'Real mother is India'

On the eve of Republic Day, Bollywood actor and son of the late Balraj Sahni, Parikshet Sahni, recalls an encounter 50 years ago, with Jawaharlal Nehru, during his last official visit to Moscow: I was a student in Moscow, and was excited to know that our PM was to address Indian students at the embassy.
The room was packed with nearly 500 students eager to catch a glimpse of the charismatic Nehru.I was near the window sill, to listen to his speech, which was brilliant, full of fun and jokes. Indian ambassador T N Kaul, who knew me through my father, asked if I wanted to meet Nehru. I agreed, not knowing the outburst I was to face.
We were in the first floor room of the embassy, as Nehru walked in. He casually asked me what I intended to do on returning to India after completing my studies.
I blurted out that I did not intend going back. "I love it here, sir… and I love Scandinavia, Sweden, Finland. I intend settling there. There is no future in India,'' I told him.
Nehru looked surprised and then pained. He looked at Kaul and lost his temper. His voice rose as he told the ambassador: "Why did we go back to India from England, Kaulsaheb? We could have stayed on there, practiced in England! Why did we have to come back to India and face lathicharges?" Nehru looked at me and said: "Your father lived in England. Why did he go back to India?''
Suddenly, he was gentle. He smiled and said: "India is your mother, son! If you stay here or in Scandinavia, you will have a very pretty, rich mother. But she will be your step-mother. Your real mother is India. Even if old, weak and poor, a mother is a mother. She needs her children when old and sick.''
Nehru looked at his watch and left abruptly. I decided to return to India.
(As told to Vijay Singh)