Worse By Half

By choice and by necessity, I have read almost all the existing material on the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty. It is a fascinating tale, with ele­­ments of a Greek tragedy. Scholars, historians, journalists have explored the family from every possible angle. Except one. No one has asked the question why the women in the dynasty make such disastrous marital choices. The husbands they choose have turned out in two obvious cases to be completely uns­uitable. Being headstrong, the women do not listen to advice.

Take Indira. When she made it known she int­ended to marry Feroze, most family and friends strongly advised her against it. Jawaharlal was adamantly opposed, because he thought Feroze to be intellectually, socially and economically inferior. Eventually, he asked Gandhiji to intervene. When Feroze and Indira met the Mahatma, he...