"The scope of Happiness,” a personal memoir of Smt Vijayalaxmi Pandit.
It is a narrative of the woman, who was the sister and confidante and a life -long political associate of Jawaharlal Nehru. As the world’s first woman ambassador, serving in the then USSR, US and UK. She was India's voice abroad, representing India’s non-alignment, anti-colonialism, and anti-apartheid. She was the first woman to lead the delegation, to the UN and she was also first to be elected President of its General Assembly. During general elections in 1977, she campaigned vigorously to bring down Mrs. Gandhi’s government, as Mrs. Gandhi, being her niece had betrayed the tradition of freedom and the democratic values. Indira Gandhi went against the principles envisioned by Nehru for independent India, by imposing Emergency. I was really surprised to note and find that the”memoir” had been written by her at the age of 78, in her house in Dehra-Dun.
Her father Motilal Nehru, was having fabulous practice in Allahabad High-Court. His palatial bungalow, Anand Bhawan, was very opulent and one of the most westernised in those days. High English officials including the Governors of UP, used to admire the handsome Kashmiri Brahmin, who dressed, lived, and even looked like an Englishman. People used to envy the elegant luxury in which that family lived. His only son Jawaharlal, was sent to Harrow and Cambridge, at the age 15, for studies, while one European Governess was employed for the two daughters at home. The advent of Mahatma Gandhi on Indian political scene had changed the course of their lives, otherwise, Motilal wanted to take retirement from the profession, and young Nehru would have inherited his father’s enormous legal practice. Having been influenced by Gandhi Ji, the duo father and son renounced their fabulous legal practice and joined non-cooperation movement and complied with Gandhiji’s call to boycott British courts. The entire their ostentatious life got transformed overnight. They disposed the fleet of cars and carriages, the servants number got drastically reduced, the women of the family gave up foreign finery and took to wearing home-spun Khadi, while AnandBhavan ceased to be the select club of Elite of Allahabad and it became like Sarai frequented by humble Party workers, which was made central party office of Congress . Motilal had sloughed off the luxuries of life to cast in his lot with Mahatma and went to jail number of times, during the freedom movement. Some of the present leadership and its cronies would never agree. I want all those who criticise them, to read such books to understand reality. Even Vijaya Laxmi Pandit, took a very active part in the freedom movement, in 30s, had her full share of trials and tribulations. Her account of the struggle for freedom during which she was imprisoned 3 times, is also a story of a woman ‘s vital pioneering roles in her political life starting as first woman cabinet minister in1937. There are penetrating and entertaining anecdotes about world figures of her time, including Churchill, Tito, etc. She reveals in the telling, a woman with an intense capacity to enjoy life’s challenges, and one who faced grievous personal loss with great courage when her husband Mr. Pandit, died during his last imprisonment, under the British. It is very interesting to read as it is the first-hand account of her life from which went luxury to struggles to responsibilities and her world view.
It is a narrative of the woman, who was the sister and confidante and a life -long political associate of Jawaharlal Nehru. As the world’s first woman ambassador, serving in the then USSR, US and UK. She was India's voice abroad, representing India’s non-alignment, anti-colonialism, and anti-apartheid. She was the first woman to lead the delegation, to the UN and she was also first to be elected President of its General Assembly. During general elections in 1977, she campaigned vigorously to bring down Mrs. Gandhi’s government, as Mrs. Gandhi, being her niece had betrayed the tradition of freedom and the democratic values. Indira Gandhi went against the principles envisioned by Nehru for independent India, by imposing Emergency. I was really surprised to note and find that the”memoir” had been written by her at the age of 78, in her house in Dehra-Dun.
Her father Motilal Nehru, was having fabulous practice in Allahabad High-Court. His palatial bungalow, Anand Bhawan, was very opulent and one of the most westernised in those days. High English officials including the Governors of UP, used to admire the handsome Kashmiri Brahmin, who dressed, lived, and even looked like an Englishman. People used to envy the elegant luxury in which that family lived. His only son Jawaharlal, was sent to Harrow and Cambridge, at the age 15, for studies, while one European Governess was employed for the two daughters at home. The advent of Mahatma Gandhi on Indian political scene had changed the course of their lives, otherwise, Motilal wanted to take retirement from the profession, and young Nehru would have inherited his father’s enormous legal practice. Having been influenced by Gandhi Ji, the duo father and son renounced their fabulous legal practice and joined non-cooperation movement and complied with Gandhiji’s call to boycott British courts. The entire their ostentatious life got transformed overnight. They disposed the fleet of cars and carriages, the servants number got drastically reduced, the women of the family gave up foreign finery and took to wearing home-spun Khadi, while AnandBhavan ceased to be the select club of Elite of Allahabad and it became like Sarai frequented by humble Party workers, which was made central party office of Congress . Motilal had sloughed off the luxuries of life to cast in his lot with Mahatma and went to jail number of times, during the freedom movement. Some of the present leadership and its cronies would never agree. I want all those who criticise them, to read such books to understand reality. Even Vijaya Laxmi Pandit, took a very active part in the freedom movement, in 30s, had her full share of trials and tribulations. Her account of the struggle for freedom during which she was imprisoned 3 times, is also a story of a woman ‘s vital pioneering roles in her political life starting as first woman cabinet minister in1937. There are penetrating and entertaining anecdotes about world figures of her time, including Churchill, Tito, etc. She reveals in the telling, a woman with an intense capacity to enjoy life’s challenges, and one who faced grievous personal loss with great courage when her husband Mr. Pandit, died during his last imprisonment, under the British. It is very interesting to read as it is the first-hand account of her life from which went luxury to struggles to responsibilities and her world view.
