INDIRA GANDHI ......,...........RISE ,FALL AND... RISE AGAIN

INDIRA GANDHI....RISE...FALL ....
      .........AND RISE AGAIN

Very few  people of today's generation may be knowing that  when Indira Gandhi became India's Prime Minister she was a sheer puppet and didnot have a  real control of power .Way back in 1966 after Lal Bahadur Shastry's suspicious death, the power centre was still  Mr Kamraj , who was the Congress party president then . He could have easily   become PM , as he had an excellent hold on CWC (Congress working committee) and  chief ministers of almost all states had  respect and backing  for him.Even at the time ,when Lal Bahadur Shastry became PM , K Kamraj was the key person behind the curtains  in making Shastriji PM .  Kamraj was a clever " king maker"and shrewd person  and knew that since he could neither speak in Hindi nor in English a large population and media  will not accept him as PM . He wanted Such a person as  PM to whom he could control.

There were many well known and capable persons in Congress at that time   like Morarji Desai , Nijilingappa  and Sanjiv Reddy . Kamraj knew, it will be difficult to remotely control any one of them. He therefore first gave reins to Lal Bahadur Shastry and later after Shastry's sudden demise projected Indira Gandhi's name for PM post. Indira Gandhi  has a limited experience of governing  but her background was  good enough for most politicians  to accept her  assuming  the  top post. It was a win win situation for Kamraj and India's large illiterate population.

Indeed for nearly one year Indira Gandhi was controlled by Kamraj  and persons close to him. Later Kamraj was defeated in General election by P.Seenivasan ,a 25 year old  student leader of DMK in 1967  and his hold on CWC  was over .The new    President Nijilangappa continued remote control policy on Indira Gandhi but by then IG  had become wiser. IG  was still controlled and in the process   she   earned infamous tag of " Gungi Gudia".
She understood the game people were playing  and when the famous parliamentarian  Mr Madhu Limaye sympathised her instead of blaming her,. IG's ego was badly hurt . For her, getting someone's sympathy was more humiliating than getting the blame.She decided to get rid off the clutches of Syndicate. She openly opposed the candidature of Neelam Sanjiv Reddy for President post and supported V V Giri àn independant candidate. She won in that strategy and President of her choice assumed the  office. Later she  snubbed Morarji Desai when Nationalisation of eight banks was done though Morarji was Finance Minister.

Eventually Congress party splitted vertically and Indira Gandhi got full control in her new congress.She advanced the election when the bill of abolishing pension for old kingdoms did not pass in Rajyasabha and her "Garibi Hatao " slogan gave her majority in 1971 election.

The issue of Bengali refugees was increasing in geometric proportion when Indira Gandhi formed her Government in the recently concluded election. No politician had faced such a stiff task of sending almost 12 million refugees back to their homes . .Indira Gandhi convinced the world leaders and most third world countries were ready to help India. Her international press conference in Paris, when she answered many questions in  French fluently, gave her big fame. America however was from Pakistan's side. This was a matter of worry for India. IG was however firm on her stand on the Refugees and always insisted that they will go back to their homes. With the help of  Indian Army ' Mukti Bahini ' was unofficially promoted and proxy war started in East Pakistan.That culminated into full fledge war by beginning of December 1971. During the war America had announced that their 7 fleet (ships loaded with arms and anti air guns)  has started the journey to reach to Indian ocean .It is said that to counter this Indians played  the  superb trick.  A suicide squad was formed by Indian Air Force. Indira Gandhi kissed every young pilot on their foreheads and all the pilots promised IG that American 7 fleet will never reach near India. All the pilots told IG that they are ready to die for their mother, IG herself, and their motherland. This news was  then deliberately leaked by IG and a better sense of responsibility prevailed. America decided not to interfere.The advancement of 7 fleet  as abandoned by USA as USSR declared that they too will send their Marines . This was the biggest victory for IG and India.

Later as promised by Geeral Maneksha our Army won the war in just 16 days .On 16 th December 1971  there was the biggest ever surrender  in the history of world. 94000 Pakistan Army surrendered .  Never before in the history ,such a large fully equipped Army surrendered without fighting.

This was because the writing was on the wall for Pakistan Army which was surrounded by Indian army from every direction and they knew IG will not budge nor will spare them.


After the war Indira Gandhi got a new tag of " Devi Durga" from her staunch opponents like RSS and Jansangh leaders. She then happily twisted arms of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto,Prime Minister of  Pakistan in bilateral talks at Shimala ,ignoring all the super powers who offered to meditate. IG took the stand that it is bilateral issue between India and Pakistan . She was undisputedly  clear winner by adding the clause in Shimala Agreement that base year for any discussion on Jammu and Kashmir will be 1971 and not 1947 and the issue is bilateral. Every super power for their vested interests wanted Kashmir issue burning.


1965 war didnot expose the truth that  Lal Bahadur   Shastry  was  controlled from outside and later 1971 war obliterated Indira Gandhi's tag  of  "Gungi Gudiya and gave her new tag. The wars have always helped politicians in improving their image.The recent example is ,"Balakot" strike which undoubtedly helped NaMo!


Indira Gandhi had majority in the General election of 1971and her triumph in the war changed her totally. Perhaps it is true that digesting the success is difficult than achieving it.....Next 3 years she was absolutely dominating the political scenario of India.

She liked the concept of remote control  so much that she started controlling every chief minister from Delhi .In fact  she suffered because of the remote control politics for nearly  an year and half ... but now it was her time.  ignoring many local stalwarts ,she installed sycophants everywhere and those who didnot budge were shunted .Even the post like President of India was not spared.There was a new slogan 

" Indira is India and India is  Indira." 

 It showed how absolute she was !  The time however keep changing  and When Allahabad High court result went against her in June 1975 she imposed Emergency for retaining the power.She became ruthless and many great leaders who admired her  were put behind the bar during emergency era. Emergency was undoubtedly the biggest blunder of IG. Her support to rampant Sanjay Gandhi who had all the powers but no responsibility led to chaos.

 Responsibility without authority leads to frustration and Authority without responsibilty leads to Chaos.Both these things were clearly visible during emergency . The 19 months of Emergency saw everyday decline in her popularity.

In 1977 election , Indira Gandhi  was badly defeated ....She herself lost the election and her party could not open an account in the entire Hindi heartbelt.Indira Gandhi's party still got 170 seats in the  Southern states of  the country.

It is said that the person who reaches the top position is great but the person who reaches the top position  again after getting displaced from it is greater than the former. 

On the other side of peak there is always a valley .Reaching peak is remarkable but reaching there again after falling in the valley requires far more guts .Indira Gandhi had those guts.

 IG registered spectacular come back in 1980 election and assumed the top post again.Some people say it was because of Sanjay Gandhi, her son. Others say it was merely because of stupidity of Janata party. Reasons could be anything but the result was IG was in the top position again.

Indira Gandhi after 1980 was  a changed person.This change was not only because of the punishment people gave to her and her   party but it was also because of the fact that IG faced tragic situation of the death of her Son Sanjay. She wanted the support of someone whom she can trust and who else could have been better than   her second son Rajiv ? She almost forced Rajiv to enter the politics.

.The Khalistan movement was a big threat to our national security. Initially IG promoted Bhindrawale to control  it but soon she realized the mistake. The problem was becoming acute every second day. Indira Gandhi knew the history very well.She knew " Sikhs"  don't spare anyone who touch their Golden temple.She was time and again advised not to take action on extremist hiding in the  Golden Temple but she ignored the advice as she knew there was no  other alternative. 

She had guts to take bold steps and so on June 4 the operation Blue Star was ordered.
Our Army , like in every other operation succeeded and in the process there were many scars on the great Sikh community.

After operation Blue star  Indira Gandhi knew that her days are numbered but she was not scared. The plot to eliminate her was in fact partially exposed and two Sikhs, who were her security guards, were removed from her security. .IG didnot like that.In  her own handwriting it is written on the file of one of her killers.
" Is this our Secularism?"
She  herself reinstalled the two Sikhs for her security . The persons who were removed were given the important job of her security .... Alas ! ! They  betrayed her .

The great personality was silenced.     forever on 31st October 1984.Two Sikhs who were her bodyguard emptied their weapons, one fired 6 bullets and other fired 53 bullets on her.The whole world was shocked.

Now Indira Gandhi was never to rise again .!....but she was in the hearts of many Indians and will remain there forever.

I remember the slogan during her funeral  which was attended by chiefs of more than 100 countries. " and thousands of Indians 
"  Jab tak Suraj Chand Rahega ....Indira tera Nam rahega"......

No one is immortal and with time every memory  fades , never the less  many people like me, believe in that slogan even today !

------------R J  Phansalkar


           11th Nov  2020                       




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