Question

How was the relationship between Kamarajar and Indira Gandhi?

Answer 1

The relationship,for the most part, was both healthy and cordial. Kamarajar exuded a sort of avuncular affection for the daughter of Nehru, and Indira Gandhi too held him in high esteem for his personal uprightness and political integrity. 




The role played by Kamarajar as the President of AICC in Indira Gandhi's election as the Prime Minister in the wake of the unexpected and tragic death of Lal Bahadur Shastri is too well known to bear any repetition. Indira,on her part acknowledged Kamarajar as her leader, upon her election as the Prime Minister and said she would go by his guidance.  

Even during the tussle that ensued thereafter, Kamaraj as the President of AICC had to take the side of the party organization, controlled by a coterie of senior congressmen, came to be known as the Syndicate. Even here,Kamaraj was like Karna of Mahabharata, the right man in the wrong place: because,while all other members of the Syndicate,namely Atulya Ghosh,S.Nijalingappa, N.Sanjeeva Reddy and S.K.Patil were right wing,pro-business and not keen on socialism,and also lacked any  mass base in their home states and had to remain back room political operators, Kamaraj with his socialist inclinations and a popular mass base in his home state was the odd man out. Even Indira Gandhi professed Socialism more out of convenience,whereas Kamaraj, probably due to his own grass root level background,was a socialist by conviction. So,even during the days leading to the Congress split, Kamaraj and Indira never had any personal animosity,and avoided attacking one another openly.