The Nehru Papers: When an MP wrote to Nehru to ‘stop bholi-bhali Indu’s election as Cong chief’

They comprise notes,letters,accounts of conversations and even of open press conferences,revealing more than just Nehru’s oeuvre. Mirroring a big debate of the times is an exchange of letters between an important Congress MP and Nehru on the latter’s position on his daughter getting elected Congress president.

Dehradun MP Mahavir Tyagi writes to prime minister Nehru just before Indira Gandhi’s election and just after the Nagpur congress when her name was first proposed. He urges Nehru,in eloquent Hindi,to be wary of “charan chumbaks” or courtiers. “Just as in the days of the Mughals,ministers would play with the Nawab’s children,today you are being worshipped,your worshippers have put up bholi-bhali Indu’s name for the post of the Congress president. And perhaps you have accepted it without blinking an eye.” Quoting “critical Congressmen” he has met,he adds,“Please don’t be under the misapprehension that this lining up of supporters for the proposal to put up Indu’s name is entirely due to the force of her personality. It is being done hundred per cent to please you.”

Tyagi writes that with most eminent Congressmen elected MLAs and MPs,only “four-anna ordinary members are left in the Congress cadres… how is poor Indu going to hold up this weakened frame?” He expresses fears that with the Congress having decided to adopt socialist ideas in the Nagpur congress,it would have to take on many vested interests and face challenges Indira would not be able to take on.

“You should stop the election of Indu as president of the Congress. Or you should give up the post of PM and through Indu strengthen the Congress organisation,” he suggests. He adds the “Congress parliamentary party,which is suppressed due to your weighty presence to discuss any issue independently,will get energised by your going out”.

He ends by saying he has spent a sleepless fortnight for not having written this letter,and will sleep now. “May God bless you with long life. I for one cannot last long in this atmosphere.”

Nehru replies almost immediately,also in Hindi. “It is obvious that it would be difficult to express any sensible opinion about myself. Nobody can be objective about oneself… It is possible I get taken in by people and they often don’t speak to me openly. But it may not be right for you to say that I am surrounded by courtiers. I have never had a court and nor do I like such ways.”

Nehru describes how he first heard of Indira’s name being proposed for the presidency “on the last day of the Nagpur congress… It was put to me that evening,not to me personally,but it was said in a committee,where leaders from various states were present. I kept quiet initially and listened to others. Then I expressed my views and outlined all the aspects. I even said that this will be neither good for Indu nor fair to me for her name to be proposed.” Nehru discloses how he saw “some advantages in her being elected,especially after the decision taken at the Nagpur congress when a breath of fresh air is needed. I did not feel that I should interfere… I knew that would upset Indira.” He sees benefits to her being elected with the “dangers being obvious too”.

Nehru describes how Indira,after an hour of the proposal being put to her,went and told the leaders she couldn’t accept,and how,on being pressured,“ultimately,she agreed”.

On Tyagi’s suggestion that Nehru’s leaving would allow the Congress parliamentary party to discuss things freely,he writes,“What can I say about that? I want them to speak openly and I want to express my views. I want everyone to speak freely about the issues before us at the moment. I have often tried to elicit the opinions of our comrades and members. Do I not have the right to express my views openly too?”

The last paragraph addresses the despondency in Tyagi’s letter. “We are faced with difficult challenges. But in my opinion,the future of India looks good. I am not scared.”

The day after this letter,on February 2,1959,Indira was declared elected,after S Nijlingappa withdrew from the race and Kumbha Ram Arya’s nomination was found invalid.