Send us a text'The Death of Mahatma Gandhi’ is a story like no other because it is based on the eyewitness account of someone who saw it all. Nayantara Sahgal, the distinguished novelist, is a member of the Nehru-Gandhi family. Her mother Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, Jawaharlal Nehru’s sister, was the 8th president of the UN General Assembly, besides being a governor and a member of parliament. Nayantara is Pandit Nehru’s niece and Indira Gandhi’s cousin. She has published about a dozen novels besides two memoirs and other books. As an outspoken defender of human rights and democracy, she had a falling out with her cousin, Indira Gandhi, and Nayantara penned two books criticizing Indira’s authoritative style of leadership. Indira, on her side, retaliated when she canceled Nayantara’s appointment as India’s ambassador to Italy. Born in 1927, Nayantara leads an active life and lives in the same house in Dehradun, where she has spent the better part of her life. This story is excerpted from her memoir Prison and Chocolate Cake, published in 1954.

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

Transcript

Related