Bal Ram Nanda

Bal Ram Nanda (1917 – 30 May 2010) was a writer from New Delhi, India.^[1] He was the preeminent Indian biographer of Mahatma Gandhi, and most known as the author of Mahatma Gandhi: A biography, which was translated into French, Spanish, Italian and several Indian languages.^[2] His other noted works are Gandhi and his critics, Gokhale, Gandhi, and the Nehrus, In Search of Gandhi: Essays and Reflections, Gandhi: pan-Islamism, imperialism, and nationalism in India. He was also the author of biographies of Jawaharlal Nehru and Gopal Krishna Gokhale, among several other books.

He was the founder-director of Nehru Memorial Museum & Library, New Delhi.^[2]

Career

After studying student of History at Lahore University, B.R. Nanda joined the Indian Railways Services. He was also a senior railway officer and the first Director of the Nehru Memorial Museum & Library, New Delhi.^[2]

He was the recipient of the Padma Bhushan in 1988, followed by Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award, in 2003.^[3]

Nanda was a brilliant student of History at Lahore University of undivided India, B.R. Nanda joined the Indian Railways service and moved on to scholarship under fortuitous circumstances. In fact, the Indian Railways have to their credit two outstanding writers: Jim Corbett of the colonial period and B.R.Nanda of post- 1947 era.^[4]

Nanda died on 30 May 2010 at his New Delhi residence.^[2]

Works

• Motilal Nehru (Builders of modern India), Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India, 1964.
• Socialism in India, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. Vikas Publications, 1972.
• Gandhi: a Pictorial Biography. New Delhi Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. 1972. OCLC 540771. 
• Gandhi and his critics, Oxford Univ. Pr., 1985.
• Road to Pakistan 2010.

References

External links