27 years back, on this date, Mrs Indira Gandhi was assassinated plunging the entire nation in shock coupled with an immense sadness. She was the country's prime minister for over 16 yrs and had a charisma that won her admirers, not only from within the country but also, from all over the world.
To my mind, her finest hour in the entire tenure of her premiership was when the birth of the new nation state of Bangladesh took place in Dec '71, which was the result of a brilliantly won war by the Indian Armed forces over their Pakistani counterparts. Her leadership coupled with statesmanship of a very high order was undoubtedly the catalyst and the prime mover. The signing of the Indo-Soviet pact, her subsequent visits to all the major capitals of the world to apprise the leaders of those countries of the unprecedented influx of refugees from the then East Pakistan and the consequent burden on her country's economy, during the run up to the war, were master strokes of diplomacy. She displayed that a woman was equally good as her male counterparts, if not better, in the art of statecraft and took bold decisions to exhibit the steel in her. The Indians loved her without restraint.
But what happened subsequently, was sad. The people who're with her and who should have given her sound advice-to the extent of giving negative feedback as a fall out on her policies-remained mum and became mere stooges and 'yes men', presumably out of the fear of incurring her wrath. Sycophancy reached himalayan proportions! The result was that she'd stopped getting the feel of the ground reality. A sad state for a leader, who derived her strength from the grassroots who're ever ready to forgive her mistakes!
Whatever said and done, her tragic end shall always remain a blot on the Indian psyche. It's my opinion that we, as a people, had let her down when she needed us most.
My humble tribute to a great leader!
To my mind, her finest hour in the entire tenure of her premiership was when the birth of the new nation state of Bangladesh took place in Dec '71, which was the result of a brilliantly won war by the Indian Armed forces over their Pakistani counterparts. Her leadership coupled with statesmanship of a very high order was undoubtedly the catalyst and the prime mover. The signing of the Indo-Soviet pact, her subsequent visits to all the major capitals of the world to apprise the leaders of those countries of the unprecedented influx of refugees from the then East Pakistan and the consequent burden on her country's economy, during the run up to the war, were master strokes of diplomacy. She displayed that a woman was equally good as her male counterparts, if not better, in the art of statecraft and took bold decisions to exhibit the steel in her. The Indians loved her without restraint.
But what happened subsequently, was sad. The people who're with her and who should have given her sound advice-to the extent of giving negative feedback as a fall out on her policies-remained mum and became mere stooges and 'yes men', presumably out of the fear of incurring her wrath. Sycophancy reached himalayan proportions! The result was that she'd stopped getting the feel of the ground reality. A sad state for a leader, who derived her strength from the grassroots who're ever ready to forgive her mistakes!
Whatever said and done, her tragic end shall always remain a blot on the Indian psyche. It's my opinion that we, as a people, had let her down when she needed us most.
My humble tribute to a great leader!
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