Rajiv Gandhi

Sept. 24: Sonia Gandhi has taken a leaf out of mother-in-law Indira Gandhi’s book by appointing son Rahul a Congress general secretary in his late thirties.

It was in February 1983 that Rajiv Gandhi was given a similar assignment under the watchful eyes of Indira.

Rajiv was young and full of dreams. His mother, however, was in deep trouble having lost Karnataka to Ramakrishna Hegde and Andhra Pradesh to N.T. Rama Rao. Along with Gujarat, Maharashtra and Kerala, these were the states that had stood by the Nehru-Gandhi family in the 1977 general elections that had wiped out the Congress.

Today, under Sonia’s leadership, Rahul perhaps faces a more formidable task. Apart from reviving the Congress, he has to act as an interface between party workers across the country and his mother.

While most party functionaries and many others in the country see Rahul as the “heir”, the brief his mother has given him is to reorganise and revitalise the party, particularly its youth wing which has been in decay for years. The Congress, controlled from the centre, has had its grassroots structure diminished considerably.

For old-timers, Rahul’s induction into the All India Congress Committee today is an emotional moment but they feel the young MP from Amethi should not be compared with his father.

For one thing, Indira was Prime Minister in addition to being party president. Two, between 1981 and 1983, Rajiv had built a team for himself that included highly skilled management executives like Arun Nehru and Arun Singh as well as the more down-to-earth Buta Singh.

Three, Rajiv had already successfully organised the 1982 Asian Games that transformed Delhi with new roads, stadiums and hotels.

Rajiv had a lot more grey hair, having flown Boeing aircraft for Indian Airlines. Rahul, who has worked with Monitor, a global consultancy firm, has done well looking after his constituency since May 2004. He has travelled and attended international meets but his experience at this stage does not come close to Rajiv’s.

Indian politics, too, has changed a lot since February 1983. Each time Rahul travels out of Delhi, he has to keep the “coalition dharma” in mind while speaking about parties that support the UPA.

The row over the “Ram setu” makes his task more difficult because he can neither endorse nor attack DMK chief M. Karunanidhi.