The Hindu : Karnataka News : The house where many epoch-making political decisions were made

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 31, 2007
ePaper

Karnataka

Karnataka

The house where many epoch-making political decisions were made

Nagesh Prabhu

R.K. Rajarathnam has remained a mere party worker despite his high-level contacts

— PHOTO: BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

STILL HOPEFUL: R.K. Rajarathnam with late Indira Gandhi.

BANGALORE: This house in Madanapalle in Andhra Pradesh was frequented by many who ruled the country and the owner had maintained a good rapport with Congress leaders. However, this proximity to the seat of power did not yield any benefit either on the personal front or on the party-front to the owner who has been a loyal Congress worker for decades.

The 78-year-old R.K. Rajarathnam, who had been the vice-president and treasurer of Chittoor District Congress Committee, is just like any other senior citizen despite his once high-level contacts. While many a similarly-placed party workers have tasted the benefits of power either in the form of governors of States or ambassadors, Mr. Rajarathnam has remained as a mere party worker throughout his life.

This veteran Congress worker had close interactions with former Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi and other top Congress leaders. The All India Congress (Indira) had been given its identity at his house. Mr. Rajarathnam noted, “It was at my house the Hand symbol of the Congress (I) was chosen by the late Indira Gandhi on February 2, 1978.”

The former Prime Minister, P.V. Narasimha Rao, the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, M. Chenna Reddy, and leaders such as Rajaram P., Rajagopal Naidu, and Mr. Rajarathnam himself had participated in the discussion while choosing the symbol, he recalls.

Another former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N. Chandrababu Naidu, (the chief of the Telugu Desam) joined the Congress at the same meeting, he adds.

Those who had been to Madanapalle and stayed at his residence have reached higher positions in social and political life. While Ms. Gandhi and Mr. Rao became Prime Ministers, Mr. Reddy and Mr. Naidu became Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh. The 1978 meeting took place at a time when the party was in deep trouble after the split, making the leaders to assemble at Madanapalle and chart the future course of action.

“All these days I was under the impression that my residence had some unknown power which makes a person to attain the highest office. But it is too late to realise the truth that the opportunity is not for me but for others,” he says.

Ms. Gandhi had maintained a good relationship with Mr. Rajarathnam who retired from active politics recently. “Indira Gandhi wrote several letters to me and I had preserved them carefully,” he says with the hope to have the same relationship with the daughter in-law of Indira Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi.

He wrote several letters to Ms. Sonia Gandhi attaching some photographs and letters of Indira Gandhi, requesting her to recognise his three decades of services to the party. On July 23, 2007, he wrote to Ms. Sonia Gandhi urging her to nominate him to the Legislative Council of the Andhra Pradesh. “Those days when loyal party workers were being recognised have gone. Now I am unrecognised and my repeated pleas are unheard,” Mr. Rajarathnam says with a little hope of getting some recognition for his contribution to the party.

Mr. Rajarathnam had correspondences with Ms. Sonia Gandhi’s General Secretary Digvijay Singh and Additional Private Secretary S.V. Pillai. Mr. Digvijay Singh responded to his letters and advised him to contact Mr. Pillai, the veteran Congressman says.

Though feeling deeply humiliated, Mr. Rajarathnam has not lost all hopes.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka