After my recent Facebook post, Dr. Bajrang Prasad Pandey, an MGIMS graduate from the 1970 batch who later became a Pharmacology professor at BHU, Varanasi, shared an interesting story about Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s visit to Sevagram in the early 1970s.
Mrs Gandhi had come to MGIMS to speak to a handful of medical students in the Adhyayan Mandir. As she left in her white Ambassador, a group of students eagerly sought to shake her hand. Responding warmly, she obliged as many as she could. In an instant, young Bajrang Prasad Pandey bravely asked for a keepsakeโa handkerchief. Without hesitation, the Prime Minister gave him hersโa precious gift that the second-year medical student cherished until the Prime Minister’s passing in 1984. He then immersed the handkerchief in the Ganges in Varanasi as a tribute.
Last week, I discovered a common thread between handkerchiefs, Indira Gandhi, and Sevagram.
Dr. Prabha Desikan, a microbiologist in Bhopal and an alumna of MGIMS (1984 batch), shared this story with me during her recent visit to Sevagram. It dates back to her childhood in the early 1970s when she spent summer vacations in Chengalpattu (formerly Chingleput), Tamil Nadu, where her father, Dr. KV Desikan, a legend in leprosy, worked.
Prabha learned that the Prime Minister planned to visit the city. She and her schoolmates were excited at the prospect of seeing her in person. They stood beside the road where the Prime Minister was passing through, waiting for hours. They imagined how she looked and spoke, eagerly hoping for a chance to talk to her.
The convoy sped past without stopping. In the blink of an eye, the Prime Minister’s car had gone. Their excited chatter faded into disappointed silence.
For days, Prabha felt sad about not seeing the Prime Minister. A month later, Prabhakarji, a friend of Prabhaโs parents from Sevagram Ashram, visited her at home. Seeing her sadness, he arranged for her to meet Indira Gandhi, whom he knew well.
In those days, with no formalities, they took GT Express from Chennai and reached Delhi the next day.
As they arrived at the security gate, Prabhakarji held Prabha’s hand as she, just 12 years old and visiting Delhi for the first time, accompanied him.
The Prime Minister’s home bore the famous address – 1 Safdarjung Road. The security at the gate glanced at Prabhakarji, nodded in recognition, and waved them through.
Young Prabha sat in the Prime Minister’s anteroom, her eyes eagerly scanning the room, waiting for her meeting to begin.
Within minutes, the Prime Minister arrived. Indira Gandhi, dressed in a beautiful sari, warmly greeted Prabha. They chatted together, and Indira Gandhi even offered sweets. Before she left, Prabha presented the Prime Minister with a hand-embroidered handkerchief. Touched by the gesture, Indira Gandhi herself called for the photographer to take a photograph with Prabha.
A week later, the photograph, signed by the Prime Minister, arrived in Dr. Desikan’s post-box. They were amazed to find the precious memento sent by the Prime Minister.
Simplicity and spontaneity were deeply woven into Indira Gandhi’s character. Despite being often perceived as ruthlessly pragmatic in her political career, in her personal life, she draped kindness like a graceful sari, treating everyone with warmth and respect, no matter their age or status.
It’s no surprise that Professor Pandey and Prabha Desikan have treasured the memories of those handkerchiefs ever sinceโthey held more value than meets the eye.