Why did Jawaharlal Nehru offer Indian citizenship to Julius Robert Oppenheimer?
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru extended an offer of Indian citizenship to Julius Robert Oppenheimer, known as the father of the atomic bomb, following his public humiliation in 1954 due to statements against nuclear weapons.
This revelation comes from Kai Bird, co-author of the book "American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer," which served as inspiration for Christopher Nolan's movie about the American quantum physicist.
In a Hindustan Times interview, Kai Bird stated, "After he [Oppenheimer] was humiliated in 1954... Nehru offered him to come to India and become a citizen... But I do not think Oppenheimer considered it [the offer] seriously because he was a deeply patriotic American."
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The film "Oppenheimer," directed by Christopher Nolan, draws its narrative from the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, and takes inspiration from the book "American Prometheus" published in 2005 by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin.
The movie boasts a star-studded cast including Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, and Florence Pugh.
In the same interview, Bird shared that Oppenheimer believed the creation of the atomic bomb was necessary, as he feared the ascent of fascism.
