Jawaharlal Nehru: A stickler for protocol and penny-pincher on official tours

Thanks to several revelations, including by her daughter, Pamela, it well known that much after India became independent, Lady Edwina Mountbatten visited India frequently and stayed at the prime minister’s residence, Teen Murti House. During these visits, the mother and daughter duo often accompanied Jawaharlal Nehru on tours within the country. Likewise, whenever Nehru visited the UK, he was a welcome guest at the Mountbatten family estate, Broadlands, Hampshire, a short distance away from London.
But, no one has known till date that on a snow-covered January night in 1955, Edwina personally served dinner to two young officers of the Indian prime minister’s staff after they had driven all the way from the British capital with a vital government document for Nehru who was spending his “usual weekend” there. Lord Mountbatten at that time was First Sea Lord of British Navy and was away from home.


On a snow-covered January night in 1955, Edwina personally served dinner to two young officers of the Indian prime minister’s staff after they had driven all the way from the British capital with a vital government document for Nehru who was spending his 'usual weekend' there. (Image: BCCL)

Dinner over, well past midnight, but after personally escorting the duo for a walk through the sprawling estate and mansion, Nehru and Edwina stood on the portico to bid goodbye to the young men. After their car departed, the two “hosts” for the evening, retreated into the mansion. All this while, barring a lone cook who was summoned by Lady Mountbatten, she and Nehru took no assistance from any other staff while taking care of the visitors.

No one has also known that during another visit to Europe, Nehru passed on to Yugoslav president’s wife, Jovanka Broz Tito, a beautiful bouquet of flowers that the French president’s wife had gifted to Indira Gandhi when the Indian delegation was departing from Paris. Nehru’s propensity towards being tightfisted when it came to government funds was also reflected in several other instances during his premiership but he was lavish in his personal style.


A boatride on the Periyar in Kerala, 1952. Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Sanjay are seated on top, while Rajiv is standing below. (Image: BCCL)

For instance, Nehru believed in being low on tips during official tours but was a liberal tipper on personal holidays. The only case when he could be said to be cutting corners in his personal choices, was his habit in later life to break a cigarette into two and smoke them separately. But this was done not to cut corners but because he was making a bid to reduce smoking, a vice he was advised by doctors to chuck but could not.

Up Close and Personal
Several such unknown characteristics and episodes of Nehru’s years as prime minister are not lying undiscovered in dusty library holding private papers. Instead, these episodes find mention in hitherto little known memoirs of RK Goel, personal assistant to Nehru for almost 16 years from October 1948 till his death in May 1964. A public servant, Goel remained in the Prime Minister’s Office in various capacities for three succeeding premiers — Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi and Morarji Desai till his retirement in 1980. However, of all his bosses, Goel’s fondest memories related to Nehru and like a true loyalist never revealed anything sensitive or controversial.


(Even when Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit was the Indian high commissioner to the United Kingdom, Nehru signed his official cables to her as Bhai, Image: BCCL)

Almost two decades after retirement, Goel was persuaded by his family to pen down at least the non-controversial incidents and observations. He finally agreed, but on one condition: that the memoirs shall remain in private circulation. This writer is privy to the book — My Years With Pandit Nehru — after Goel’s family graciously agreed to share it. In conversations, Goel’s grandson and grand-daughter-in-law, Rajeev and Ranjana Gupta, disclosed that since it was several years since Goel’s passing and because of the non-controversial nature of the book, there would be no harm if their grandfather’s labours became public.

The couple, connected intimately with the world of design, publishing and printing, disclosed how Goel was initially convinced by his daughter, Pushpa — mother of Rajeev Gupta — to put his memories and thoughts on paper and then they pored over his manuscript to publish it into a slim volume. Goel, however, did not write a word about his stint with subsequent prime ministers.

Despite Goel’s resolve not to disclose official matter, the book contains several nuggets of information that reveal how Nehru was a stickler for protocol and regulations and how he displayed a tremendous sense of humanism. For instance, it was Nehru who let Lady Mountbatten know that Goel had not eaten anything while driving from London that night and that he was a strict vegetarian while the other officer did not follow dietary restrictions.

One-upmanship has been a regular feature of Indo-Pak ties and an early instance was recorded by Goel. Once, Mohammed Ali Bogra, then prime minister of Pakistan, landed almost simultaneously with Nehru in Colombo to attend an international conference. Bogra had travelled in a Viscount while Nehru opted for the smaller Dakota aircraft. On spotting Nehru, the Pak premier boasted about his mode of travel and queried about Nehru’s. “Oh! I have come by my bullock cart,” the Indian premier replied.

No Smoking
Nehru was a heavy smoker and because he travelled a fair bit, early in Goel’s stint, he had instructed his assistant to check with the captain of the aircraft if the boss could smoke on board. The request was turned down, and, subsequently, Nehru never made another request to any other captain who may have been less stern.

In recent years, questions have been raised regarding gifts received by leaders in government. In the mid-1950s an Ahmedabad jeweller sent a packet of gold coins as gift for Nehru on his birthday. There was one coin to represent each year of his life. The prime minister retained only one coin, and deposited the rest in the government fund and informed the jeweller while thanking him.

Nehru’s sense of propriety was also reflected in insistence on the cost of personal telegrams sent to Indira and her sons, Rajiv and Sanjay, during his tours being put on his personal account. Nehru’s temper was legendary and Goel refers to it at several places. But there is an unusual incident that finds mention when Nehru was at the receiving end. Nehru was known for his punctuality.


(Nehru was a heavy smoker and because he travelled a fair bit, early in Goel’s stint, he had instructed his assistant to check with the captain of the aircraft if the boss could smoke on board. The request was turned down, and subsequently, Nehru never made another request to any other captain who may have been less stern, Image: BCCL)

But one day, Nehru kept eminent statistician and Planning Commission member PC Mahalanobis waiting beyond the appointed time. After waiting for several minutes, the scholar walked off, declaring that he would not wait for a prime minister who failed to keep his time. When Nehru heard about this, he did not get angry but instead managed his appointments better.

Among various relationships, Nehru’s bonding with his sister Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, attracted attention for a variety of reasons. It is noteworthy that even when she was the Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Nehru signed his official cables to her as Bhai. This was also when a mean side to Pandit’s personality is revealed in an incident that Goel narrated. When Nehru visited London on official visits, the convention was that he stayed at 9 Kensington Palace Garden, the official residence of the high commissioner. For his convenience, the personal staff would also be put up at the same place. In 1957, Pandit intimated MO Mathai, Nehru’s secretary, that space was sparse at her residence as her daughters and their children were visiting.

When Nehru was informed, he accepted her suggestion that Goel and another colleague check in at a nearby hotel. When the entourage arrived in London, Nehru discovered that Pandit had concocted the tale about her family visiting her. Consequently, he ordered Goel and the other man to check out of the hotel and stay at the official residence.

In his memoirs, Goel also discloses how, from December 1963, signs of Nehru’s fading memory and growing fatigue were evident to his associates even while he was in harness. The book discloses the depth to which Nehru was rattled by the setback in the war with China and how he never recovered from the “rude shock”. After the stroke he suffered in January 1964, Nehru developed a limp in his walk and struggled to get up from his chair. Goel described Nehru as not just a “noble boss, but also a teacher”.

After his death, most members of Nehru’s staff joined other ministries but Goel for some inexplicable reason continued. He, however, maintained a stoic silence on his tenure with other PMs.