SUNIL NEGI
It was the voting day on May 20 th 1991 and Kaka was the Congress Party’s official candidate from New Delhi Parliamentary constituency against BJP’s towering leader Lal Krishna Advani. I was with Kakaji on the polling day n went inside the polling booth at Nirman Bhawan opposite Meena Bagh MP flats , New Delhi in the morning with Indira’s former most trusted assistant and former minister RK Dhawan standing there in advance waiting for Rajivji n Soniaji to arrive to cast their votes. It was 8.00 or 9.00 in the morning .
When we went inside the polling booth vicinity to check n supervise the polling arrangements, umpteen number of cameras clicked on us as the press photographers had already positioned themselves inside the venue to click best pictures of the trio : Rajiv, Sonia and Kaka.
However after inspecting the arrangements at the polling booth we came out at the entrance of Nrman Bhawan n waited anxiously for Rajivji n Soniaji to arrive.
In just ten minutes, thereafter, a smiling Rajivji n Soniaji came n the trio went inside to cast their votes amidst tumultuous sound of journos n press photographers keenly busy in clicking pictures . I was kept at bay due to security reasons.
But unfortunately, a bad omen had already occured on that day. When Rajivji n Sonia arrived the Congress women volunteers probably of Sewa Dal who tried taking the arti of Rajiv n Sonia as a welcome pious gesture, they suddenly became imbalanced due to nervousness n the Aarti Thali with flowers, incense etc fell down sending 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 n several other papers the other day in tit bits coloum, expressing it to be something unusual termed as bad omen ( Upshakoon). Some derived it with meanings like Kaka loosing the election or something else but in nutshell nothing much serious about Rajivji was ever thought over.
However, after the Arti thali fell down Sonia was bit confused and in a worrisome mood wanting to return back without casting the vote but Rajiv Gandhi consoled her and they went to cast their votes.
But if we believe in this, just a day or two after , the entire course of Indian political history was changed. Rajivji was shockingly brutally assasinated in Sriperumbudur 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 younger bro Anil Negi n his wife surrounded by hundreds of his crazy fans n invitees at the marriage function. It was around 10 PM. I remember how shocked Kakaji was on that day. He just murmered while tears in his eyes that he has lost his mentor n God father. 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, the desire he had kept in his heart since long, finally the dream coming true by his mentor Rajivji’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 probably the last prominent picture of Rajiv Gandhi in a public function before departing for his eternal journey a day after.
Kaka considered this as his best n historic photograph n he adored it very much. This always reminded Kaka of his last meeting with his political God father. Since those days there weren’t mobile phones, digital cameras n coloured pics it was in black n white n the picture couldn’t be procured. Kaka desperately 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 would sometimes even challange me saying what connection do u have in media that u can’t even arrange this negative for him 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 an archive for them. If I m not wrong one of the senior photo journalists’ of Hindustan times ( Rajiv Gupta/ Suresh Sinha) had two negatives of this pic. Kaka used to even call me from Mumbai to get it even if it is charged heavily for.
But despite my best efforts I could not procure it as I was hesitant to request the news photographers. After much efforts finally I got it from one of the Photo editors’ of HT after several years when Kaka had completed his five year term as MP , having permanentally shifted to Mumbai. It however took many years to procure it. 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 original pic which could be enlarged to any size n which dosen’t lose its focus n sharpness.
Later Kaka got it enlarged n nicely framed to decoratedly put it at the main inner entrance of Ashirvaad. Such was Rajesh Khanna’s attachment with Rajivji. He was the former prime minister of India then. Kaka had deep affection, respect and adoration for Rajiv Gandhi whose departing away was a huge personal loss for Rajesh Khanna.
After Rajivji’s departure though Rajesh did won the New Delhi MP election against Shatru n enjoyed his 5 year term but nobody in the Congress after his defeat at the hands of then union minister Jagmohan really cared for his elevation as Rajya Sabha MP lateron though the super star had extensively campaigned in various states drawing massive crowds during assembly n parliamentary elections as a crowd puller in favour of Congress candidates . He finally breathed his last on 18th July 2012 at Ashirvad.
