As India celebrates Children's Day today to mark Jawaharlal
Nehru's birth anniversary, Walter Crocker's book Nehru, A
Contemporary's Estimate reveals some little known and engaging
facets of Nehru's life. Part I: In history, Nehru is to be
compared with Napoleon Crocker, an Australian diplomat, observed
Nehru closely during his tenure in India and first published
this book in 1966. Till recently out of print, the book, now
republished by Random House India, provides some fascinating
insights into the man whose legacy continues to be hotly debated
in India. Nehru began with the advantage of the best formal
education possible; and just as he improved on his physical
capital so too throughout his life he improved on his
intellectual capital, by the study of books and of men. In
particular his years in jail were put to use for a rigorous and
systematic course of reading and writing; in particular he used
them for developing his sense of history. An Indian official who
for some years was permanent head of a depart