A doting grandmother, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is said to have always looked forward to spending time with her grandchildren at the end of her work day. Her favourite, it is said, was Rahul, the first-born of her grandchildren.
An exhibition of rare photographs of the former Prime Minister, unveiled on November 19 on the occasion of her birth centenary at the Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum in New Delhi, her official residence for many years, includes several pictures of the time she spent with the families of her two sons, Rajiv and Sanjay. There are pictures of Indira together with Rahul and Priyanka, as also Varun.
Rahul was at the function along with mother Sonia. He paid floral tributes to his grandmother and went around the exhibition, which included over 300 photographs of the late Prime Minister, more than 80 per cent of them previously unseen. He paused to see the pictures of Indira, where she looks dotingly at Rahul and Priyanka who are seated on her lap, or is taking a walk with them in the lawns of the sprawling One, Safdarjung Road residence of the former PM.
On the occasion of Indira's birthday, Rahul tweeted an emotional message: “I remember you Dadi with so much love and happiness. You are my mentor and guide. You give me strength.”
Family old-timers recall how Rahul, just a little bigger than a toddler, would run out to the porch to wave bye to Indira as she left for work, and would turn around to say, “Dadi gayi.” The children would be at the door to receive her when she came back from office.
In what would appear as apt timing for the announcement of the schedule for election of the Congress President, it was done a day after the birth centenary of Indira. There had been much speculation earlier on whether Rahul would take over as party chief on Indira's birthday.
Indira left a strong imprint on Rahul during his growing up years, and her assassination had shattered him. He has spoken about the difficulty of coming to terms with Indira's bodyguards, who he used to play badminton with, killing her. While comparisons between Rahul and his father, former Prime Miniser Rajiv Gandhi, are natural, those close to him say he is more in the mould of his grandmother. He is strong-willed and ready to stick his head out for what he believes in.
Rahul Gandhi paying floral tributes to Indira Gandhi on her 100th birth anniversary at Shakti Sthal in New Delhi | PTI
Priyanka, in a TV interview some years back, spoke about how Rahul is more like her grandmother even as she has been compared to Indira quite often. “But she had this bond with him. And she taught him and spent a lot of time with him, talking to him. Even the morning that she passed away. And I think that Rahul has imbibed a lot of that,” she said.
The day the results of the Lok Sabha polls in 2009 were declared, and the Congress was quick to attribute the victory to Rahul, he quietly visited Indira's samadhi at Shakti Sthal alone, and sat there with his eyes closed.
As he formally takes charge of the Congress, he has big shoes to fill in, which before him have been occupied by Indira.
