Pandit Nehru’s birth anniversary: Facts you must know about first Prime Minister

The country is celebrating the 132nd birth anniversary of India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru tomorrow. Pandit Nehru is known as Chacha Nehru as it is believed that he was fond of children.

India has been celebrating Nehru’s birthday as the ‘Bal Diwas’ or Children’s Day after his death on May 27, 1964.

In view of Nehru’s birth anniversary celebration tomorrow, here are some facts one must know about the first Prime Minister.

• Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was born in Allabahad on November 14, 1889.

• At the age of fifteen, Nehru went to England. After two years, he joined Cambridge University where he took his tripos in Natural Sciences.

• He returned to India in 1912 and joined politics. He took keen interest in the Sinn Fein Movement in Ireland. Later in India, he joined the struggle for independence.

• In 1912, he attended the Bankipore Congress as a delegate, and became Secretary of the Home Rule League, Allahabad in 1919. After his first meeting with Mahatma Gandhi in 1916, Nehru felt immensely inspired by Gandhi.

• Nehru organised the first Kisan March in Pratapgarh District of Uttar Pradesh in 1920. He was twice jailed in connection with the Non-Cooperation Movement of 1920-22.

• Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru became the General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee in September 1923

• In 1929, Nehru was elected President of the Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress.

• He was imprisoned several times during 1930-35 in connection with the Salt Satyagraha and other movements launched by the Congress.

• On August 7, 1942, Nehru moved the historic ‘Quit India’ resolution at the AICC session in Bombay. On the next day he was arrested along with other leaders and taken to Ahmednagar Fort.

• On August 15, 1947, India and Pakistan became two separate independent countries. Nehru became independent India’s first Prime Minister.

India used to celebrate the Universal Children’s Day on November 20 as decided by the Unietd Nations.
However, after Nehru passed away in 1964, the birthday of the first Prime Minister on November 14 has been celebrated as the National Children’s Day.