It is sad that there is a controversy about whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be invited to participate in the 125 birth anniversary functions of India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru by the Congress Party.
Jawaharlal Nehru belonged to the country, even though he was a member of a political party.
Many of my generation have fond memories of Nehru. The nation is aware of his contribution to the freedom struggle, his role as the first Prime Minister of India, how he propounded non-alignment, emerged as a world leader and supported anti-colonial movements across the world.
Many of us who had the chance to meet him still recall the warmth he effused toward all human beings whom he came across.
The first time I came across him was in Delhi during the autumn of 1955. I was around the Parliament House during my tour of the Capital. I saw a banner in the Parliament that there was a discussion organised by the Bureau of Parliamentary Studies on the Indian Constitution.
As someone who had just then answered a paper on Constitutional Law for LLB. and Constitutional History for M.A. at Bombay University, I felt that I should hear the discussions. I went into Parliament House. Those days, there was no need for passes to enter the Parliament complex. Passes were necessary only to enter the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
In one of the rooms, around a hundred people had gathered, most of them elderly, and looking like Members of Parliament. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was talking to them about the Indian Constitution, the role of Parliament and the responsibilities of legislators.
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After his speech, there was a brief interval and participants came out for tea on the lawns outside the Central Hall.
I was overwhelmed to notice that Nehru came near the table where I had just picked up a mug of tea. He saw me in a crowd of elders. I was barely 21-years-old then. He asked me, I guess you are a student, did you find the discussion interesting? I replied, Sir, I have just finished law and M. A. and found the speeches absorbing. What are your views, young man, he asked again. I took the courage to say that the Indian Constitution should have been more unitary in character than federal, and there was a danger to the unity of the country with the demands for reorganization of states gaining momentum He smiled, patted me, and told me to keep my interest alive in parliamentary democracy.
It was too overwhelming for me to be in the presence of Panditji, a charismatic leader, and to be spoken to by him.
Soon after, I joined the Press Information Bureau. I was one of a handful of young persons recruited to the PIB and seniors used to bestow a great deal of care and affection on us.
I befriended the Information Officer for Press Facilities, and he used to be kind enough to put me on duty at functions like the monthly press conferences of the Prime Minister.
My duty was to receive editors and senior correspondents . Jawaharlal Nehru's press conferences were never limited to being question and answer sessions. The correspondents came to hear the Prime Minister on matters of national importance - on colonialism, India's relations with neighbours, and issues like planning.
The Prime Minister's answers to questions sought to educate the correspondents and the people through the newspapers.
Some journalists would try to provoke Panditji, and one waited to hear his response - 'what fantastic nonsense' to be followed by a detailed answer to the question.
A couple of years later, I was transferred to the Ministry of Defence. I used to look forward to the Independence Day and the Republic Day celebrations.
On August 15, I used to be put on duty on the ramparts of the Red Fort to help photographers to cover the Prime Minister addressing the nation. It was a grand spectacle, watching from near the saluting base, the vast crowd from Jama Masjid on the left, Chandni Chowk in front to the road leading to Kashmere Gate on the right - listening to the Prime Minister with rapt attention.
During the Republic Day celebrations, I used be on duty at Teen Murti House-the Prime Minister's residence-to cover a visit of folk dancers. Panditji would spend time with each group, wear their headgears, talk to them and dance with them.
In the fifties, one of the important events organized by the army was the Annual Horse Show at the Red Fort. I was given the task of covering the Army Horse Show.
The Delhi newspapers gave a lot of space for the Horse Show, particularly the Statesman - which was a favourite newspaper of the army top brass then.
It did not take me long to learn the language of the cavalrymen - and I used to file detailed reports on show jumping, tent pegging and the deliberation of the judges on the quality of the horses. I became a favourite of the Statesman Sports Editor, Cyril Flory.
Generally, the Chief of the Army Staff or the Quartermaster General would distribute prizes at the concluding function. The year I was detailed to cover the Horse Show, 1959, if I remember correctly. It was decided that Prime Minister would present a woollen drape to the best Horse of the show - Prithviraj.
The presentation was to be made at Teen Murti House at 6 p.m, and Prithviraj was to be escorted there. The horse was to be formally "inspected" by the Prime Minister at a presentation ceremony.
I had gone to Teen Murti House half an hour earlier and was standing at the porch. The official photographer too had not come. I saw the Prime Minister's Buick approaching the porch. Panditji got down from the car, saw me standing at a distance, and asked me why was I there. I said sir, I have come to cover the presentation ceremony of the woollen drape to the best horse of the Horse Show, Prithviraj.
He said, yes, yes, where is the horse, let's go. I replied, Sir, General Kaul will be here when the horse is shown to you. Panditji laughed and said, Oh you have formalities in the army. Alright, I will wait.
Meanwhile, to my utter surprise, he said come in. What is your name, he asked. He called me by my name and made me sit down in the sofa set in the portico of Teen Murti House, called the bearer and asked him to get some tea. He then said, by the time the tea comes, I will quickly have a wash and come. Make yourself comfortable.
He returned in five minutes or so, by which time General B. N. Kaul came and took Panditji to the porch and showed him Prithviraj.
The presentation of the blanket over, all of us rushed to file the story and release the photographs.
I narrated in detail to my colleagues and seniors how I had the privilege of being offered a cup of tea by Panditji himself at the Prime Minister's House.
When I look back, I wonder which young officer will have the privilege of being asked by the Prime Minister to come into the house and made to sit down and offered a cup of tea.
No wonder Panditji endeared himself to everyone who came into contact with him.
I next saw Panditji after the 1962 war at the National Stadium at the concert, where Lata Mangeshkar sang the song Eh Mere Watan ki Logo, Zara Ankh Me Bhar Lo Pani, Jo Shaheed Hue hai Unka, Zara Yaad Karo Qurbani. I saw Panditji wipe his eyes repeatedly. He walked slowly to greet Lata. Suddenly, he had aged.
The last time I saw Panditji -rather his body - was on May 27 1964 . I was put in charge of taking the photographers from Teen Murti House to the banks of Yamuna atop three trucks. The journey took more than four hours. There was not an eye which was not moist.
The above article has been authored by Mr. I. Ramamohan Rao, Former Principal Information Officer of the Government of India. He can be reached on his e:mail:raoramamohan@hotmail.