When a crowd out to see Nehru in Singapore knocked over Edwina

During Jawaharlal Nehru's visit to Singapore in 1946, several people had gathered outside a community centre to welcome him and in a melee that broke out when they tried to have a glimpse of him, Edwina Mountbatten, who was also waiting there, was knocked over.

As a leading member of the Congress, Nehru was invited to Singapore mid-March to meet Indian troops and study the conditions of the large Indian community in Malaya.

The British authorities were not keen on allowing Nehru meet the Indian troops, fearing trouble. But Louis Mountbatten, who was associated with the South East Asia Command (SEAC) there, insisted that Nehru be obliged.

This anecdote is from a new book The Mountbattens: Their Lives and Loves by Andrew Lownie.

Mountbatten recognised that he (Nehru) might well be India's first Prime Minister and if he was not treated well that British actions would only further ferment anti-British feelings, the book, published by HarperCollins India, says.

Mountbatten insisted that he