The significance of Priyanka - Nalini meeting

Priyanka would not have met Nalini on her own. Her brother Rahul had said that, he knew about the meeting and had no objection. Priyanka would not have done that, without her mother Sonia’s knowledge.

“I have no problem about Priyanka meeting Nalini. My family harbours no grudge or anger, against anyone,” Rahul said commenting about the meeting.

Analysts note that, Rahul had uttered the same words his sister had used, when answering the question about the motive of her meeting, with Nalini. Priyanka Vadra said, “I do not believe in anger, hatred and violence and do not allow these, to overpower me.’

The meeting was arranged by the central intelligence agency, without the knowledge of Tamil Nadu intelligence, the Q Branch. The normal procedure of obtaining permission from Tamil Nadu prison authorities too, was not followed.

A central intelligence officer had met Nalini Sriharan, convicted for conspiring to murder Rajiv Gandhi and serving life sentence, in high security Vellore jail on March 11, and obtained her consent for the meeting. Then on March 18, another officer met Nalini and told her that, the meeting would take place the next day.

Priyanka who flew from Delhi in a special plane, was whisked away by intelligence officers from Chennai airport, and a senior officer was present, when the meeting started. He withdrew when Priyanka and Nalini, sitting side by side, commenced their hour-long talk. No intelligence agency would have done those things, without Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s knowledge.

Definitely, no one believes Priyanka’s assertion, “It was a very personal visit and completely on my own initiative.”

There is something more than the mere question of coming to terms with “the violence and loss” that Priyanka had suffered. According to Nalini’s lawyer S. Duraisamy, the very first question Priyanka asked Nalini was. “Why did you all kill my father?” Nalini had told the lawyer that, she kept silent. Priyanka then said, “My father was a good person. They could have talked with him and settled any dispute, they had with him.”

Duraisamy had told the Tamil media that, the first part of the conversation comprised, Priyanka pouring out her grief. Priyanka cried at one stage, and she had also cried and asked for forgiveness, for any wrong done, Nalini had Duraisamy.

Then the following conversation took place:

Priyanka: Who was behind the blast?

Nalini: Dhanu was the only person who would have known that.

Priyanka: Was the LTTE involved?

Nalini: I am not sure. Only Dhanu would have known that.

Priyanka: Was Murugan an LTTE member?

Nalini; No. He was not a member,

Dhanu was the human bomb, who blew up Rajiv Gandhi on May 21, 1991 at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu. Murugan was Nalini’s husband. He too, was convicted regarding Rajiv Gandhi assassination and is serving imprisonment. Their daughter Adirai, who was brought up by Murugan’s parents in Sri Lanka, is now in Britain. Tamil Nadu government had rejected several appeals by Adirai, to enter India, to see her parents.

Nalini was sentenced to death by a special court, that heard the case, but it was commuted to life imprisonment, on the request of Sonia Gandhi, who wanted her saved, because of Nalini’s daughter.

Priyanka inquired about Nalini’s daughter too and told Nalini that, she takes her children to school.

D.R. Karthikeyan, chief of the Special Investigation Team that investigated the assassination, and the author of the book Rajiv Gandhi: Assassination told the media that, Priyanka’s decision to forgive her father’s killers was a rare and noble quality, that runs in her family. He referred to Sonia’s action, to commute Nalini’s death sentence to life imprisonment.

Duraisamy too praised Priyanka, for meeting Nalini and conveying her family’s decision, to forgive her father’s killers. He added, “This is a gesture not meant, only for Nalini. It is also a gesture for the LTTE. The message had been sent through Nalini.”

In Tamil Nadu, Priyanka’s action had created a stir. LTTE supporters have welcomed it. “Priyanka-Nalini meeting is a good beginning, to alter the state of hate, to that of forgiveness and understanding,” said New Thamilakam leader Krishnaswamy, voicing the sentiment of the pro-LTTE supporters.

The Congress leadership which pursued a virulent anti- LTTE line is confused. So was the anti- LTTE campaign, which waged the ADMK leader Jayaram Jayalalitha. The ground under their campaign had been dug.

Some analysts view, Priyanka’s forgiveness, as part of a grand scheme, to push Rahul as the premiership candidate in the approaching general election. Indians are tired of Manmohan Singh, who is regarded a weak prime minister. The cry for a young and forward-looking prime minister, is steadily rising. Rahul’s political stock has risen, following Priyanka’s forgiveness. Gandhi family had won a favourable image, among the public.

“What is wrong, in wanting a young person like Rahul Gandhi, to be Congress’s prime ministerial candidate?” Human Resources Development minister and an elder statesman Arjun Singh, asked last week. Similar sentiments are becoming more frequent.

The LTTE has not reacted officially. But, Murugan is said to have welcomed Priyanka’s action. “The meeting speaks volumes about Priyanka’s good nature,” he was quoted, as saying. Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Jaffna district parliamentarian S. Gajendran, who reflects the LTTE thinking, welcomed the meeting. He said, “I am very happy because, the meeting could lead to a closer relationship, between India and Sri Lankan Tamils.”