It was a summer afternoon in 2004 and one of those rare occasions when journalists were allowed into Janpath 10, Sonia Gandhi’s residence and office. The UPA had won the parliamentary elections and Congress was at the top.
They called us for a photo shoot and tea with Sonia Gandhi. A small man in white kurta pajamas entered. I had just started to cover the Congress party and was not very familiar with all the nets and what their importance was. A senior congressional reporter then told me: “This man is Ahmed Patel. He is the most important leader you must cultivate and he must learn to trust you. “
It was later that I learned what he meant by “He must learn to trust you,” when it comes to Ahmed Patel. Anyway, Ahmedji was introduced to me as a new congressional reporter. He gave me a wide smile saying “Welcome”. Months passed. We crossed paths because I covered the Congress and he was the deepest link between Sonia Gandhi and the party. On Diwali, my phone rang. A man on the other side said, “Ahmed Patel wants to talk to you.” Ahmed Bhai got on the phone and wished my family and me a “very shubh Diwali.” It is a call that was always made without fail every year. However, not this year as he suffered from COVID-19
then.
But that’s what Ahmed Patel was all about. He took his time getting to know you. Even to take your calls. But a visit to Diwali meant that he had started to trust you. His response to messages and calls always came late into the night. Especially after 2 a.m. M. If you needed news from him, you had to learn to stay up late; that was our joke. All their conversations ended with: “Mujhe mat quotes karna. Mujhe kuch nahi pata (Don’t quote me. I don’t know anything)”.
Of course, Ahmed Patel knew a lot. He had good equations with just about everyone in Congress, and while he had personal favorites and was often accused of being a decision-making favorite, the fact is that Ahmed Patel’s door was always open for net worth. Young and old. What would tell us about him is that he had mastered the art of dealing with bosses. He would never give his opinion to Sonia Gandhi or the other Gandhis, he would place both versions with the pros and cons. And the final call was left to the Gandhis. But once the Gandhis entrusted him with the task of negotiating peace, there was no one who could match or exceed their tough negotiation.
Among the reporters, there was another joke. The moment Ahmed Patel stopped responding to his messages and taking his calls during a crisis, it would be clear that he was at work. The opening of the phone lines meant that the crisis had been averted and Ahmed Patel was successful again.
One of my last memories of him as a fighter was during the Rajya Sabha elections, where he had participated. We were stationed in Ahmedabad and it was a tap and go. Ahmedji was going in and out of the hotel where he had stayed and each time there was a smile on his face and he would tell us not to worry. “Jo hoga dekha jaayega (Whatever happens, we’ll fix it).” But once the result came out and he won, the tears in his eyes revealed how much this victory mattered. Despite the denial, it was clear that a loss would have been seen as a loss for Sonia Gandhi as well.
In her interview with me, she told me: “I don’t think it was a prestigious battle for Sonia Gandhi. But I know she wanted me to win, so I’m happy for her.”
In the political report one comes across many nets. Some are nice to you when they need the news to break out. Some exchange nothing more than little courtesies. But some like Ahmed Patel always kept in touch. The party will miss you. But for those of us who started the coverage of our party with him, the loss of a net who was also a friend, communicator, is irreplaceable. Those Diwali calls will be lost. Rest in peace.
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