How Sonia Gandhi kept Maneka from entering politics after Sanjay’s death

File photo of Sonia Gandhi | PTI

Sources close to Sonia said she felt Maneka Gandhi’s inexperience and haughty behaviour would become a liability for Indira Gandhi.

Sonia and Rajiv were away in Italy when Sanjay died in an air crash while practising loops in his Pitts S-2A aircraft over Safdarjung Airport on 23 June 1980. A chartered aircraft was sent to Rome to fetch them. On the way, it picked up Maneka’s mother, Amteshwar, sister Ambika, Congress leader V.C. Shukla and industrialist Swraj Paul from London. Shukla and Paul kept telling Amteshwar that she should try to keep the two families together and rally round Rajiv. Amteshwar was too grieved to apply her mind to this aspect. However, within days the Anand family, which had risen from being a decisively middle-class army family to one with political clout during the Sanjay era, was once again viewed with suspicion and distrust. A section of Congress leaders who had suffered during the Sanjay era began a campaign saying that the Anand family wanted Indira to draft Maneka in politics.

The whisper campaign had its impact. In any case, Sanjay’s death had changed everything. Indira was a broken person. Sometimes she would hold herself responsible for Sanjay’s death; sometimes she would blame the young widow. In her wavering mood, she began putting pressure on Rajiv to give up flying completely, fearing for his life. Rajiv was in no mood to oblige his mother, but he agreed to take leave to be at her side. Word was soon out that Rajiv would emerge as Sanjay’s successor. It came as a rude shock to Maneka, as Indira had promised to make her her personal secretary. Maneka wondered how Indira could draft a political novice like Rajiv. After all, on numerous occasions Indira herself had described Rajiv as an apolitical person.

Indira’s close circle, ranging from Pupul Jayakar, Dhirendra Brahmachari and R.K. Dhawan to writer Khushwant Singh, was sharply divided on the issue of Sanjay’s successor. Some media persons who had easy access to Indira and Maneka’s family began lobbying for a political role for Maneka. Indira was undecided. Sonia opposed Maneka’s entry. Although she was not keen for Rajiv to become a political player, she viewed Maneka as an unpredictable and ambitious person. According to Pupul Jayakar, ‘At first Indira understood Maneka’s despair. She was anxious to find something that would occupy Maneka’s time and in a compassionate gesture to the young widow, suggested to Maneka to become her secretary and travel with her. This upset Sonia. Letters were exchanged between Sonia and Indira, and Indira, realizing the need for Rajiv and family, withdrew the offer.

Sonia may have blocked Maneka’s entry in politics, but she was equally opposed to Rajiv stepping into Sanjay’s shoes. At one juncture, she even threatened to walk out of his life if he were to join politics. Sonia recalls that she ‘fought like a tigress’ for the sake of Rajiv and the children but most of all for ‘our freedom—that simple human right that we had so carefully and consistently preserved.

Sonia, however, slowly gave in, realizing that both Rajiv and Indira needed each other in the political arena. ‘I understood Rajiv’s duty to her. At the same time, I was angry and resentful towards a system, which, as I saw it, demanded him as a sacrificial lamb. It would crush and destroy him—of that I was absolutely certain.’ For Rajiv, his decision was reminiscent of his mother explaining why she had to become housekeeper to Jawaharlal Nehru: ‘It was not really a choice . . . there was nobody else to do that. I felt that there was a void and I could not see anyone else filling it; there was in a sense an inevitability about it.’

Sonia has never clarified why she vehemently opposed Maneka’s entry into politics. Sources close to Sonia said she felt Maneka’s inexperience and haughty behaviour would become a liability for Indira. Sonia was also said to be extremely wary of the Anand family, particularly of Amteshwar Anand.

The exit of Maneka from the Indira household witnessed many turns and twists, an ideal script for any saas-bahu serial. Indira’s so-called perfect bahu, who cooked food, bought groceries, helped Indira choose the right sarees, raised children and showed no inclination towards politics and politicking, strangely made no attempt to be a peacemaker. Some of Sonia’s friends said that her conduct must also be seen in a human context. After all, she too was a bahu and had to protect her turf. Her assessment of Maneka’s potential threat and personal bias may have prevented her from acting decisively.

Excerpted from Sonia: A Biography (Penguin India 2003), with due permission from the author, Rasheed Kidwai.