Bal Ram Nanda (1917 – 30 May 2010) was an Indian historian and biographer from
New Delhi
New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...
. He was the preeminent Indian biographer of
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalism, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethics, political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful Indian ...
.
Career
After studying history at
Lahore University, B.R. Nanda joined the
Indian Railways
Indian Railways is a state-owned enterprise that is organised as a departmental undertaking of the Ministry of Railways (India), Ministry of Railways of the Government of India and operates India's national railway system. , it manages the fou ...
Services, and served as a senior railway officer.
He was the first
Director of the
Nehru Memorial Museum & Library, New Delhi.
[
]
Awards
*Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan (IAST: ''Padma Bhūṣaṇa'', lit. 'Lotus Decoration') is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 Januar ...
, 1988,
*Padma Vibhushan
The Padma Vibhushan ( , lit. "Lotus Grandeur") is the second-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "exceptional and distinguished service". All persons w ...
, 2003.
Death
Nanda died on 30 May 2010 at his New Delhi residence.[BALRAM NANDA (1917–2010)]
Raj Bhavan (Sikkim), 1 June 2010
Works
''Mahatma Gandhi: A biography''
(translated into French, Spanish, Italian and several Indian languages).[
*''Gandhi and his critics''
*''Gokhale, Gandhi, and the Nehrus''
*''In Search of Gandhi: Essays and Reflections'']
References
External links
20th-century Indian historians
20th-century Indian biographers
1917 births
2010 deaths
Historians of South Asia
Indian civil servants
Indian Railways officers
Writers from New Delhi
Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in literature & education
Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in literature & education
20th-century Indian male writers
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