‘LIFE HAS NOT BEEN THE SAME AFTER SANJAY’S DEATH’

“Life Has Not Been The Same After Sanjay’s Death’ Maneka Gandhi, the young widow had to face political bickering, numerous court cases and also quarrels with her famous-in-laws. On the eighth death anniversary of Sanjay Gandhi, which falls on June 23, ANJANA DATTA talks to Maneka on her political aspirations, the Janata Party and the future of her son.

Once she was a well-known model. Later, she hit the headlines by marrying one of the most eligible bachelors of his time, Sanjay Gandhi, son of the then Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi. Her marriage to Sanjay brought her into the glare of publicity; he was emerging as one of the top men in politics. But those happy days were soon to come to an end. The sudden death of Danjay Gandhi was not merely a tragedy for her, it also had far-reaching repercussions of national importance, for he was being projected by some as the future Prime Minister of India. Sanjay’s death became the turning- point in Maneka’s life, her perspective and ambitions also changed.

Life, since Sanjay’s death, has not been smooth sailing for her. She has faced troubles on several fronts. Her increasingly strained relations with her famous-in-laws, political bickering and numerous court cases have left their mark. Any other person in her place would have been shattered and given up long ago. But not Maneka. The steel within her would not allow her to be beaten by circumstances. For a determined person like her, the ill-feelings and sorrows of the past are specks of dust to be brushed away. Her relentless fight against heavy odds proves that setbacks can never dishearten her.Though of late she has been less in the news and is seen less often in the public, she is moving through life with the imposing certitude of one to whom concealment is impossible in her public or private life. She still has her old charm.

She is as well-known to the public in her formal moments as in her public appearances. Her critics remark that that she is a spent force and has left the battlefield. Her active days in politics, when she was the President of the Sanjay Vichar Manch, are a thing of the past. But recently, Maneka silenced all her detractors. She jumped into the fray by joing the bandwagon of the opposition parties.In a recent interview given to this writer at her residence in New Delhi, Maneka Gandhi refutes these charges and explains why she has merged her party Sanjay Vichar Manch with the Janta Party. She also pays homage to her late husband, whose eighth death anniversary falls on June 23, 1988.

“I decided to join the Janta Party because it is time for all parties to come together. We have to present an alternative to the Congress Party,” says Maneka, whose party, Sanjay Vichar Manch, along with other three opposition parties, recently merged with the Janta Party. She thinks the Government must be kept on its toes and for this a united opposition is very essential. A strong opposition, she argues, would be a major factor leading tom a better state of affairs. Has her party come to some understanding with the other opposition parties about distribution of party tickets during elections?

“There is no question of understanding. It is no bania ki dukan where tickets can be traded. Whosoever is competent, will be given the party ticket”, she admits that discussions are going on with other opposition parties to join the Janata Party because the opposition should emerge stronger to meet the challenge the country is facing at present.

She seems quite confident that the Janata Party is the only alternative to the Congress and dismisses the question of the Janata Party meeting its previous fate as not worth considering. She also rules out the possibility of personality clashes in the party as had happened earlier. What about her own political aspirations? Would she like to contest from Amethi “I have not made up my mind as yrt,” she says non-commitally.

Commenting on the Punjab problem, she describes the situation there as grave. “It cannot be solved by adopting a policy of life for life”, she remarks.

Understanding the depth of the feelings of the people, she points out, “It could have been resolved by the accord. But the Prime Minister broke his word in the treaty. So it became a question of loss of faith. People have lost faith in the government. The situation can still be improved by restoring the faith of the people. First, the government has to take action against those guilty of the 1984 riots. The government should start rehabilitating the victims of violence in the country from 1984 onwards. Then it should sit down and talk to people to find out what their grievances are and how best they can be solved.”

Brushing aside the Government’s reluctance to talk with the militants, she quips, “If the government is prepared to talk to Subhash Gheising of the GNLF, why not with the militants?”

Maneka Gandhi lashes out against the government as well as the Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Trust for not doing anything to commemorate the late Sanjay Gandhi. Every year, on his death anniversary, wreaths are laid on his samadhi and meetings held, but nothing worthwhile is being done in his memory. “I do not think the Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Trust really functions at all for it has not done anything for him so far,” she avers. She resents the government’s attitude for not implementing his five-point programme sincerely. “The five-point programme of Sanjay was meant for the betterment of the country. But the government is not doing anything seriously, so why should take up his programme? she asks caustically.

The years after Sanjay’s death have mellowed her. Even during the course of the interview, she laughed less often and less easily. No one who come close to her can fail to notice the hurt in her eyes and in her bearing. Emotions are not alien to her, but her mind remains clear. Without giving way to the exaggerated manifestations of her feelings and emotions, she makes it clear that her only desire has been to do nothing that Sanjay would not have wished. She has suffered a lot, but she is as resolute as ever. To carry on Sanjay’s work, that is her first duty, dear only to her heart. But there is another, second duty, first only to her heart, to remain faithful to him till the end. “I am leading my life honestly and courageously as I can. I am living as a good human being. And, I am bringing up my son to become a good human being,” she adds. This, according to her, is the best homage to her late husband.

She has become absorbed in her work, her responsibilities and family and has no time for pleasures. Besides looking after her son, Feroze Varun, and her numerous political activities, she is also involved in several environmental projects and manages her business affairs. Apart from this, she looks after the Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Hospital. Even during the course of the interview, our talk was interrupted by a poodle that had been abandoned there the previous night. She took time off to nurse the dog. Thus shunting aside her own anguish, she is helping a cause she feels strongly about.

Though the years after her husband’s death have been shrouded in sadness and darkened by her mourning, she has accepted her loss with stoicism. With her amazing vitality and high spirits apparently unimpaired, she is approaching every challenge in life with perhaps even stronger determination than before. In fact, no challenge, however rough or risky, seems to dismay her now. With her fearless stand and balanced outlook, she has created her own niche in the affairs of the country. Whether her contemporaries are with her or against her, they can never ignore her. She has proved this during the various crisis’s in her life. She has the will to win and the ability to elbow her way through life’s storms.

Anjana Datta
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