“I grew up like a boy,” Indira Gandhi remembered, “because most of the children who came to our house were boys. With boys, I climbed trees, ran races, and wrestled. I had no complexes of envy or inferiority towards boys. At the same time, however, I liked dolls. I had many dolls. And you know how I played with them?”
Answered Mrs Gandhi, “By performing insurrections, assemblies, scenes of arrest. My dolls were almost never babies to be nursed, but men and women who attacked barracks and ended up in prison.”
There was a reason Indira’s Congress boss — with the unimprovable name of D K Barooah — would yell “India is Indira, Indira is India”, not least because a lot of the time, it seemed true. Just as true as when Richard Nixon, with typical darkness, fumed over how he “really slobbered over that old witch”.
This was, no doubt, a woman that aroused strong emotion.
How couldn’t she? Today’s Indian press agrees on but one thing — that the Iron Lady be described in Very Big Words: a titan to her fans, an ogre to her foes. The reality is less romantic. Ms Gandhi’s hold over India was the proverbial bear hug: big, bloody, and, for many, still unbroken.
And as India’s elections loom — and the nightmare of a PM Modi grows realer by the day — it’s a sad indictment of the Gandhis, the Congis, and the system they spoiled. It could have all been so different.
It’s unimaginable, in this dynastic day and age, to think Indira’s rise wasn’t guaranteed, but the times were less cynical back then. Before Sanjay went rogue, it was the Iron Lady that was the dissolute son, dropping out of Oxford and marrying for love. “No one wanted that marriage,” Mrs Gandhi would later say. “No one. Even Mahatma Gandhi wasn’t happy about it.” And when her father died, the PM’s mantle moved not to her, but to tough, tiny Lal Bahadur Shastri instead. It would take Shastri’s death, in less than two years later, for India to lurch towards Indira… and dynasts evermore. Around the time she took over, Congress’s old uncles made fun of Nehru’s little girl; goongi gurya, they laughed. By the time she left, they were calling her the goddess Durga (the Invincible).
But while Mrs Gandhi proved hard to break, she broke her father’s India with flair. For many, the Indira Days were when the Good Old Days, the days historians painted in sepia tones, came to a screeching halt. The Mahatma days of men in white, daring to dream of a proud and progressive India, were over.
But the Indira Days, bleak, brittle and martial, had just begun. Victory in ’71 put Mrs Gandhi beyond reproach, Emergency in ’75 put her beyond redemption. Thousands of protestors, including gents with names like Kripalani, Desai, Vajpayee and Advani, were hauled off to jail. Provincial governments were sacked, elections postponed, and the press kicked around.
And then there was Sanjay, with his sideburns and sports cars and steel contracts. Sanjay took the all-too-familiar route of today’s Mughal princelings: leading the party’s youth wing, before running Delhi with his bachpan ke dost. Mrs Gandhi had a mother’s empathy for her son, “He is so much like I was at that age — rough edges and all — that my heart aches for the suffering he may have to bear.” Sanjay ended up causing a lot more suffering with those rough edges, force-sterilising Indians up and down the country.
It was democracy lost: the republic saw its first emergency, and its first personality cult. When Mrs Gandhi returned, she would lose her son to a stunt plane, and herself to her Sikh bodyguards’ bullets. Delhi would strike back, and over 8,000 Sikhs were murdered in the aftermath. “When a big tree falls,” explained Rajiv, “the earth shakes”.
Thirty years later, it’s still Indira’s India, swept by reaction and resentment, refusing to escape the woman it buried in the blood and dust of ‘84.
Today, the useless Rahul Gandhi accuses Modi of massacring Muslims in Gujarat. The BJP jeers back that Mr Gandhi couldn’t even bring himself to apologise for ’84. So Mr Gandhi checks himself… and apologises.
Rahul then compares Modi to Hitler, to be kicked in the teeth again by the BJP boys; Arun Jaitley smirking that Indira’s Emergency looked and felt a whole lot like the Third Reich. When it comes to autocracy — or murdering minorities — the ghost of Rahul’s grandmother is managing the impossible: ceding the moral ground to Modi.
For someone fond of combat sports, Modi has held off from going after Indira, even as Rahul reels from nosebleed to nosebleed. Modi’s no fan; he’s long equated Emergency with India’s darkest days. But Modi owes a lot to the Iron Lady, as more than one observer has pointed out: the comprehensive campaign, the emasculating of the old guard, the flat-footed leadership style.
And of course, personality over party.
As this massive republic gears up for a multi-round show, it’s a sad day to see the India of Gandhi and Nehru become the India of Gandhi III and NaMo. That the fate of a billion people be put in the hands of an unwilling dynast on one side, and a certified monster on the other, is hard to comprehend.
But the real victim of this tragedy is, as ever, the Indian Muslim. As the Muslim voter scrambles to keep the ‘saffrons’ out and the ‘seculars’ in, comparing the tried-and-failed Congress to the tried-and-failing Samajwadi Party — it’s sad to see India’s main minority become just another trade union.
For in the world’s largest election, in the world’s largest democracy, collective terror of Modi it would seem, is all that matters.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 18th, 2014.
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COMMENTS (39)
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@Priya: Modi has never been tried or given a "clean chit" - the term itself is just propaganda. The legal debate to date has centred on whether he should stand trial, so evidence has not been heard in court. An important new book by Manoj Mitta: "The fiction of fact-finding" explains the case.
Majority Indians tilting towards electing Modi as next PM is a true. But fear of Muslims should not be exaggerated. Majority of Indians who subscribe to Modi 'the icon of development' not Modi 'the accused of Riots' and them being voter of Modi wouldn't in any sense lessen their credentials as secular. The love of Modi this time comes from many sides. Some people loves his development plank, some have been fed up with worthless and useless, opportunist pseudo secularist. As far as these so called secularist are concern, they have been surviving only on the negative publicity of BJP and voting. They arouse fear in the heart of Minority/Muslims to gain their votes, create the caste divide among Hindus, create social engineering like Muslim-Yadav combo, BC-General etc. They never talk about the development and example is wherever these people are ruling, that states are the most backward state of India, UP and Bihar are example. They even after garnering votes of Muslims, forget their plight, left them in lurch, that is why as per sachchar committee report, Muslims are still the most backward group while the market of Lalu, Mulayam, Nitish and Congress run on the votes of Muslims voters only. Indians want development and whoever promises employment, roads, electricity, water, security, hospitals and schools, would win this election
"force-sterilizing Indians up and down the country" .. The only sensible thing any Gandhi ever did.
People in India blame Mrs Indira Gandhi for not solving Kashmir issues. With 90,000 Pakistani soldiers in custody she let go off a bargaining chip. Imagine if those 90,000 soldiers were in custody of a winning Muslim state. As a winner they would have considered them as slaves as history of Muslim rulers indicates. But Mrs Indira Gandhi was a leader of a civilized nation and let the soldiers go with dignity and respected Geneva convention to the letter and spirit.
Well written...You have a way with words..Try fiction buddy..Before that, please check out some interesting statistics by clicking on the below link:
http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/pakistan/database/sect-attack.htm
And then, try seeking similar data for India...
This my friends is the story of the "Islamic Republic of Pakistan" where more muslims are killed by fellow muslims than any other place..Yeah you have good competition from Syria, Egypt, Iraq...Exciting Company eh?
The moral of the story my dear Asad is a very old saying that goes like this, "those who stay in glass houses - - - - " you get it don't you? And stop worrying about 'poor Indian Muslims'..After all, they aren't thronging the Wagah border trying to flee into the land of pure, are they?
Cheers!!
Playing the victim card again..yawn.
The author got it fairly well for a foreigner, despite his economics education; I mean he did not let dogmatism get in the way of "seeing" the stuff above ground. But he misses what is deep underneath; he has merely stated the obvious. He seriously fails on his invocation of the Muslim condition. Immediately, he loses the economist or economic/political historian hat and puts on the groundhog's coat. Now he turns to intuition and forecasts a bad, continued winter for Muslims. Obviously, human condition is not in his consideration; just the Muslim victimhood. The Indian nation's economic and other strategic challenges are not in his consideration (god knows there are several!). It is just Muslims.
Hopefully, he'll come around with a follow-up "advising" Indian Muslims (good for Muslims in Europe and elsewhere too) to commit to a national identity (over the ummah or whatever the fuzzy heck they clamour for), participate in the political process, and fight hard. It was the foolhardy idealism of Gandhi who started off the politics of conciliation and compensation in India, one that has become so organic that it is proving detrimental to the strategic trajectory of India as well as the development of Muslims, Hindus and others. As the Chinese proverb goes, "If you want to help that man, don't give him fish. Teach him how to fish." Obviously, the author is hooked on that drug of conciliation and compensation and cannot see the forest for the trees. If any leader has the courage and strength, he or she would take a deep look into this rot in the roots, and lay down a uniform civil code and execute it ruthlessly. "No matter, where you are in India or who are, you have the same rights as everyone and the same duties to each other." Alas, that chance was long gone! Do you know when and how, Mr. LSE? I'd love to read your scholarship on that.
Standing applause for the people of Pak Just a couple of days ago a temple was destroyed and this is not the first one.
Yet to talk about Indian muslims! I would definitely like to know how Indian muslims feel when they are talked about in a pitiful manner by Pakistanis. I am sure they must feel greatly disrespected.
'pain is certain, suffering optional' - buddha rephrasing 'bjp win is certain, suffering by indian muslims optional'
@Javed: You are a Pakistani and should be concerned o what happens to ALL Pakistanis be they Shia, Ahmadi, Christians, Sikhs or Hindus. Are you? Joseph Colony, Asia Bibi, Rimsha Masih and the tenple burning oday - do they ring any bell? What about the ongoing tragedy of Hazaras?
Indian Muslim voters have chosen to be sandwitched as they are by voting en-block. If Hindus do not allow BJP to take them for granted or vote enbloc, why do Muslims let those misusing the slogan of Islam khatrein mein hai for their own cynical advantage to trap them into voting along predictable lines? Anyway it looks like that is about to change. Already in Gujarat in 2012 BJP won in many Muslim majority localities in municipal elections in Gujarat on the development plank and the fear mongering failed. It is not my case that they should all ote for BJP.in fact just as Hindus vote for who they feel is in their best interest, Muslims should do the same in each constituency rather than as a monolith.
I would have still loved Indira had she delivered on the economy and human development fronts. But she didnt and that's why I wud consider her an ogre rather than a benevolent tyrant. Her years and those of her son were India's lost years. 1967-89 - 22 years- that is what separates India from Eastern Asia.
Regards
Thankyou for your concern. But India 1.2 billion people knows what they are doing. Todays India is aspirational and looking into future. Todays India is young and get frustrated when a PM says corruption is due to coalition and paint PM as hapless entity. Congress failed to see that (and you as well). I am not saying India is perfect society but I am sure about its capacity to correct its direction and move on. And I am not worried too much about rough edges of Modi. Its no longer 1975 or even 2002. It is 2014.
i liked javaid cheema's three pointer. particularly since i contest elections on a bjp ticket and win thousands of muslim votes in my constituency. including the last election against a 'secular' muslim candidate of the congress. the muslims in my area would reel against any lofty statement that labels them a trade union. ignorance.
Hope it was researched well!! Modi is not a villain as people tend to make of him! Further even he becomes the PM, there are enough check and balance in the parliament if he decide to go rouge! By the way he is the CM of Gujarat state and he was elected with Muslim support in large numbers!!! So relax...he may be good for peaceful Asia!!
Has Hindu Nationalism ever resulted in the creation of a separate Hindu homeland where all non Hindus are driven out and something similar to the blasphemy law is imposed on those that remain? Nope. Now tell me, Mr. Rahim, which type of religious nationalism caused something similar to happen? Can you name the country?
Funny you are worried about minority muslims in India who 70 years ago rejected the idea of moving to yours and while in your own country kills all minorities with impunity. Check this out: http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/21487/larkana-losing-our-soul-religion-and-country-one-minority-at-a-time/
ET should compile a book containing all of the hysterical Modi-dreading articles that it is publishing now almost on a daily basis. It is a phenomenon unique to the Pakistani press. The western nations have all fallen in line anticipating a Modi victory. The Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans, Nepalese seem to be non pulsed. Only the Pakistanis, it seems, are beating themselves into a frenzy like a bunch of school girls sharing ghost stories on a camp night. Chill, guys, foreign policy is not the focus of these elections. Development is. The "saffron monster" is not interested in you.
As per the author projection, if India is going to suffer after the biggest election process in the world , it will be not confined to Indian Muslims only.Indian Muslims have equal rights in general election not like Pakistan where minority are confined to reserve seats.So it is upon the Indian Muslims to bargain their due in voting in somewhere near 300 seats, where they can influence results.Third front still have major say in states where they are in power, so it is not plainly between Rahul Vs Modi only.Expert believes no party is going to have majority and the compulsions of alignments last time forced BJP to drop their pet demands and this will happen again.Democratic tradition in India is strong and Author should have noted that Indira Gandhi's emergency ,which was not usurpation of power by military means, was finally came to close through election in which Indira Gandhi did not get single seat in North India.
The author is right ... so far, the Muslims in India have successfully managed to dictate the outcome of many elections, by voting as a block. ... Status quo seems to suit the Muslims of India, that helps perpetuate the utterly corrupt dynastic rule, but is a disaster for India.
The Hindus in India must learn from the Muslims, for India to change the disastrous course ...
No leader is perfect and Indira Gandhi is best remembered for her decisions. I am sure Pakistan wishes they had a leader like Indira Gandhi.
But the real victim of this tragedy is, as ever, the Indian Muslim.
Self proclaimed protector of Muslim people has failed to realize that there are no line ups of asylum seeking Indian Muslim outside Pakistani High Commission or any other foreign missions, Period. Similarly, there is no invitation from Pakistan for them to migrate. So it will be a good idea to look yourself (read Pakistanis) in the mirror and realize with poor law and order that you have failed to protect not only minorities but even the majority. If the real victims are the Indian Muslim than why not ask for a referendum of Indian Muslim and seek there opinion once for all if they want to migrate to Pakistan or not. We all know what the out come of such a referendum will be. At least Indian Muslim have role models such as Dr Zakir Hussein, Dr Abdul Kalam and others to aspire to be President of India unfortunately minorities in Pakistan do not have any such role model. Dr Abdul Sattar the only Pakistani Noble Prize winner was not even spared after his death.
I must say it requires an incredible degree of tone deafness to go about the fate of minorities in your neighbor's country on a day when a minority place of worship went up in the flames on mere suspicion of blasphemy. Keep it up, friend. You guys are truly the chosen one.
I totally agree with this author. The real victim of the RG v. Namo fight is the Indian Muslim. As Pakistanis, it is our duty to be concerned about all people, as long as they are Muslims living in other countries.
It is understandable that author's heart bleed for beleaguered Indian Muslims, without even shedding a single drop of tear for pitiable condition and treatment of minorities in his own backyard.
NaMo is no angle but even an elementary knowledge of India, democracy and Indian democracy would have disabused him of limitations of PM's power in India. He has to look no further than Dr. Manmohan Singh to understand that.
BJP and Modi won't get more than 150 seats out of 550 and rest will be through allies and that gives very narrow mandate to anyone in PMs seat. Author should rest easy as far as Indian Muslims are concerned. For 3rd world country with per capita income of $1000, Indian minorities enjoy right, security and opportunity of 2nd if not 1st world.
Considering, how subcontinental Muslims when they are/were in majority and had power (even their 'forefathers' from faraway lands) treated and treat (ex Bangladesh and Pakistan) Hindus, they are getting extremely well treated in India. And i don't have to give examples and statistics to prove that.
Nagpuri
@author certified monster for minority seriously?? you talk as if he has persecuted all the 2.5 million Muslims, Sikhs etc who were living in gujrat.Dear author do you understand that for most of us(Indians) Congress has lost it's credibility and empowerment mantra which Rahul gandhi proposed didn't make much sense to most of us.The growth and progress which we saw in last 5 6 years is stalling and is marred by corruption and scams.I feel bad for the muzaffarnagar victims, for the Sikhs who were burnt on streets of delhi, for Hindus and Muslims who lost their lives in godhra. But this will not force me to vote for Congress because they have failed us.One more thing i would like to mention as an Indian and as a Hindu it's my responsibility to keep our Muslim brothers safe and secure and the large scale slaughter which you envision will never happen in India.Don't you feel it's too far fetched. I won't talk about Pakistan or it's condition or treatment of minorities there. But i feel amazed how you people have constantly ignored reality and set different standards for others while your country is still confused on sundry issues.
@et team please publish
yes the real victim is the indian muslim as expected from a pakistani whose eyes only see muslims as per convenience. What about other minorities like christians like me who wishes for better economy through better business environment initiated probably by Modi. If you want to really stop muslims from getting killed and muslim children from suffering do write about syria where shia /sunnis are fighting blood fight.
Spoiler Alert !
Nice & Crisp article. Its a really good read but it all comes crashing down in the end.
"But the real victim of this tragedy is, as ever, the Indian Muslim. "
The problem with the Muslim voters is that they vote like Muslims, rather than Indians. The average Indian is sick and tired of the Congress, the Communists, the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party et al. They are corrupt and only "secular" in name. They are tired of the BJP as well but see hope in Narendra Modi. It is only Modi who can take India out of the morass.
Modi with his bombastic speeches, is known as many names. The Twister is one of them. for twisting facts to suit his at the moment needs. He is also known as the Indian Pied Piper. Playing is flute to an enchanted,mesmerized in zombie state Indians to a not so bright future.
Narendra Modi has no case pending in any court in India. He has been given a clean chit by a Supreme Court monitored SIT. This has removed all doubts from our hearts and minds. The people of Gujrat has chosen him for 3 terms as their Chief Minister and this speaks in itself. Past decade the USA / UK / EU imposed sanctions and VISA bans on Modi, but as soon as the Courts gave him a clean chit in India, UK and EU immediately sent their Ambassadors to meet Modi and invited him to visit Europe at his earliest. Last month US Ambassador met Modi at his residence in Gujarat and they had a very fruitful meeting. The announcement was made by US Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Desai Biswal ( An Indian American ), who is on her first diplomatic mission to India since taking office in November of last year. In an interview on a leading Indian news television channel, Biswal said the US would welcome Modi as the leader of India. ”I would just say that the United States has welcomed every leader of this vibrant democracy, and that a democratically elected leader of India will be a welcome partner,” Biswal told an interviewer from Headlines Today.
Yet another pompous Lahori who'd rather bloviate on what happens in others' land than do anything to save our land. We truly live in la-la land!!
well written. The fate that you have described for Indian Muslims is not God given but somehing they have chosen for themselves. Instead of ceding their vote to leaders like Imam Bukhari of Jama Masjid and others like him and voting enbloc, if they too voted for their self interests they too would have their vote count. After all BJP cannot take Hindus for granted. Why do the Muslims allow themselves to be taken for granted? If they decide not to follow what regressive Muslim leaders (who barter their capacity to influence Muslim vote for personal pelf and power) tell them and instead vote their own self interest in their own constituency (whichever party that is), they will have the same leverage.