18 May 2004…Tuesday…a day which members of the Congress Party will not be able to forget easily. About 200 MPs of the party were waiting in the Parliament chamber for Sonia Gandhi to come and announce her decision.
When she came with her children Rahul and Priyanka, whose faces were filled with seriousness. Some people felt that the news would not be good. Sonia came with her portfolio. In which there were letters of support from hundreds of leaders who had encouraged the Congress Party to appoint Sonia for this job. This was a tradition which was followed by all the previous Prime Ministers. Most of the leaders were optimistic that after so much pressure she would eventually agree.
Sonia comes and greets many of her old colleagues and reaches the microphone. There was silence. Wearing glasses to read her papers, she declares – 'For the last six years, since I have been in politics, one thing has always been clear to me. And this is what I have said many times that the post of Prime Minister has never been my aim. I always thought that if I ever come to the situation in which I am today, I will only listen to the voice of my conscience. She paused and looked at her children, 'And today that voice says that I should not accept this post with all humility.'
(Photo Credit: AFP)
As soon as this announcement was made, the room was filled with noise. Sonia asked everyone to remain calm but no one was ready to agree. 'You can't leave us now.' Some shouted – 'You cannot deceive the people of India.' Rajiv's old friend and senior leader Mani Shankar Aiyar shouted – 'The voice of conscience of the people says that you will have to become the next Prime Minister.'
'I request you to respect my decision.' Sonia said firmly. People still kept stopping him.
'Madam! If you are not in that position, there will be no inspiration for us.
A dozen MPs came one by one to deliver their speeches, in which they cited the public services of her husband and her mother-in-law.
Photo credit- AFP
A heated debate continued for two hours between Sonia's firm decision and the MPs' distractions. Some even accused him of being egoistic in his speech and some even praised his resignation in refusing such a powerful position. Some accused her of disrespecting the mandate of millions of Indians. Sonia kept listening to him silently, but the dignified Sonia clearly told him that now she cannot reconsider her decision. The MPs also gave him a memorandum. But Sonia said that this is not possible. You people have expressed your views, your views, your sorrow and fear on this decision of mine. If you people have faith in me, then keep my word.
Many also remembered the incident of 1999, when Sonia had resigned from the post of party president, but later agreed to the leaders. Time was passing. According to the rules, the government should have been formed within a week. An MP from UP said- Madam, you have set the example as Mahatma Gandhi had done earlier. His reference was that when India's first government was formed after independence, Gandhiji had also clearly refused to be a part of the government, but at that time Gandhiji had Jawahar Lal Nehru. Where is Nehru now?
Photo credit- AFP
Meanwhile, Sonia did not even take the name of Manmohan Singh. He still had that trump card. When she left, leaving all the MPs dejected and sad, the press surrounded her children. Rahul, who was recently elected as MP, said- I would like my mother to become the Prime Minister. But as his son I respect his decision.
Where were the Congress members going to accept defeat so easily? When Sonia reached home, there was a whole crowd gathered at home too, demanding that she change her decision. Some were screaming and some were even crying. When she reached inside the house, she was faced with another challenge – a mountain of letters from CWC members and other colleagues was waiting for her. Who said that if she did not accept this post, they would all resign together. A follower on the road outside threatened to cut his own vein, but was controlled by the police. It seemed as if madness had engulfed New Delhi.
But Sonia did not give up in this tussle, her party as well as her allies were persuaded to agree to a Prime Minister who was not from the Gandhi family. Ultimately everyone agreed with him. Now a scene of a small ceremony took place in Rashtrapati Bhavan, which was very meaningful. And in this tumultuous week the crisis of power came to an end. After three days of struggle between her determination and pressure from party members, on 22 May 2004, Sonia Gandhi witnessed President Kalam swearing in Dr. Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister.
After the oath taking ceremony, Manmohan Singh came to Sonia with his head slightly bowed and a gesture which seemed to indicate that an agreement had been reached between them. As if he wants to make it clear that the rule is his, but the secret is Sonia's.
Now after this crazy week, she thinks of taking rest. But before going to her room she goes to the study room. She stood there for a while looking at her husband's picture. She closed her eyes and concentrated her mind until his picture came to her mind. All this takes her to the best memories of that bygone era…
-From the book 'The Red Sari' by Spanish writer Javier Moro…
