From friend to foe to friend again: Sonia Gandhi and Jaya Bachchan’s new friendship has surprised many

In politics there are no permanent friends or enemies. The only certainty is uncertainty as the equations change. This is evidenced by the recent new found friendship between the Bachchans and the Gandhis, specifically between Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and Samajwadi Party leader Jaya Bachchan.

This is significant as the animosity between the once friendly families had its epicentre in Sonia Gandhi and Jaya Bachchan. It was Amitabh Bachchan’s mother, Tej Bachchan, who is said to have taught Sonia Gandhi Hindi when she decided to relocate to India to marry Rajiv Gandhi. Not only that, in a recent interview, Sonia Gandhi’s daughter Priyanka Vadra spoke about how ‘Tej aunty’ taught her poetry.

Rajiv Gandhi, Amitabh Bachchan and Arun Nehru were seen as the latest Rahul Gandhi and his younger leaders. Amitabh entered politics to help his friend Rajiv Gandhi. He also performed the Kaniyadaan, a ritual where a father gives away his daughter, at Priyanka Vadra’s wedding.

However, a rift developed between the two families. No one knows the real cause, but it is believed that the Gandhis felt that Amitabh Bachchan did not stand by them during the biggest Bofors crisis. In contrast, Amitabh Bachchan once said, “They are the kings and we are the servants.” The one who was most resentful towards the Gandhis was Jaya Bachchan, who once said that they were tycoons who had hurt her husband.

As Amitabh grew closer to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the contempt and anger from the Gandhis became more pronounced, as they accused the Bachchans of being traitors.

But things have changed since then. Only recently, many were surprised to see Sonia Gandhi and Jaya Bachchan laughing together. But what surprised everyone was that it was Sonia who goaded Jaya into taking on Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. When Jaya Bachchan was arguing with the Vice President in Rajya Sabha, it was Sonia who instructed the Indian Union leaders to support her, which they did. When Jaya Bachchan spoke to the media, she stood behind Bachchan and demanded an apology from the Vice President, much like when Sonia stood behind TMC MP Mahua Moitra when she was disqualified.

Many will wonder why friends who were once enemies have become friends again. This goes back to the axis that many senior leaders in the Indo-Pacific want to build on. They say it is important to forget all women and bitter memories of the past. Sources say West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also plays a key role as she has performed well and managed to get the BJP to just under a simple majority, which is why she feels the need to forget bitter memories of the past.

The Bachchans taught Sonia Gandhi Hindi and, thanks to their efforts, she regained her voice. Today, it seems the past is catching up with her again, and political compulsion may lead to the writing of new scripts.