HISTORY
The house of Nehru
S. THEODORE BASKARAN
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A book that is as aesthetically pleasing as it is readable and scholarly.
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The Nehrus: Personal Histories; MushIrul Hasan, Photo editing and captions Priya Kapoor, Lustre press/Roli Books, Hardcover. 320 pages.
THE story of the Nehru family has provoked a number of books and some of scions have figured plays and in movies, such as "Gandhi" (1982) and "Jinnah" (1998). This one combines excellent writing with rare visual material in a well-designed manner. Mushirul Hasan, with works like John Company and the Republics that places him in the forefront among contemporary historians and Priya Kapoor, creator of visual treats like the book VIPS: Very Important Pets, have teamed up to produce this sparkling new book. The front piece, a family portrait of the Nehrus that features within the frame three prime ministers of this country, epitomises the content of this book.
Back in time
Organised into five headings — The Kashmiris, Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru and the Nehruvian Legacy, with the main focus on Jawaharlal — the book opens with Sonia Gandhi's dramatic victory in the 2004 elections. The author goes back in time and tracks the story of the Nehrus from their days in the Moghul court. The sweep of the book covers the early 18th century to present day and touches upon the milestones in the history of the country, such as the 1919 Jallianwalabagh massacre, the Quit India Movement, the Partition, the Emergency and the 2004 election. Hasan traces the events of the last two centuries through the members of the Nehru clan and examines its legacy. In Hasan's telling the essence of the heritage is their contribution to pluralistic and secular thoughts and principles in India.
The photos, some rare and unpublished, support the writing admirably. They have been collected from archives, family albums and private institutions. There are some historic images, such as the one showing Nehru signing the constitution. My favourite is the one featuring Gaffar Khan and Nehru stopping for lunch while on a trek in Kashmir. (p. 207)
Rich visuals
But not just photographs; the visual material in the book includes miniature paintings, facsimile of letters including one from Gandhiji, of documents such as Nehru's will and pages from a comic book. It is like an archives by itself. The book, by incorporating impressive visual imagery demonstrates that book designing is beginning to receive attention in the Indian publishing world. This one is designed to be pleasing to the eye, with the layout highlighting the visual material. Attention has been paid to the choice of fonts. The book also encompasses a bit of the history of photography, you get examples from the early daguerre type to digital precision. Old prints have been restored skilfully through Photoshop, rendering them fresh and sharp.
Like many books on India coming out of Delhi, references to the southern dimension are scarce, in spite of the fact that the author has used The Hindu Images Archives, in Chennai extensively. Nehru's proximity to Kamaraj, his admiration for M.S. Subbulakshmi and Indira Gandhi's attachment to J. Krishnamurthi, her visits to temples are aspects of this connection. The only instance where the South figures, other than a picture in which Radhakrishnan is featured as President, is in page 149 where a dhoti-clad gentleman in a group photo has been wrongly identified as S. Satyamurthy.
It is surprising that individual photographic credit has not been given. At least wherever possible it could have been provided. One recognises Karsh of Ottawa's famous portrait of Nehru (p.82) and also some shots by Homai Vyarawalla. What about others? Another serious omission is that no index has been provided, not for the text nor the photographs. These are important components of a book of this nature and would have increased its utility.
Whether it is conscious myth making or documenting a family saga that is so much part of the history of the country, this meticulously researched book succeeds. This is a work that is as aesthetically pleasing as it is readable and scholarly. Here is a case where the form matches the content admirably.
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