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In Mad about Sanjay, mad at his son: The Indian Express
New Delhi, Feb 21: Khushwant Singh, the unabashed admirer of Sanjay Gandhi and one-time mentor of Maneka Gandhi, is aghast that their son Varun Gandhi has chosen to join the BJP.
New Delhi, Feb 21: Khushwant Singh, the unabashed admirer of Sanjay Gandhi and one-time mentor of Maneka Gandhi, is aghast that their son Varun Gandhi has chosen to join the BJP.
‘‘His father, grandmother, and great-grandfather must be turning in their graves,’’ Khushwant Singh said, alluding to the fact that the Nehru-Gandhi secular tradition stands diametrically opposed to the RSS-BJP worldview.
Khushwant Singh gained a fair measure of notoriety for backing Sanjay Gandhi —who he has since described as a "loveable little goonda"—during the Emergency. Even after the Emergency was lifted and Indira Gandhi trounced at the hustings, Singh did not retract his support. It only got more pronounced when Indira Gandhi—and Sanjay—returned to power in 1980.
When Sanjay was killed in an air crash on June 23, 1980, Singh was devastated. In an article at that time, he wrote, ‘‘The years of abuse and vilification were behind him; he had more than avenged his defeat at Amethi; he had nearly a hundred handpicked members of Parliament and most of the major states of India in his pocket; all the cases instituted against him had either been quashed or withdrawn; the country had reconciled itself to the idea that after Indira it would be Sanjay. India and the world was his oyster. Why did he have to go about courting danger, when he should have been preparing himself for a royal anointing? Why, why, why?’’
Varun, he admits, is not quite in the same category. With his mother having walked out of 1. Safdarjang Road all those years ago, Varun is not exactly the heir apparent to take over the Nehru-Gandhi legacy.
But why join the BJP? ‘‘It is opportunism in the crassest form,’’ insists Singh, and displays a "complete lack of political morality."
Part of that anger and anguish comes from the fact that though Singh fell out with Maneka Gandhi, he took quite a shine to the young boy when Varun came to see him after publishing his book of poetry. ‘‘He came across as a gifted young man,’’ Singh recalls, adding, ‘‘I cannot believe that a young man who looks civilised would accept the agenda of the BJP.’’
Singh is not the only one who feels that Varun was "too much in a hurry" to join politics and should have waited for a while before taking the plunge. By joining the BJP, he has said goodbye to his "legacy" that may have stood him in good stead if he were to join the Congress sometime in the future.
Significantly, however, no Congressman has criticised the move. Taking a cue from Sonia Gandhi’s gracious "I wish him luck" stance, the Congress has decided to ignore the issue. When contacted, Ambika Soni—who worked closely with Sanjay Gandhi during the Emergency—said she had no comment to offer on the "personal choice" that "individuals make." Joining a party depended on "one’s own beliefs and convictions" and if young Varun felt BJP was the right platform, the Congress had nothing to say on the matter.
One reason Congressmen, including erstwhile Sanjay cronies, prefer to keep silent on the "legacy" issue is their desire not to displease party chief Sonia Gandhi. With Varun joining the BJP, Sonia Gandhi and her two children can now be sole claimants to the best-known—if not-so-shining—brand name in Indian politics.
Khushwant Singh gained a fair measure of notoriety for backing Sanjay Gandhi —who he has since described as a "loveable little goonda"—during the Emergency. Even after the Emergency was lifted and Indira Gandhi trounced at the hustings, Singh did not retract his support. It only got more pronounced when Indira Gandhi—and Sanjay—returned to power in 1980.
When Sanjay was killed in an air crash on June 23, 1980, Singh was devastated. In an article at that time, he wrote, ‘‘The years of abuse and vilification were behind him; he had more than avenged his defeat at Amethi; he had nearly a hundred handpicked members of Parliament and most of the major states of India in his pocket; all the cases instituted against him had either been quashed or withdrawn; the country had reconciled itself to the idea that after Indira it would be Sanjay. India and the world was his oyster. Why did he have to go about courting danger, when he should have been preparing himself for a royal anointing? Why, why, why?’’
Varun, he admits, is not quite in the same category. With his mother having walked out of 1. Safdarjang Road all those years ago, Varun is not exactly the heir apparent to take over the Nehru-Gandhi legacy.
But why join the BJP? ‘‘It is opportunism in the crassest form,’’ insists Singh, and displays a "complete lack of political morality."
Part of that anger and anguish comes from the fact that though Singh fell out with Maneka Gandhi, he took quite a shine to the young boy when Varun came to see him after publishing his book of poetry. ‘‘He came across as a gifted young man,’’ Singh recalls, adding, ‘‘I cannot believe that a young man who looks civilised would accept the agenda of the BJP.’’
Singh is not the only one who feels that Varun was "too much in a hurry" to join politics and should have waited for a while before taking the plunge. By joining the BJP, he has said goodbye to his "legacy" that may have stood him in good stead if he were to join the Congress sometime in the future.
Significantly, however, no Congressman has criticised the move. Taking a cue from Sonia Gandhi’s gracious "I wish him luck" stance, the Congress has decided to ignore the issue. When contacted, Ambika Soni—who worked closely with Sanjay Gandhi during the Emergency—said she had no comment to offer on the "personal choice" that "individuals make." Joining a party depended on "one’s own beliefs and convictions" and if young Varun felt BJP was the right platform, the Congress had nothing to say on the matter.
One reason Congressmen, including erstwhile Sanjay cronies, prefer to keep silent on the "legacy" issue is their desire not to displease party chief Sonia Gandhi. With Varun joining the BJP, Sonia Gandhi and her two children can now be sole claimants to the best-known—if not-so-shining—brand name in Indian politics.