1984

"What do you think are the three most important turning points in the history of post independent India?". I took a long pause, even as I was thinking of mentioning the three most important events in the 63 years of India's existence as a sovereign nation. The interviewer's question was a tricky one, which you always expect in a premier B-school interview. After ten seconds or so, I listed down the three events:

• 1974: India became an atomic power(Smiling Buddha)
• 1984: Indira Gandhi's assasination
• 2008: 26/11 Mumbai Attacks

There are many other events which have been as tragic and historic as the above, but I don't know why I mentioned those three. As was obvious, they asked for my justification and I suitably came up with my arguments.

But now I feel, the second event which I mentioned as the Assassination of Indira Gandhi holds a special place. As in, it led to a chain of events that changed the course of Indian politics. Till that time, Congress was a virtual monopoly. Post 1984 saw the emergence of the BJP and other Hindutva oriented fundamentalist parties.

Indira Gandhi was a visionary and a true leader, popular amongst the masses with her "Garibi Hatao" movement. We are now almost self-sufficient when it comes to food production and the credit must be given to her. But people do forget that she was above all a human being, with shades of egoism quite evident from the way she toyed with the democracy during the emergency. Her tactical mistakes cost India, a large part of Kashmir. And the antipathy she shared with the then US President Richard Nixon amply proves that sparks fly when two giants clash!! But regardless of the blunders which she did, she was a towering personality, one who engulfed thousands of people even after her death.

Yes, I am talking about the Delhi 1984 riots. One of the worst ever organized government sponsored homicidal killings of all times, comparable to the holocaust under the Nazi Regime, not in terms of scale but definitely in terms of the intent. Official records cite a figure of 3000 sikhs killed, but thousands went missing and so the effective casualty figure almost doubles. Even, Osama bin Laden would have had a tough time motivating his cadre to kill that many people in the 9/11 attacks (Pun Intended). I distinctly remember not being taught enough about the 1984 riots in my history textbooks and I now know why. Mental trauma and agony are two things which hurt you more than anything else. That is what precisely happened with thousands of families who have lost their dear ones in those riots. Justice has been denied, and the the ones who conducted the pogrom are still drinking their cup of tea with glee. Names can't be mentioned out here, because the "matter is subjudice"!! An alibi most politicians involved in crimes use to escape the media.

Does the Indian Government have the right to morally preach the Uzbek Government for the genocidal killings in Uzbekistan?? No, unless and until its hands aren't stain free, it has no right to do so except allowing the foreign secretary to release an official statement condemning the killings and then keep quite. India desperately needs a Handbook on "How to protect its citizens" and I guess Israel would be the fitting author for such a handbook if ever, it was published. I am not justifying Israel's actions, some of which are equally if not more ghastly.

Point to ponder is that the government hasn't learnt its lessons well as was evident from the Godhra Riots in 2002. So, are we different from any other nation that has and still indulges in ethnic cleansing? Yes and No. Yes, because we are still a democratic nation and uphold the values as written down in our constitution. No, because the government and the whole system wouldn't hesitate to "discreetly" support the rioters and the arsonists when the need arises (read vote bank politics).

P.S: Watch the movies "Amu" and "Parzania".

Regards,
taureansandy