On a pleasant September morning in 1982, as I was returning home in Allahabad (now Prayagraj), I noticed a posse of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and local police standing guard in George Town. Recognising the officer in charge, I inquired about the sudden deployment. He replied, “Don’t you know? The Prime Minister is coming.”

Prime Minister (PM) Indira Gandhi visiting Allahabad, unannounced? What was the purpose of this sudden visit?

Across the road I could see the bungalow of Raj Dulari Nehru, wife of Shridhara Nehru, a prominent Indian Civil Service (ICS) officer and first cousin to Jawaharlal Nehru. He was also India’s first High Commissioner to Britain. Given the close kinship, the PM visiting her aunt was, by no means, unprecedented. Still, the flurry of activities left me with questions, considering the PM had to leave for an important trip to the Soviet Union within a couple of days.

Upon asking a senior administrative official at the scene, I was told that Raj Dulari Nehru was indisposed, prompting the PM to visit her before the Soviet trip. The explanation rang hollow, but it was hardly the time for an elaborate cross-examination. Soon........

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