Born in 1954

India was navigating its place in the newly divided Cold War world, and Nehru was championing Non-Alignment — refusing to side with either America or the Soviet Union. Abroad, he was admired; at home, people were focused on feeding families. Rationing of some goods was still in place.

The railway network was being expanded, and train journeys across the vast subcontinent were an adventure of packed carriages, hot chai sellers at every stop, and landscapes that seemed to go on forever.