The Great Reunion of the Gandhi Scions – the undivided family
In he Great Reunion of the Gandhi Scions, A Tsunami in Indian politics would befall. Let us recall the Indira Gandhi era. She was in her formative years of her Prime Ministership when she took over the charge on the sudden demise of Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1966.
At home, Indira Gandhi had a typical Indian joint family system. A merry-go-round family initially. A joint family is subject to skirmishes, a phenomenon reminiscent to human race.
In 1965, Rajiv Gandhi met Sonia Maino, an Italian born girl at the Cambridge University Restaurant working as a part-time waitress, while she was studying for English language at the Bell Educational Trust’s language School in London. She had desired to become an airhostess.
Rajiv Gandhi was getting enrolled for an engineering degree in the Trinity College, University of Cambridge. Their acquaintance led to their marriage in 1968. She started living with her mother-in-law Indira Gandhi in New Delhi since then.
Sonia Gandhi was a lovable daughter-in-law of Indira Gandhi. She soon became her favourite helping Indira Gandhi in her kitchen chores and other domestic duties.
The Great Reunion of the Gandhi Scions: Maneka’s Entry
One of actors of the Great Reunion of the Gandhi Scions, Sanjay Gandhi was Indira Gandhi’s choice to help her in the political arena and he was her prodigal son. Sanjay and Maneka connected to each other during Maneka’s cousin’s wedding in 1973, The cousin was Sanjay’s classmate.
After four months, Sanjay Gandhi made drcided to introduce Maneka to his mother Indira Gandhi.
Maneka studied in Lady Shri Ram College and was Miss Lady Shri Ram once.
After a brief period of romantic sojourn, Sanjay and Maneka got engaged in a private ceremony on July 29, 1974 at the Prime Minister’s residence. They got married on September 23, 1974.
The Great Reunion of the Gandhi Scions – Role of Lt. Col. T.S. Anand
The actor of the Great Reunion and his maternal Grand Father Lt. Col. T.S. Anand, that is, father of Maneka was an Army Officer. It was stated that he had been associated with the CIA, the American Spy Agency.
He was alleged to have had intimate friendship with some top CIA operatives in India.
He served in the office of the Cabinet Secretariat for some time. He continued his relationship even after he quit the government services, and he had been doing liaison with some top manufacturing units.
At the time of his murder, on June, 4, 1977, he was a consultant to Demag of West Germany and Maruti Company, floated by Sanjay Gandhi.
His death was a mystery, never unfolded. His murder was linked to his dubious life and notorious contacts he had had. He was shot on his head in his form house.
The Great Reunion of the Gandhi Scions – Sonia Gandhi and Maneka Gandhi meddlesome manoeuvrers.
The Great Reunion of the Gandhi Scions happened after the showdown of Sonia Gandhi and Maneka Gandhi.
Sonia exhibited no lenience towards politics and politicking. Sonia perceived Maneka’s potential threat to her life. Her efforts to enter politics did not go well with Sonia.
Maneka had the support of Sanjay Gandhi’s friend, Akbar Ahmad ‘Dumpy’. The Anand family also wanted Indira to draft Maneka in politics.
Sanjay’s death on 23 June, 1980 had changed everything. Indira was heartbroken.
Sonia opposed Maneka’s attempt to fill in the gap her husband had left.
Sonia did not want Rajiv to become a political person. She viewed Maneka as an unpredictable and ambitious person. Rajiv was in no mood to oblige his mother, but he agreed to be with her mother. It was a rude shock to Maneka.
Sonia may have played her cards to block Maneka’s entry into politics, but she was equally opposed to Rajiv stepping into Sanjay’s shoes.
At one juncture, it was in the news that she even threatened to walk out of Rajiv’s life if he were to be drafted into politics. But for Indira Gandhi, Sonia gave in.
The Great Reunion of the Gandhi Scions- Manaka’s expulsion
Maneka had been working round the clock to float the Sanjay Vichar Manch, a quasi-political outfit.
Maneka played her role well, dictating the timing of her move, when Indira Gandhi was in London with Sonia, while Rajiv was busy learning the knacks of politics and governance from a select band of academicians, bureaucrats and technocrats.
Indira Gandhi returned from London on the morning of 28 March 1982 ordered Maneka to leave her residence if he wants to continue with Sanjay Vichar Manch activities from her house. Indira Gandhi told her to leave. She left the house sobbing without any belongings
Manaka’s Political permutations and overtures.
Maneka Gandhi contested 1984 general election for the Lok Sabha from Amethi constituency from Uttar Pradesh against Rajiv Gandhi which she lost. In 1988, she joined V. P. Singh’s Janata Dal Party and became the General Secretary. In the 1989 General Election, Gandhi won from Pilibhit, and became a Minister of State for Environment.
In 1999 Elections, Maneka, won as an independent from Pilibhit and became a Minister in the National Democratic Alliance government headed by Atal Behari Vajpayee.
Later when she was appointed a Minister for Culture, Maneka ordered a probe into the alleged financial irregularities in some of these Trusts Sonia Gandhi was involved and questioned the Trust Deed of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts.
To Maneka’s dismay, she was taken out of the Ministry of Culture and moved to the Department of Statistics. Maneka held Sonia responsible for her movement.
Varun Gandhi – A Scholastic Politician and Political entry.
The actor of the great Reunion, Varun Gandhi, Maneka Gandhi’s son, a two-time Lok Sabha Member from Pilibhit and a one-time Member from Sultanpur. A Poet, a Columnist and Writer and controversial politician due to his fierce remarks on Indian Muslims. He was the youngest General Secretary of Bhartiya Janata Party.
Of late, he subdued himself from making any hate speeches. Varun Gandhi openly came out in support of the 2011 anti-graft movement of Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal.
Varun Gandhi took on his cousin and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after the latter tore down an Ordinance while the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was abroad.
The Ordinance was seen as the law shielding corrupt politicians. The support to the anti-graft movement and attack on Rahul Gandhi helped him rise in popular perception and the BJP.
In 2013, Varun Gandhi was reported as the only Lok Sabha MP to have utilised the total fund available under the MPLAD scheme. In May 2013, Varun Gandhi was made in-charge of West Bengal affairs.
In May 2013, while the BJP was still debating its prime ministerial candidate and Narendra Modi was emerging as the strongest contender, Varun Gandhi compared Rajnath Singh with former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at a public rally in Uttar Pradesh.
With Rajnath Singh present on the stage, Varun Gandhi practically endorsed Rajnath Singh as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate.
Modi thinks that he may create trouble for him any time. So, he is keeping him away.
Varun Gandhi’s outbursts on the Bhartiya Janata Party
The actor of the Great Reunion, Varun Gandhi outbursts anchored since the moment Narendra Modi started slanting him and his Mother Maneka Gandhi when they both had been found niched to the ornament of eliminations by Narendra Modi.
Her mother was unceremoniously dumped from the Union Cabinet. To date, she has not been found favour in any capacity.
Varun Gandhi faces an uncertain future in the party. He was front runner for Chief Minister in 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, but fell out of favour of the BJP.
His ouster from the 80-member BJP national executive was linked to his Twitter (now X) posts calling for fixing accountability and bringing the culprits to justice in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. Eight people, including four farmers, lost their lives in the incident in which vehicles linked to Union minister Ajay Misra Teni, rammed a crowd of protesting farmers.
Varun Gandhi’s lime light, arrest, jail and bail
One of the actors of the Great Reunion, Varun Gandhi attracted political limelight in March 2009 at a public rally in a Pilibhit village. His speech led to two cases against him for making controversial statements aimed at disturbing communal harmony.
Varun Gandhi surrendered before a court and was sent to judicial custody. The then Mayawati government of Uttar Pradesh booked Varun Gandhi under the National Security Act. He was shifted to Etah jail.
He got relief from the Supreme Court, which in May 2009 ordered the Mayawati government to drop the NSA charge against Varun Gandhi. He got bail after spending 19 days in jail.
In between, Varun Gandhi was acquitted in the cases relating to alleged inflammatory speeches.
Again, in February 2014, while an election rally addressed by Narendra Modi in Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Grounds, Varun Gandhi questioned the quantum of huge crowd which irked Narendra Modi.
In August 2014 Varun Gandh was removed as BJP General Secretary and the charge of West Bengal affairs when Amit Shah became the President.
During the 2016 National Executive of Bhartiya Janata Party held in Prayagraj, his supporters organised a show of strength to project Varun Gandhi as the Chief Ministerial candidate in the 2017 UP Assembly election. This did not go down well with the BJP and the Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
He stayed on the National Executive throughout Amit Shah’s tenure as the BJP President. He lost the seat in the BJP’s highest decision-making body as JP Nadda reconstituted the National Executive.
After spending 17 years in the BJP, Varun Gandhi, finds himself on the sidelines of the party which once saw a rising star in him.
The Great Reunion of the Gandhi Scions- the Meet, the truce and the ice broken in the abode of Kedarnath.
The other actor of the Great Reunion, Rahul Gandhi appeared in Kedarnath shrine, the abode of lord Baba Kedar, Uttarakhand on Sunday, the 5th November, 2023. On Monday, he arranged a ‘bhandara’ for devotees.
He also paid his obeisance before the grand statue of Adi Shankaracharya and the Bheem sculpture.
A calm of storm that engulfed the eye-brow was Rahul Gandhi’s rapturous rendezvous with his estranged cousin, Varun Gandhi and his family on 7th November, 2023.
It was a family union, though it might unfold a far-reaching consequence on the Indian political fabric. His baiters could be aghast at the mega meet.
Respected Ajayendra Ajay, President, Temple Committee, Kedarnath Shrine, made it happen in the premises of the temple.
The Great Reunion of the Gandhi Scions – the tsunami that might be fall on Narendra Modi
The home coming of the family, if visualised, the following untoward outcomes would unfurl:
- The Gandhi family bonds flourish and firm.
- Rahul Gandhi gets a helping hand and would feel relieved from the heavy responsibility of the Party, he is burdened with.
- If Varun Gandhi joins Congress, the Congress would be concretised from the dwindling prospects of Uttar Pradesh.
- The desperate Narendra Modi would be shattered into rubble
The Great Reunion of the Gandhi Scions – what ought to be done to Varun Gandhi by the Congress
- Make him General Secretary of the Congress Party and In-charge of Uttar Pradesh
- Varun Gandhi could undertake a UP Jodi Yatra and fathom the entire Uttar Pradesh immediately.
- Varun Gandhi could try for a grand alliance with Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav and Jayant Chowdhary.
- Varun Gandhi could thwart the over confidence of the Yogi-Modi-Shah troika in the Uttar Pradesh permanently and get rid of their mesmerisms and mannerisms to make Uttar Pradesh free from communal catastrophe and harmonise brotherhood that has been lost in their political imbroglio.
- Death knell to Narendra Modi dream of 100 years of BJP rule and become a Global leader.
- If Varun Gandhi could harvest the political harvest of Uttar Pradesh, it would be a death knell to Narendra Modi scope of things when he thinks of Congress-free India, rewriting of the Constitution of India, which would declare India as a Hindu State and enable Narendra Modi to ascend permanently, to the seat of the President of the United States of Bharat.
The following far reaching changes could be fall on the people of India, if Narendra Modi would be Prime Minister again
- Narendra Modi would rename New Delhi as Maha Indraprasth.
- He would change all the existing Muslims names of Cities, Places, Monuments, Forts in the country.
- He would declare the RSS as a wing of the Government the United States of Bharat.
- He may declare Muslims as non-persona grata and abolish their voting rights.
- He would hand over all businesses, commerce. Industry and Agriculture to Adani and Ambani.
- One day he and his cronies would travel to the Moon and leave the Indian people to moan.
