Panditji: A Portrait of Jawaharlal Nehru Seton, Marie

Marie Seton highlights the crises which faced the emergent India during the years of Nehru’s premiership. She portrays the two faces of India, tracing the conflict between traditionalism and the progressive elements she finds personified in Jawaharlal Nehru. She follows the impact of Indian humanism upon India and upon the world, tracing the growth and expansion of the Indian Congress Movement, the story of the remarkable Nehru family, and her encounter with Mahatma Gandhi. Miss Seton covers the moments of triumph: the negotiations for Independence, the adoption of the Indian peace plan for the end of the Korean conflict, the Geneva Conference on Indo-China, the Bandung Conference, and the dramatic efforts of India as a peace-making force during the Suez crisis. She was in New Delhi for the moment of Nehru’s tragedy — the Chinese border dispute, and describes the ensuing events in detail. From private and press collections in India and England, Miss Seton selected a unique series of 50 historic photographs, letters and political cartoons which ideally complement the text and gives added impact to the many specific points raised