Remembering Rajiv- A Rendezvous with Padma Venkatraman

(Prashanth L)

I had a rendezvous with Dr. Padma Venkatraman, daughter of former President of India R.Venkatraman Ramakrishnan a couple of years ago in Chennai, the following is the excerpt from the conversation about Rajiv Gandhi, recollecting on his birth anniversary.

Amma! When do you serve me with vada and filter coffee? This is how former prime minister of India Rajiv Gandhi used to ask my mom”, Padma Venkatraman told me during a hour long conversation with me.

And with a natural inclination towards Gandhi’s family I widened my ears to hear more from her.

Finally, when Rajiv landed up at their home he refused to take vada and filter coffee as he was busy with election campaign and told her that he will sure consume next time. And that next time never came, she rued silently while conversing with me.

Our conversation slowly rolled into current day developmental issues, her life in Delhi, various personalities, social sector and her interests too.

People who are successful in their lives always stay grounded to their roots. This is what I have understood after a meeting with her.

she has been active in grassroot work of leprosy rehabilitation and oversees implementation of micro finance projects. She currently oversees micro finance projects in the leprosy colonies in Tamil Nadu.

To my amazement, the person who left the room after bidding bye to me has come back within few seconds to wish good luck to me. I felt blessed and elated.

One can google her work and social service activities which she has been doing for leprosy patients since years which I am not going to reproduce here.

(Author is Political strategist based at Hyderabad)