New Delhi, May 6: The birth anniversary of Pandit Motilal Nehru, an eminent lawyer and father of India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, is observed on May 6. Pandit Motilal Nehru was born on May 6, 1861. He served as the Congress President twice, 1919–1920 and 1928–1929. He headed the famous Nehru Commission whose report envisioned a dominion status for India within the Empire, akin to Australia, New Zealand and Canada. On his birth anniversary, let's recall who Motilal Nehru was as a lawyer and politician.

While the Nehrus hailed from Kashmir, Motilal Nehru spent his childhood at Khetri in Rajasthan, where his elder brother Nandlal became the Diwan. He passed the lawyer examination in 1883 and began practising as a lawyer at Kanpur. After his elder brother, Nandlal died in 1887, 25-year-old Motilal became sole bread-earner of the extended Nehru family. As a practising lawyer, he soon gained popularity. Rahul Gandhi Departs, Congress Braces For Non-Gandhi Chief: List of Non-Nehru, Non-Gandhi Party Presidents Since 1947.

With the success of his practice, in 1900, Motilal purchased a large family home in the Civil Lines in Allahabad, rebuilt it and named it Anand Bhavan. In 1909, he reached the pinnacle of his legal career by gaining the approval to appear in the Privy Council of Great Britain. In May 1905, Motilal Nehru again sailed for Europe, this time with his whole family. He returned in November of the same year after putting Jawaharlal to school at Harrow.

On 5 February 1919, Motilal Nehru launched a new daily paper, The Independent, as a counterweight to the well established local daily paper, The Leader, which was much too moderate for his taste. His association with politics was initially reluctant but he was hugely influenced by Mahatma Gandhi. He became one of the first to transform his life, gave up western clothes and adopting a more native Indian lifestyle.

Motilal Nehru was arrested during the non-cooperation movement. Despite being close to Gandhi, he openly criticised his suspension of civil resistance in 1922 due to the murder of policemen by a mob in Chauri Chaura. His declining health kept him out of the historic events of 1929–1931, when the Congress adopted complete independence as its goal and when Gandhi launched his famous Salt Satyagraha.

Motilal Nehru's legacy was carried forward by his son Jawaharlal who went on to become independent India's first Prime Minister. Motilal Nehru is remembered as the patriarch of India's most powerful political dynasty which has since produced three Prime Ministers (Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi). Two of his great-great-grandsons, Rahul Gandhi, and Varun Gandhi are currently lawmakers.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 06, 2020 08:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).