(
Ashok Malik is a columnist and writer living in Delhi.)
In March 1990, Namibia became independent. It was an emotional moment for not just the country formerly known as Southwest Africa but for the entire African continent. For about 100 years, Namibia had been ruled by German imperialists and then South Africa's whites-only regime. Its liberation indicated the final chapter of colonialism was coming to a close. Now only South Africa's apartheid government remained and it too was starting to give way.
Independence Day in Namibia was a big party, with many world leaders and friends of the liberation movement invited. V.P. Singh had been India's prime minister for only three months and the trip to Namibia was his first visit abroad after assuming office. Given the history of India's support to Africa's anti-apartheid struggle, Singh did something unusual. He invited leaders of several parties, including opposition parties, to travel on his plane to Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. A prime ministerial delegation now became an all-party, all-Indian delegation for what was patently a non-controversial visit.
Rajiv Gandhi was then leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha. He had only recently ceased to be prime minister and the trappings of power had not left him. He snubbed the new prime minister and refused to be a guest on the plane. Instead he travelled independently and made a parallel visit. His confidants and assistants explained Rajiv was not just a former prime minister, he was a "world leader" and an "international statesman". As such, his stature was much greater than that of Singh and he had an independent identity to protect, an identity that couldn't be compromised by travelling in a delegation led by some other person who happened to be India's prime minister.
Times change, vanity doesn't. That story from 1990 is worth recalling since the Congress has decided to organise an autonomous international celebration of the 125th anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru's birth and purposely not invited the Indian prime minister to the conference being hosted for the purpose. "We have not given any invitation to the prime minister," Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma is quoted as having said, "we have invited all those who truly believe in democracy and the ideals of Nehru." This is in line with Sheila Dikshit, former Delhi chief minister, telling NDTV that "only the Congress can appropriate Nehru".
There are two points here. First, is Nehru the sole property and the monopoly of the Congress and the Nehru-Gandhi family - or is his legacy for every Indian? Between the 1920s and the mid-1960s - between the arrival of Mahatma Gandhi and the arrival of Indira Gandhi - the Congress was not merely a political faction; it was the great river, the Ma Ganga, of Indian politics, repository of diverse streams and thoughts. Congress leaders of that era are among the founding parents of modern India. They are for every Indian to appropriate. In contrast, the Congress after Indira Gandhi took over is a more contested entity, in a much more competitive political environment.
Second, even his most bitter critics will acknowledge Nehru was a stickler for procedure, protocol and propriety. He would have been aghast at his grandson (in 1990) and his grand-daughter-in-law (in 2014) mocking an elected prime minister from another political party or tradition.
Consider a hypothetical example. In the mid-1950s, C. Rajagopalachari, Rajaji, as he was known, left the Congress and set up his own party. This later merged into the right-of-centre Swatantra Party. Imagine for a moment that Rajaji'sparty had won the general election of 1957 and Nehru had become leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha. Can one contemplate Nehru showing anything but the highest courtesy and respect for the elected prime minister, and willingly deferring to him in protocol?
The Congress of today will counter that by arguing Modi is no Rajaji. Yes, he is not. Even so, Rahul and Sonia Gandhi are not Nehru either. Indeed, in seeking to insult the prime minister of the day, they are insulting Nehru and the legacy and institutional structures the great man worked so hard to build.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. NDTV is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.