Story of 1991, about the facinating picture of kaka with the PM Rajiv Gandhi n Soniya whom he reverered too much as his political mentor n even termed him as his God on the day of Rajivji's sad demise..!
Story of 1991, About the fascinating picture of Kaka with the then PM Rajiv Gandhi n Sonia whom he reverered too much as his chief political mentor n even termed him as his God on the day of Rajivji’s sad demise..!
Friends
I was with Kakaji for the entire day on the day of polling of the New Delhi parliamentary election when he was contesting against the BJP’s heavy weight Lal Krishna Advani. The picture below is of Vigyan Bhawan polling station.
I alongwith Kaka went inside the polling booth at Vigyan Bhawan in the morning with RK Dhawan (former Indiraji’s special Assistent n union minister) already standing there in advance waiting for Rajivji n Soniaji to come to cast their vote being the voter of New Delhi constituency. It was approximately 7.30 or 8.00 in the morning. When we ( Kakaji n me) went inside the polling booth room to check n supervise the polling arrangements, hundreds of cameras clicked on us. The press photographers, umpteen in numbers, i think nearing hundred had already taken their positons to extract best picture ofthe then PM Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia n Rajesh Khanna. The tight security wasn’t allowing them to roam freely as usual. After all Rajivji was on the high security watch n protection due to the possible threat of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam or LITTE etc. However, we came out soon after inspecting the arrangements n waited for Rajvji n Soniaji to arrive. In just ten minutes, thereafter, a smiling Rajivji n Soniaji came n the trio went inside. I was kept at bay due to security reasons. But a bad omen had already occured on that day.
When Rajivji arrived the Congress women volunteer who tried applying tilak on the foreheads n taking the arti of Rajiv ji n Sonia, suddenly got imbalanced due to nervousness n the Aarti Thali with flowers, incense n vermilon etc fell down with a bang sending a silent wave of whispering n rumour mongering of some bad omen in the offing. Anyways, it was not taken seriously at that moment except a small news item in Indian express the other day in tit bits coloum, expressing it to be something unusual termed as unlucky. Some derived it with meanings like Kaka loosing the election or something else but in nutshell nothing much serious about Rajivji was ever thought of . But being conservative if we really believe in this, just a day or two after , the entire course of Indian political history was changed. Rajivji was shockingly assasinated in Sriperumbudur, Tamilnadu n the anguishing news reached Kakaji’s ears in a marriage function of my younger brother at Rama Krishna Puram, New Delhi where he was blessing my bro Anil Negi n his wud be wife surrounded by hundreds of his fans n invitees at the marriage function. I remember how shocked Kakaji was on that day as if he has lost his God Father. He just murmered while tears in his eyes that he has lost his mentor n God. Rajivji loved n adored him the most n it was only on the former’s request or advise that Rajesh contested n won from New Delhi n became MP, finally, the heartiest desire he had kept in his heart since long, finally the dream coming true by his mentor’s kripa. You will be surprised to learn that this picture ( as above) Rajesh Khanna helping Soniaji caste her vote with pleasing n smiling Rajivji prime minister looking over, appeared in the front pages of almost all the newspapers of the country with Delhi’s largest selling newspaper Hindustan times giving it place on the front page with banner news. This was Kaka’s best photograph n he adored this pic very much. Since those days there weren’t mobile phones, digital cameras n coloured pics it was in black n white n the pictured couldn’t be procured as is easily available these days with mobile phones. Kaka wanted its negative by all means n used to personally request me repeatedly to arrange it. I tried my level best to find the negative but of no avail. He wud sometimes even challange me asking what connections do u have in media that u can’t even arrange a single negative through my sources? It wasn’t possible because the photo journalists kept it in their record n can’t part with the only negative as it was unique n outstanding n an archive for them. If I m not wrong Mr. Suresh Sinha of Hindustan times had two negatives of this pic. Kaka used to even call me from Mumbai to get it even if it is charged heavily for. I was actually fed up with Kakaji’s repeated pressure for this negative n used to wonder what special isthere in this picture as being a superstar MP he had infinite pictures of him with VVIPs. But kakaji wud never relent n continue to pressurise me. Actually he didn’t had direct contacts with media as I was the conduit n moreover for a negative he would never like to belittle himself going to photo journalists n requesting them. However, after much efforts I finally got it from Mr. Sinha Photo editor of HT after several years when Kaka had become an ex MP having permanentally shifted to Mumbai. It however took many years to procure the negative of this outstanding picture very close at Kaka’s heart. Kaka was really grateful to have the negative. He could have made a negative out of the pic but he actually wanted the original one for the sharpness n precision of the pic which could be enlarged to any size n therefore dosent lose its focus n sharpness as well. Later Kaka got it enlarged n nicely framed to decoratedly put it at the main inner entrance of Ashirvaad, his adorable bunglow at Carter Road. ( Unfortunately now in rubbles with construction od builder flats already started on them). Such was Rajesh Khanna’s attachment with Rajiv Gandhi, the then prime minister of India n Kaka’s fan as well.
- Sunil Negi, President, Uttarakhand Journalists’ Forum n Former Media Advisor to Rajesh Khanna