Indira Gandhi - 100

The year was 1966 and I was just a 10 years old boy.  My beloved Social studies teacher, Narayana Achar, who kindled my interest in politics was in the classroom.  That was the day when the next Prime Minister of India had to be chosen.  Our teacher had told that the choice should be Morarji Desai, as he was more experienced.  But it turned out to be otherwise.  The then inexperienced Indira Gandhi won the contest with the support of Congress veterans and became the first woman Prime Minister of our country.  And since then I had the privilege of following her ups and downs with keen interest.

Not much happened during 1966-67.  Indira who was described as 'goongi gudiya' (meaning dumb doll) those days by some seniors took her time to settle in.  She managed to comfortably win the 1967 general elections and rode back to power.  This gave her the confidence to start asserting herself.

She nationalized 14 major banks during 1969,  which proved to be a revolutionary step later on.  This paved way for fast growth of banking network throughout the country, especially in semi-urban and rural sectors.  The concept of 'class banking' gave way to 'mass banking' which made the banking services, especially the loans for agriculture, small industries and business (also called priority sector) available even to the poor.  This banking revolution provided jobs to many youngsters like me throughout the country.

Indira now beaming with new confidence took another bold step!  She abolished the privy purses (pension) being given to erstwhile Kings. This was a step which reduced the 'dynasty status of former kings' to that of ordinary citizens of democratic India.  The irony is that the same Indira Gandhi was accused later of promoting  'dynastic rule' by imposing her own family on our country.

Assertive Indira started side lining veterans like Morarji Desai (left above).  Her assertion was total when she installed her own personal choice as the President of India defeating the official candidate of the Congress party.  This led to the split of Congress party itself and the result.....Indira Gandhi emerged stronger.

During 1971, Indira Gandhi swept the polls and won a massive majority with the election slogan 'garibi hatao'.  I remember those days when I along with my friend had waited till late midnight to listen to her election speech in my native place Hassan.

Soon she was confronted with the problem of lakhs of refugees entering India from the neighbouring East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).  Indira Gandhi seized the opportunity to wage a legitimate war against Pakistan.  She displayed great bravery and courage during the war.  

India won the war within just 14 days and Pakistan surrendered paving way for the birth of a new country, Bangladesh.  Many historians describe this as the greatest moment in the life of Indira Gandhi. Many in the country during those days, described Indira as the incarnation of 'Maa Durga'.  'Maa Durga' comparison was so much heard those days that many believe even today that it was first uttered by Mr. Vajpayee in the Parliament. But as denied by Mr. Vajpayee himself later, it was all a rumour.

Riding on the success of her war victory, Indira Gandhi encouraged her nuclear scientists to perform 'nuclear test'. Full credits to her leadership in getting us the status of a nuclear power in the world.

Soon Indira Gandhi became the undisputed leader of her Government and the party.  R.K.Laxman's cartoon above rightly depicts her 'super PM status' she commanded during those days.

As per Newton's Law anything that goes up must come down.  This probably caught up with Indira Gandhi too, when she signed the 

Simla Agreement (1972) with Pakistan later.  With this Pakistan got released all its 90,000 prisoners of war.  Many historians say that Indira Gandhi could have bargained better for resolution of Kashmir issue then itself.

In between a banking fraud amounting to about 60 lakhs of rupees (which was a huge sum then) occurred in State Bank of India which was then famous as the Nagarawala case.  The Nagarawala mystery was never solved!  Many say that corruption and frauds grew their roots strongly during Indira Gandhi's regime.

1973-75 were turbulent years for Indira Gandhi.  Indira's autocratic nature made her unpopular among the then opposition leaders. Moreover inflation, price-rise and Oil crisis haunted the country.  Opposition leaders led by Jayprakash Narayan mobilized people against Indira Gandhi under 'sampooran kranthi' banner.  The climax of all these developments was when Indira Gandhi was unseated from her Parliamentary Seat owing to electoral malpractices as per a verdict of the Allahabad High Court (1975).

In order to manoeuvre all these complications Indira Gandhi declared 'emergency' which is now famous as the black period in the history of democratic India. 

The above cartoon which caught the attention of the entire country then described the meekness with which the then President Fakruddin Ali Ahmed (in the cartoon here) signed the 'emergency' orders. Her son Sanjay Gandhi's activities during emergency too created a bad opinion in the minds of people.

All these developments led to the fall of Indira Gandhi during the 1977 General elections.  Many major opposition parties merged themselves to form the Janata Party which emerged victorious.  Historians described the Janata Party as the conglomeration of heterogeneous forces and they can't hold on for long.  This proved right when the Janata Government fell during 1979 itself.

Indira Gandhi stormed back to power during 1980.  It began disastrously for Mrs. Gandhi when her son Sanjay Gandhi was killed in a plane accident.  This made Indira Gandhi to bring her other son Rajiv Gandhi to politics.

Indira Gandhi proved to be a great sports patron when she successfully organized the 1982 Asian Games in India.  This revolutionized the sports enthusiasm in the country and led to development of sports infra of international standards. To her credit I must say that a sports event of that magnitude has never happened in India since then!

World cup cricket victory during 1983 was one more high during Indira Gandhi's regime.  She lauded the winning team which later led to emergence of India as the world leader in cricket.

The year 1984 proved disastrous for Indira Gandhi.  Sikh militants were playing havoc in Punjab under the banner of 'Khalistan Liberation Movement'.  Foreign forces were actively aiding this dubious cause.  Quirk of irony had made Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale (inset in pic below) as the super militant leader, who once was said to have been patronised by Indira Gandhi herself for countering Akali dal forces in Punjab.

To bring out militant forces from the sacred seat of Sikhs, Golden Temple, Amritsar, Indira Gandhi had to order military action under the code name 'operation blue star'. 

I served in Punjab during 1980-85 and was a mute witness to the entire militant movement.  Although 'operation blue star' was successful in eliminating militants from the Golden temple, it caused a deep hurt in the minds of the entire Sikh community.

As a result Indira Gandhi was shot dead by her own sikh security men in her own residence in Delhi.  Thus a glorious chapter in the history of independent India saw a tragic end.

Indira Gandhi as a leader was loved and hated by turns.  Her contribution to poverty alleviation is unquestioned.  Similarly it was during her regime that India achieved self-sufficiency in food production.  Her courage saw India emerge as a nuclear power.  With her brave leadership, she could humble and dismember Pakistan by separating Bangladesh. Rightly she was rewarded the Bharat Ratna during 1971 itself.

Probably her economics was weak.  She never thought of introducing 'economic reforms'.  She went on nourishing public sectors like her father which proved to be 'not enough' in the long run.  Had she ushered in economic reforms in India during 1970s itself, India too could have grown faster like China. Of course, one may say, speaking in the hindsight is easier!

Even today millions of Indians remember her words she spoke during the penultimate day of her life in a public speech in Odisha.  'If I die today, every drop of my blood will invigorate the nation'.

Long live the memory of Indira Gandhi

Long live India.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Thank you for patiently reading my blog.  You may please give me your feedback here itself.  Also you can mail me at klakshminarayana1956@rediffmail.com

You may also reach me on facebook at 'Lakshminarayana Krishnappa' or Mobile 98455 62603