Lucknow: On a bustling platform at Lucknow’s Charbagh railway station, two titans of India’s freedom struggle — Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru — crossed paths for the first time on December 26, 1916.
This fleeting 20-minute encounter, amid the Indian National Congress’s annual session, wasn’t just a meeting; it was the spark that ignited a partnership to dismantle British rule and sculpt a sovereign India.
The 1916 Lucknow Congress drew luminaries from every corner of the nation, but it was this unscripted moment that proved pivotal. Gandhi, fresh from his South African crusade, was steadily weaving his philosophy of satyagraha into India’s political fabric. Nehru, then a young lawyer shaped by his father Motilal’s moderate leanings, was yet to embrace the radical zeal of mass movements. Their brief exchange, more curiosity than consensus, laid the foundation for a bond that would redefine India’s fight for freedom.
Though no grand resolutions emerged, the meeting kindled mutual respect. Nehru, initially sceptical of Gandhi’s non-violent creed, soon found himself drawn to the Mahatma’s vision, eventually becoming his staunchest ally. A plaque at Charbagh, erected by the Railways, immortalises this moment, while a second Gandhi-Nehru rendezvous during the 1936 Congress session under Nehru’s presidency further cemented their legacy.
From galvanising the masses to dreaming of a modern India, Gandhi and Nehru’s partnership — born in those 20 minutes — charted the nation’s course.
As India celebrates its ideals today, that chance platform debate stands as a testament to how small moments can birth monumental change.