WORD POWER
Remembering Chacha Nehru
Prerana Trehan

Jawaharlal Nehru was a born leader. Even though he was born with a sliver spoon in his mouth, he chose to risk all he had for the sake of the freedom of the country. His natural leadership qualities were, no doubt, born out of the nobility of his character. Ever since he decided to fight for the freedom of the country, it was obvious that he was born to lead. He stood head and shoulders above all other politicians of his time. From a very young age, it was clear that he had all the makings of a great leader.

He was a man of many parts and was not only a politician but also a visionary par excellence. He was known to be a man of letters and many of his books, among them The Discovery of India, have stood the test of time. His charisma was second to none and made him extremely popular with all people. He had a soft spot for children. They, too, thought the world of him and fondly called him Chacha Nehru. He had a scientific temper and took a stand against blind superstition. As far as modernity of thought was concerned, he was streets ahead of other politicians of the day. Ensuring that India became a technologically advanced nation was high on his agenda. There can be no two opinions that Nehru was far and away the best-loved leader India has ever produced.

A born leader: someone who has a strong, natural ability to lead

Be born with a silver spoon in your mouth: to be born into a rich family

Something is born out of something: used to say that something exists as a result of a particular situation

Be born to do/be something: be very suitable for a particular job, activity etc

Head and shoulders above the others/the rest etc: much better than other similar people or things

Have (all) the makings of something: to seem likely to develop into something

A man of many parts: a man who is able to do many different things

Par excellence: someone or something par excellence is the best or most extreme example of its type.

A man of letters: a man, usually a writer, who knows a lot about literature

Stand the test of time: if something stands the test of time, it remains popular or respected for a very long time

Be second to none: to be better than anything or anyone else

Have a soft spot for someone or something: to like someone or something, even thought other people might not

To think the world of someone: to like or admire someone very much

Take a stand: to publicly express an opinion about something, especially to say whether you support or are against it

Be streets ahead: to be much better or more advanced than someone or something else

High on the/someone’s agenda: if a subject or plan is at the top of someone’s agenda, it is the most important thing they want to discuss or deal with

Be far and away the best/greatest/worst etc: to be much better or much worse or to have much more of a particular quality than anyone or anything else

(Reference: Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms)