There has been much speculation over what took place at the meeting between Priyanka Gandhi – whose father Rajiv Gandhi, was assassinated during an election meeting at Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, on the night of May 21, 1991 – and Nalini Sriharan, one of those convicted for the murder. Nalini was one of the four of the 26 convicted whose death sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court. Later, this was commuted to a life sentence.
Some answers are finally available in Nalini’s Tamil book Rajiv Kolai: Maraikkappatta Unmaigalum, Priyanka Nalini Santhipum (The Rajiv Assassination: The Hidden Truths And The Meeting Between Priyanka And Nalini), released in Chennai on November 24.
The book, compiled by journalist Ekalaivan, also speaks about the torture she claims to have faced as a pregnant woman at the hands of the police. Having spent 26 years in jail, Nalini still hopes to prove that she is innocent, so that she can be released and can lead a peaceful life with her husband and daughter.
Translated excerpts from the chapter on her conversation with Priyanka Gandhi:
My husband came to Chennai hoping to find himself a job abroad. There are two letters which can corroborate this – one written by his aunt Arul Vasantha from Switzerland and another from his cousin Jayam from Canada. They showed us these letters and enquired about them. But they did not file them as documentary evidence. If this had been done, it would have been established that he (my husband Murugan) was not here to hatch the conspiracy. But his aunt’s letter is documented as government evidence number 452. She mentioned that she would invite my husband to Switzerland soon.
They said my husband had enrolled himself in an English training college but never attended classes. That he was, instead, working on the conspiracy. They also showed concocted evidence to that effect. But this is contrary to the truth. The college administration deposed that he attended classes every day without fail. They failed to present this evidence before the court.
My husband attended classes every morning and evening because he was convinced that knowing English was necessary to get a job abroad. But they wanted to establish that he had no intention of going abroad and that he came to Chennai only to take part in the conspiracy.
I told him I was pregnant just before the bomb blast. He was so happy that he lifted me and danced around. We were even discussing names for the baby. If we were involved in a conspiracy to kill a leader of that stature, if we were aware of this, would we have been happy about the baby? Could we even be thinking about the future? Could my husband have gone to bed in peace on May 21 after sending me alone to the public meeting?
Would any woman go to such a place if she were aware that it could be dangerous for her first pregnancy? I was in the first trimester then. I knew that even a little shock – or long travel – could be dangerous for my pregnancy. My mother has had 25 years of experience as a midwife. I would not have done anything to endanger my pregnancy.
The CBI called the participation in VP Singh’s meeting on May 7, 1991 a rehearsal. At one point, the Supreme Court refused to accept that we – my husband and I – were present at this so-called rehearsal. Also, according to the wireless evidence produced by CBI, no one except Sivarasan, Subha and Dhanu was aware of the plot. This has been confirmed by the Supreme Court too. So is it not a figment of someone’s imagination that my husband and I were aware of it?
My time with Subha and Dhanu should have been viewed against this backdrop. But nobody did so. It has been documented that I had taken them to shops, the beach, Mahabalipuram, the cinema, and temples on May 4, 5, 12, 18, and 19 in 1991. It has also been documented that those days were holidays for me.
Can anyone involved in the conspiracy do this only on holidays? Is it possible?
CBI had documented that I told Sivarasan I could not travel long distances and could not take leave from work to accompany them. I went to the public meeting with them in the same way I went with to temple and shops. I had no idea it would be distorted this way later.
Priyanka suddenly interrupted and asked me if it was not possible for them to go without my company.
“They probably thought it was impossible, madam,” I told her. “They were from Sri Lanka. They were not familiar with Tamil Nadu. The dialect they use is different, and very difficult to follow. Also, they were women. And they came from my husband’s town. I accompanied them only as an act of goodwill, thinking I was offering some minor help.” She nodded and I continued.
“The major accusation against my husband is that he brainwashed me.
“From the first time we met, we hardly had any privacy. Our conversations on the days we did meet in privacy were given as confession statements. We never met even once between May 7 and the afternoon of May 21.
“Only once on May 18, we exchanged happiness over my pregnancy. How could he have brainwashed me? There is no evidence to that effect. I think this is enough to establish we are innocent.”
Priyanka then asked me about my husband’s education.
I: He dropped out when studying for his Class 12 examinations.
Priyanka: Weren’t you aware he could have links with LTTE if he was from Sri Lanka?
I: I was not aware at the time. My husband too did not behave that way. The efforts he took to bring my mother back to me and his concern for me proved he was my husband. He loves me a lot even now. He wouldn’t have let me walk into this sort of problem if he knew about it.
“They call me a primary accused. But they never took into account where I was on the day of the blast and before that. I never took leave at work that May. On May 21 too, I went to office as usual. I had asked for a day’s leave. But they told me to work for some time and then leave.
“I was very normal. I was not tense. I went to my Royapettah home after working a half-day. It is clear from all the evidence and witnesses. Nobody was considered whether someone involved in a conspiracy would behave this way. Can someone like me even be part of a conspiracy committee?
“My husband was normal too. There was no change in his behaviour when I met him at home. Even when he accompanied me to the bus stop, he kept asking whether I really should undertake this journey. He actually sounded very concerned.
“I was in the same situation as photographer Haribabu was. He died on the spot when the leader was assassinated. If he had known about the controversy, he wouldn’t be taking pictures. He wouldn’t have taken pictures of me, Shuba, Dhanu or Sivarasan. I was in a similar situation. I am saying all this to prove it.
“On May 25, 1991 we went to Tirupathi along with Sivarasan. The cab was booked in my brother’s name. This has been confirmed during interrogation of witnesses. How could we have been in touch with him after the crime if we knew he was involved? Only on the 26th was Sivarasan’s involvement in the crime established beyond doubt. We vacated our Viliwakkam home on the same day to avoid him. This has been recorded by the CBI. From this background, you can perhaps understand that we have no role in the conspiracy madam.
Priyanka: You did not meet Sivarasan after that?
I: No.
Priyanka: Why didn’t you inform the police immediately?
I: I was worried about my husband’s safety. All I had in my mind was that he should go abroad and get a job there. Sivarasan was the agent responsible for ensuring this. I did not want to ruin my husband’s chances. Also I was afraid he would implicate us in more conspiracies. All these factors forced me to remain silent, Madam.
I also told her that the CBI could have nabbed Sivarasan without much effort if they had wanted to. I explained to Priyanka about our visit to the Ashtalakshmi temple on May 7 and told her I was confused by the CBI’s decision not to arrest Sivarasan.
Priyanka: When did the police begin enquiring about you?
I: They began on May 27, 1991. But CBI has said that the police had obtained information about us on May 23, madam.
I further sought to explain how Sivarasan was keen to keep my husband in the dark. Once, Sivarasan wanted my mother (Padmavathi) to accompany him to Delhi for an important job. She refused, saying she could not travel with strangers. She was ready to go if my husband went along. But Sivarasan dropped the plan. He obviously did not want my husband to know what was happening.
It is clear from the evidence gathered by the CBI that they did not trust us. They have a letter written by Gundu Santhan to the Sri Lanka government, accusing my husband of creating confusion. The CBI also accessed the wireless message sent by Sivarasan, discussing my relationship with my husband and calling us untrustworthy.
Priyanka was listening keenly, with the same sharp look. She asked questions only when it was absolutely necessary. I was feeling guilty that we spoke only about us. There were two others facing the gallows along with my husband. I wanted to tell her they too were innocent like us.
But when I did, her expression began changing. Her eyes turned angry. It was evident that she was furious. She expressed her dissatisfaction by frequently asking me questions. She told me I was justified in talking about myself and my husband, but wondered why I was concerned about others. She sounded rude when she asked me this. I never expected this kind of displeasure or hostility from her.
“No madam, they are innocent…” I began when she interrupted. “Look. Does this mean all of you are not guilty? That none of you is involved in this? Does this mean all the enquiry by the CBI, witnesses and the evidence are lies? Does this mean the court erred in its judgment? What are you trying to say?”
She was angry and I was trembling. I was not sure if I should talk further to her.
Translated from the Tamil by Kavitha Muralidharan.
Excerpted with permission from Yaazh Pathippakam publishers.