Now Reading: Rahul Gandhi recalls Indira Gandhi’s 1982 US ire at Reagan dinner
-
01
Rahul Gandhi recalls Indira Gandhi’s 1982 US ire at Reagan dinner
Rahul Gandhi, taking a swipe at PM Modi's 'hug diplomacy', recounted a 1982 White House dinner where his grandmother Indira Gandhi returned furious, telling Sonia Gandhi: 'These Americans take me for a…
The Story in Brief
Rahul Gandhi, taking a swipe at PM Modi's 'hug diplomacy', recounted a 1982 White House dinner where his grandmother Indira Gandhi returned furious, telling Sonia Gandhi: 'These Americans take me for a complete fool.' Indira believed First Lady Nancy Reagan had deliberately worn a dress the same colour as her saree. Rahul said a PM must protect the country, not just make friends.
The anecdote inadvertently highlighted the turbulent India-US ties under Indira Gandhi. As prime minister in 1966 she felt humiliated by US conditions on wheat aid. Relations hit a low under Nixon, who in 1971 called her an 'old witch' and Kissinger used cruder language, as the US backed Pakistan during the Bangladesh Liberation War.
The Indian Opinion
Using a dress-colour anecdote to dismiss Modi's outreach is itself shallow: it confuses personal style with strategic substance. Indira's friction with Washington stemmed from genuine Cold War clashes over Vietnam, Pakistan, and non-alignment, not a first lady's wardrobe. The real test for any Indian leader is whether the relationship delivers on defence, trade, and technology. Does a photo-op matter more than a trade deal? That is the question voters should ask, whichever party is in power.
Source: indiatoday.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
