Portal:Uttar Pradesh/Selected biography/2008/February
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Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Javâher-e La'al, meaning 'Red Jewel') (November 14, 1889 – May 27, 1964) was a political leader of the Indian National Congress, a pivotal figure in the Indian independence movement , a key figure involved in the India-Pakistan partition, and the first Prime Minister of the resulting Independent India. He was also a key figure in International politics in the post-war period, and the patriarch of the Nehru-Gandhi family, and one of the most influential forces in Indian politics. Popularly referred to as Panditji (Scholar)
The son of the wealthy Indian barrister and politician Motilal Nehru, Nehru had become one of the youngest leaders of the Indian National Congress. Rising under the mentorship of Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru became a charismatic, radical leader, advocating complete independence from the British Empire. An icon for Indian youth, Nehru was also an exponent of socialism as a means to address long-standing national challenges. Serving as Congress President, Nehru raised the flag of independent India in New Delhi on August 15, 1947, and served as prime minister, as would his daughter Indira and grandson Rajiv.
