Nehru and Modernism: Emergence of Modern India

Modernist architecture facilitated the establishment of larger universities that were capable of educating more people than ever before.  Institutions such as the Indian Institute of Management, Indian Institute of Technology, Indian Institute of Science, National School of Design and many others were built to establish indigenous brainpower necessary for modernization. The third area modernism assimilated was in songs, films and television. Barbara and Thomas Metcalf note, “Nehruvian idealism can be seen in the Indian cinema of the 1950s. Popular and accessible, the products of the huge Bombay studios, soon to be known as ‘Bollywood’, commercial films . . . made explicit the ideals of nationalism as well as the challenges of development and urban life” (Metcalf and Metcalf 237). Films were avenues to express Nehru’s vision of an urbane and modern India. The general population understood the virtues of a secular, urban, and modern national identity instead of a religiously divided agrarian society through film. Movies enabled the masses to understand the scope of creativity, knowledge, education and technology.

The fourth avenue for modernism was clothing and fashion, and beauty pageants. Modernism slowly outdated the old fashion trends, materials and, methods of sewing and manufacturing. Clothing and fashion was revolutionized because of new materials like Polyester. Polyester became popular because it affordable and durable instead of expensive and delicate silks. The detailed dressing styles and elaborate embroidery on saris, and morning dresses and suits for men, were slowly changed or dying out as older generations passed away. Everyone could wear qualitative clothes and have a sizable closet. Also, since “modernism offered a shimmering vision of escape from everything conservative, traditional and limited,” partial credit can be given for change in the outlook on women (Kalia 2). India was top in beauty pageants featuring beauties such as Aishwarya Rai, Sushmita Sen, Priyanka Chopra and Lara Dutt, who were nominated for impressive titles of Miss Universe and Miss World. The traditional perspective of women as the protector and mother of society and country was very slowly being reinterpreted. Nehru’s modernist adoptions and adaptations were slowly incorporating themselves in to India.       

Part of Nehru’s vision was to build educational institutions to establish a sufficient pool of skilled workers to industrialize and modernize India. Creativity and innovation were encouraged in institutions built by notable modernists architect like Louis Kahn. These institutions produced engineers from all branches, designers, technocrats and scientists that are partially responsible for bringing economic prosperity in India. Thousands of engineers graduated annually to bring about the Information Technology age in India and the world. These experts went abroad notably to California’s Silicon Valley and began computer companies such as Sun Microsystems and Infosys that revolutionized information technology. These firms engineered easy access for information, communication and a multitude of benefits provided by desktops in homes. These technologies which once reserved for the armed forces were now everywhere because of the technological and scientific contributions made in part by these software designers and engineers.

The effects of computer need not be mentioned. Everything has digitized with faster accessing and processing capabilities to ease the difficulties of life. The computer penetrated every aspect of society from NASA to toys. The initial efforts of these engineers who graduated from institutions such as the IIT partially contributed to modernization. India’s fame for its superiority in computer technology encouraged many foreign firms to outsource skilled professions increasing India’s pool of skilled workers and jobs, which has brought great economic boom. While many people from the lower strata are left out of this prosperity, the computer age has brought a great influx of wealth and establishing a middle class. It is obvious that Nehru’s modernist and progressive aspirations paid off. Nehru’s vision for India included a modern and industrialized state, which he implemented by approving the building of new educational institutions as venues for modernization. While modernism is not solely responsible for India’s rise, it has definitely played a good role. Visions are not fulfilled the within a day. Modernism’s influences on Nehru’s vision for a modern India are laudable, and its goodness was realized as time passed.           

Works Cited

Metcalf, Thomas R. Metcalf. A Concise History of Modern India. New York: Cambridge University Press. 2006.

Kalia, Ravi. Gandhinagar: Building National Identity in Postcolonial India. Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press. 2004