Jawaharlal Nehru (L) heads Tele-MANAS Centre of Telangana, CLN Gandhi retired from transport dept as addl commissioner In classrooms of generations past, an attendance register could sometimes sound like a roll call from India’s freedom movement. Many parents named their children after national heroes. Today, those names are hard to find. But you can still come across a Gandhi, Nehru or Bose.Take Hyderabad’s Jawaharlal Nehru. Born in the 1960s to freedom fighter and Congress member Mutteswara Rao, Nehru says his father was determined on the name of India’s first PM. Rao reached out to him.The PMO pointed out Nehru was a surname and suggested the child be named Jawahar. But Rao was adamant.”Being Jawaharlal Nehru, I feel, needs commitment,” he says. He encouraged his only son to join the Army. “I stand for the country. I can proudly say my son is a Major.”‘Names bring history into an ordinary life’ My father insisted he had a letter from Nehru giving his permission. That’s how I became Jawaharlal Nehru,” says the man who now heads Telangana govt’s Tele-MANAS Centre. Nehru’s sister, Vijayalakshmi Pandit, also has a modern-day namesake in Hyderabad. She was originally named Vijayalakshmi by her mother. Her father, a freedom fighter, later added Pandit to her name after the original became president of United Nations General Assembly.For Subhas Chandra Bose, a 33-year-old employee of Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences, the name came with expectations from childhood. “Everyone told me I should not do anything mediocre or bad because of my name,” he says. “I still feel that responsibility. I don’t even lie.” His father didn’t stop with one famous name. Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesSubhas’ brothers are named Chandrasekhar Azad and Ambedkar.There’s also CLN Gandhi, a retired additional commissioner in the transport department, known simply as Gandhi in bureaucratic circles. “My father named me after Mahatma Gandhi as suggested by our neighbour, who was in the Army,” he says. “I was always conscious of the values associated with my name.”Socio-political analyst S Ramakrishna said: “When a child is named after a historical figure, that memory travels with the person. The name brings history into an ordinary life.”Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorSribala VadlapatlaSribala Vadlapatla is a Senior Assistant Editor with 15 years of experience at The Times of India and 30 years overall in mainstream and web journalism. She covers Telangana’s political, economic, health, technological, and socio-cultural topics, and is deeply interested in policy, governance, emerging technologies, international affairs, economy and music.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos79 Years Of Freedom: What Do Indians Really Want From Their Country, Leaders And Democracy Now?NALSAR Row Erupts: CJI Raps BCI, As CJP Demands Resignation Of Bar Council Chief‘Why Rockets?’ Jaipur Residents Mock Potholes With Astronaut Protest After Monsoon RainsRajnath Singh Announces Rs 8.75 Lakh Crore Defence Modernisation Push on 80th Independence DayBomb Threat Email Targets Delhi Courts, Airport, Metro Ahead Of August 15; Security Checks BeginCM Vijay Urges PM Modi To Keep Lok Sabha Strength At 543, Opposes Population-Based DelimitationThey Want To Disturb Punjab’s Peace’: Sukhbir Badal Flags Larger Conspiracy After Nanded Attack’The Great Transshipment Scam’: India Among 40 Nations Aiding China’s Tarrif Evasion, Says USUttarakhand Tunnel Landslide: 7 Workers Dead, 1 Missing; Rescue Operations Continue in Chamoli‘RSS Vs Congress Govt’: Karnataka Cabinet Clears Bill To Curb Events At Public Spaces123PhotostoriesFrom lakeside retreats to Aravalli resorts: 5 luxury escapes in and around Delhi for the Independence Day weekendRani Mukerji goes from Sabyasachi saree to power suit as she collects an Honorary Doctor of Letters from Australia’s La Trobe University10 unusual baby girl names with fascinating historical roots10 naturally tricolour Indian foods to make this Independence DayInside Ruhaanika Dhawan’s luxury home: A massive living room, elegant decor and moreWhat happens to your brain when you slowly reduce your screen time before bed? 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In classrooms of generations past, an attendance register could sometimes sound like a roll call from India’s freedom movement. Many parents named their children after national heroes. Today, those names are hard to find. But you can still come across a Gandhi, Nehru or Bose.Take Hyderabad’s Jawaharlal Nehru. Born in the 1960s to freedom fighter and Congress member Mutteswara Rao, Nehru says his father was determined on the name of India’s first PM. Rao reached out to him.The PMO pointed out Nehru was a surname and suggested the child be named Jawahar. But Rao was adamant.“Being Jawaharlal Nehru, I feel, needs commitment,” he says. He encouraged his only son to join the Army. “I stand for the country. I can proudly say my son is a Major.”‘Names bring history into an ordinary life’ My father insisted he had a letter from Nehru giving his permission. That’s how I became Jawaharlal Nehru,” says the man who now heads Telangana govt’s Tele-MANAS Centre. Nehru’s sister, Vijayalakshmi Pandit, also has a modern-day namesake in Hyderabad. She was originally named Vijayalakshmi by her mother. Her father, a freedom fighter, later added Pandit to her name after the original became president of United Nations General Assembly.For Subhas Chandra Bose, a 33-year-old employee of Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences, the name came with expectations from childhood. “Everyone told me I should not do anything mediocre or bad because of my name,” he says. “I still feel that responsibility. I don’t even lie.” His father didn’t stop with one famous name.
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Subhas’ brothers are named Chandrasekhar Azad and Ambedkar.There’s also CLN Gandhi, a retired additional commissioner in the transport department, known simply as Gandhi in bureaucratic circles. “My father named me after Mahatma Gandhi as suggested by our neighbour, who was in the Army,” he says. “I was always conscious of the values associated with my name.”Socio-political analyst S Ramakrishna said: “When a child is named after a historical figure, that memory travels with the person. The name brings history into an ordinary life.”
