside R Madhavan and Ananya Panday in important roles. Amit Sial, Regina Cassandra, Mark Bennington, Simon Paisley Day, and Alexx O'Nell also play pivotal roles in the film. Kumar's new film made an opening collection of $1.5 million worldwide. Kesari Chapter 2 is now the fourth highest-opening Hindi film of 2025. The third one on the IMDb's list is Kumar's Sky Force which is preceded by Chhaava and Sikandar. After making a humble opening, Kesari Chapter 2 saw as significant rise at the box office on Saturday. It scored $2.5 million in India and $3.6 million worldwide by the end of two days at the ticket windows. The Sunday collection for Kesari Chapter 2 rose significantly. The film made a global gross collection of $5.8 million and ranked at the ninth spot on Comscore's list of highest-grossing films worldwide for the weekend ending April 20. Kesari Chapter 2: The Untold Story Of Jallianwala Bagh is about the real story of Indian lawyer Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair. He served as the Advocate-General of Madras and was a member of the Viceroy's Executive Council in early 1900s. He was also the elected president of Indian National Congress in the late 1890s. Kumar's film focuses on Nair's fight against the British Crown, a case that resulted in the world recognizing the horrors of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre (1919). Tyagi smoothly combines warm emotions and the brilliance of Nair's personality that results in an engaging movie. The three lead actors - Madhavan, Kumar and Panday - display exceptional acting prowess that makes the audience ebb and flow with the story as and when it gets emotional, sad, angry or motivational. A major feat that the director manages to achieve is that theatrics suitable for Kumar's stardom and fanbase do not seem too exaggerated even in this realistic movie because of the points at which we see them in the narrative. Tyagi also manages to highlight issues that remain relevant even decades after the case - issues such as misuse of legalities to crush dissent and the suppression of the media speak to today's global realities. Kesari Chapter 2 omits quite a few important aspects of Nair's life, but whatever it chooses to pick and show, the film treats it with utmost cinematic brilliance and sensitivity. The film gets a little loud for its own tone towards the end, but Kumar and Madhavan manage to maintain the engrossing grip on the audience with their brilliant performances.
India.com
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
Kesari 2 earns Rs 29.25 crore in 3 days, Akshay Kumar fails to beat his own... even after good word-of-mouth, Check detailed report
Kesari 2 Box Office Collection: Akshay Kumar's historical courtroom drama Kesari Chapter 2, which released in theatres on 18 April, has received positive reviews from both critics and audiences. Akshay plays the role of Sir C. Shankaran Nair, a member of the Viceroy's Executive Council, who fought against General Reginald Dyer, the former British colonial official and then-Lieutenant Governor of Punjab. Apart from Akshay, Ananya Panday and R. Madhavan also play important roles in Kesari 2. The movie opened with a decent Rs 7.75 crore at the box office, but thanks to positive word of mouth, it saw a 26% jump on its second day. On its first Saturday and Sunday, it earned Rs 9.50 crore and Rs 12.64 crore respectively. On day 4, Monday, the movie earned Rs 49 lakh till 1 PM, bringing its net collection to Rs 30.21 crore. With this, it has also become the highest-grossing film of 2025. The film has surpassed the lifetime collections of Kangana Ranaut's Emergency and Sonu Sood's Fateh . While it hasn't matched the highs of some recent hits, it marks an improvement over several underperformers. In comparison, Kumar couldn't break his own record with Sky Force, as it leads the pack with a strong Rs 62.25 crore collection, making it the highest-grossing Akshay film post-pandemic. It is followed by Ram Setu, which earned Rs 56 crore in six days, and Sooryavanshi, the first major post-COVID hit for Bollywood, with Rs 50.79 crore. Kesari Chapter 2 has broken the records of 11 films released in 2025 Game Changer – Rs 26.59 crore Deva – Rs 19.43 crore The Diplomat – Rs 13.45 crore Emergency – Rs 12.26 crore Fateh – Rs 10.71 crore Badass Ravi Kumar – Rs 9.72 crore Mere Husband Ki Biwi – Rs 5.28 crore Loveyaapa – Rs 4.75 crore Azad – Rs 4.75 crore Crazy – Rs 4.25 crore Super Boys of Malegaon – Rs 1.82 crore About Kesari Chapter 2: Kesari Chapter 2 is a powerful film that brings to light the harsh realities Indians faced under British rule, especially the horrors of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. It does a great job showing the struggles of that time, how the British tried to silence the press, and how people fought back through the courts and media. It's a bit disappointing that the film received an 'A' certificate because this is something kids, families, and young people should definitely watch. It's an important piece of our history told in a way that hits home. Read review here.
