Do Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajib Gandhi really form a dynastic chain?

Now let us start with Jawaharlal Nehru. Being the first prime minister he cannot be dynast as he was the unique PM candidate selected by Indian National Congress. Nehru never took Indira Gandhi into confidence, despite being her only daughter. He even did not induct her in cabinet during his long tenure as PM of India. Indira’s mother had died in the mid-1930s, and thereafter she often acted as her father’s private secretary for events and accompanied him on his foreign travels.

After Nehru’s death, Lal Bahadur Shastri became the PM of India. So there was no dynastic chain at this point of time as after the death of both of his parents, she was left alone in Nehru’s household. L B Shastri however inducted Indira into his cabinet at an unimportant post of “Minister of Information and Broadcasting.” Then there was a sudden and premature death of L B Shastri in Jan’66 in Taskent just after he signed an agreement with Pakistan for a truce (mediated by USSR) after 1965 war with Pakistan.

Premature death of L B Shastri was a game changer in Indian politics!  On Shastri’s sudden death in January 1966, Morarji Desai again became a contender for the post of Premiership from the right wing lobby of INC. The left wing lobby and detractors of Morarji in right wing lobby, covertly nominated Indira Gandhi as their candidate. In the parliamentary party election Indira won by a margin of 271 to 90 votes which were a massive win in any case.

 However we should not forget that after Nehru's death in 1964, K Kamaraj Nadar successfully navigated the party through turbulent times. As president of the INC, he refused to become the next prime minister himself and was instrumental in bringing to power two Prime Ministers, Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1964 and Indira Gandhi in 1966. For this role, he was widely termed as the "kingmaker" during 1960s.

Similarly Rajib Gandhi was made a prime minister in haste due to frightening situation of sudden assassination of Indira Gandhi. On the fateful day Rajib was on a tour of West Bengal on organizational work along with Pranab Mukherjee. This is clear from second volume Pranab Mukhejee’s memoir, The Turbulent Years: 1980-96, President Pranab Mukherjee shares an insider’s account of several significant events during the 1980’s and early 1990’s.

In this extract, Mukherjee rejects as “false and spiteful” stories that Rajib Gandhi aspired to be the Prime Minister after Indira Gandhi’s assassination. When Rajib was being flown to Delhi from Kolkata on the fateful day, he had with him Pranab Mukherjee, A B A Gani Khan Choudhry, Uma Shankar Dikshit, then Governor of West Bengal, his daughter- in-law Sheila Dikshit, Lok Sabha Speaker Balrani Jakhar, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Shyainlal Yadav, the Secretary Generals of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha as well as a number of officials of both Houses of Parliament.

During the flight Rajib went to cockpit, came back and announced that “she is dead”. At this point there was a pin drop silence in the plane for a while. Then As per Pranab Babu there were discussions among all and it was decided that we should request Rajiv Gandhi to take over as the full-fledged Prime Minister to meet the challenge posed by this extraordinary situation. Somebody suggested that Pranab Da formally make this request to Rajiv and work out the modalities to be followed. Pranab Mukherje took Rajiv to the rear of the aircraft and requested him to take over as Prime Minister. His immediate question was, ‘Do you think I can manage?’ ‘Yes,’ Pranab Mukherje told him, we are all there to help you. You will have everyone’s support’.

Therefore it is just a political fight which made Indira the PM of India and not any shred of dynasty. Similarly nobody from Rajib’s family made him PM and he too was not a dynastic choice either. It was just a historical decision put upon his shoulders by his party men because of the grave situation created by the assassination of Indira.

One must not forget that it is ultimately the people who decide in a democracy. For example the countrymen in the election in 1984 following the Death of Indira Gandhi , gave Congress a record 414 seats confirming the elevation of Rajib as PM a correct decision.