Dear Sri Fotedarji,
This letter might surprise you for you don’t know me but I know you!
I used to see you years ago whenever I came to see Indiraji. This was many years ago.
Anyway, just now I read your book, Chinar Leave which makes for interesting reading. I used to work at the AICC at Jantar Mantar Road from 1962 onwards after I came back from Oxford. I had friends in Delhi and also at the AICC there was Rudolf DeMello, we were together at Oxford. Manmohan Singh was also my contemporary there. This is for your information.
I am a Nehruvian and I grew up under his shadow, so to say as he used to come to Santiniketan as Chancellor, from 1955-59.
In 1966 when Indiraji was elected as Prime Minister I was on the scene and I was close to Kamaraj. I was with the Congress (O) as I was from TN and Kamaraj was very active then. Now, as I read your book, you have done a signal service by saying that the future of the party is uncertain. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are in the grip of the coterie, vested interests.
I am engaged in the task of Congress reforms. I had done some work and now I am doing propaganda in my own way through my e-mail videos (www.isvarmurti.com). I have a media publishing business (Vadamalai Media based in Bangalore) I have attached the journals we published, four magazines in three languages.
I was elected a Member of the Madras Legislative Council in 1968 when Mr.C.N.Annadurai was Chief Minister. I defeated his candidate in prestigious contest. Now, you have candidly said that Sonia and Rahul have no clear road ahead; I would say that politics is now all about a game of power and in this the Congress vested interests have reduced the politics to no principles.
Even Dr.Singh has descended to politics as privileges, he lives in a 3 acre plot and what is the lesson?
I believe that Congress must reach out to a broad-based Democratic Party structure, CWC must be dissolved and PCCs must be given almost full autonomy etc.
This we will discuss once your observations on Sonia and Rahul sink into the minds of rank and file.
Please see my videos.
With warm regards,
V.Isvarmurti
Chairman & Managing Director
Vadamalai Media Group
Bangalore