Indira and Himachal: Why Priyanka played the legacy card at Solan rally

“Indira Gandhi wanted her ashes to be placed in the Himalayas as well. When you look around the snow-clad peaks, you will realise that Indira Gandhi is also a part of it,” Priyanka Gandhi said as loud applause echoed across the stadium in response.

A file photo of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during a rally at the Ridge, Shimla. (Express Archive)

The Congress leader went on to mention a particular speech her grandmother had given amid bad weather. Such was the effect of the speech that people did not leave the ground until she finished speaking. This anecdote led to another round of clapping and cheering.

This was Indira Gandhi’s iconic public address on January 25, 1971, at Shimla Ridge. On December 18, 1970, Parliament passed the State of Himachal Pradesh Act and the new state, then the Union of India’s 18th, came into being the day Gandhi arrived in Shimla. The hill state’s first Chief Minister, YS Parmar, accompanied the prime minister.

As Indira was speaking, it began to snow and there was not enough cover to shield the large crowd. Priyanka Gandhi recalled, “Neither did Indira Gandhi budge, nor the people.” The prime minister then walked the Ridge, waving and greeting people, and the visit was hailed as historic.

Priyanka Gandhi went on to say that her family’s connection to Himachal prompted her to build a house in Mashobra.

The mention of Indira Gandhi has an important political context. In Himachal specifically, her legacy is crucial for the Congress. Since the time Himachal Pradesh became a province post-Independence, the Congress has had more terms in power in the hill state than the BJP. The trend only changed in the 1980s following which no party has been able to repeat its victory.

YS Parmar was known for carrying out several developmental projects and laying the party’s foundation. Six-time CM Virbhadra Singh, fondly remembered as “Raja Sahab”, is popular for setting a base for quality educational institutions and infrastructure. The Congress has time and again slammed the BJP for appropriating the work carried out during its tenure.

Indira Gandhi had a long-standing association with the state. Indira was a patron of Russian painter and thinker Nicholas Roerich, settled in Kullu, and also visited his estate like her father Jawaharlal Nehru did. The largest government hospital in Shimla is named after Gandhi.

The most important aspect of the association, as mentioned by Priyanka, is the credit Indira is given for respecting Himachali culture and granting statehood. At a time the Congress state unit is dealing with internal squabbles and divisions, mentioning the party’s past and Indira’s achievements is important timing.

“We do not look at Priyanka Gandhi as an outsider. She has a home here and it was the Congress that gave us our state in the real sense. Virbhadra Singh worked very hard for the state and built it. The Himachalis have respect for the  Gandhi family. Factors like price rise and unemployment have only made us go back to our roots,” said Om Prakash Sharma who travelled from Paonta Sahib, nearly four hours away, to listen to the Congress leader.

With Rahul Gandhi unlikely to visit the state due to the ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra, Priyanka will address multiple rallies in the run-up to the elections on November 12. While the BJP is heavily relying on the Narendra Modi factor for its campaign, it appears that the Congress will be looking to invoke the legacy card in campaigning in the days to come.