MacFormat 1996 July/macformat-039.iso/DATABASE/SHARED.DIR/01265_65.cap.txt

Text File | 1996-03-14 | 4.6 KB | 292 lines

@
Much of Indira
Gandhi's early
appeal derived
from the fact
that she was the
daughter of
Jawaharal Nehru,
the first prime
minister of
independent India.
Indira worked at
her father's side
from 1947 until
his death in 1964
#
Indira Gandhi
became leader
of the Congress
party, and thus
prime minister,
in February 1966.
It was the start
of a turbulent
career which made
her one of the
most revered,
and at the same
time the most
hated politicians
of her age
#
A split in the
Congress party
was precipitated
by the death in
1969 of Dr Zakir
Hussein, India's
president. Two
factions emerged,
both claiming to
be the real Congress.
Indira Gandhi's
candidate went
on to win the
presidency, the
rival faction was
weakened, and
she triumphed in
the general
election of 1971
#
Parliamentary
majorities could
not insulate
Mrs Gandhi from
popular unrest.
Droughts in 1972
and 1974, stagnant
industry, inflation
and an increase
in the price of oil
in 1973 led to
civil protest and
political agitation.
Worse still, Mrs
Gandhi was con-
victed of electoral
malpractice. Her
undemocratic
response was to
stifle opposition
#
The Emergency
lasted for 19
months. Strikes
were made illegal
and Mrs Gandhi's
political opponents
jailed. Censorship
of the press and
unpopular social
measures, notably
large-scale steril-
isation as birth
control, tainted
India's reputation
abroad - and Mrs
Gandhi was
defeated in the
general election
of 1977
#
Mrs Gandhi was
not long in the
wilderness. The
Indian people
forgave her the
brutal excesses
of the Emergency,
and she was
returned to power
in 1980. This
underlined the
power of her
political pedigree
and her enduring
charisma. Her
dynasty seemed
back on course
@
At the end of March
1971, the Pakistani
army moved into
what was then
East Pakistan to
suppress the
Bengali indepen-
dence movement.
The ferocity of the
army's attack sent
Bengali refugees
flooding into India,
first in thousands,
then in millions
#
Mrs Gandhi
recognised
Bangladesh, as
the new state of
East Pakistan
called itself.
India fought
Pakistan in
support of the
Bangladeshis. In
the wider world,
Mrs Gandhi steered
a skilful path
between the two
superpowers. A
friendship treaty
was signed with
the USSR in 1971
#
India's cultural
diversity has
led to religious
tensions and
separatist move-
ments. Mrs Gandhi
always insisted
that her primary
concern was to
ensure that India
remained a united
and governable
country, but some
of her policies
proved to be
divisive - in the
end, fatally so
#
The period after
Mrs Gandhi's return
to power in 1980
saw the rise of
agitation by Sikhs
demanding autonomy
for the Punjab. Sikh
extremists waged
a terror campaign,
conducted from
a Sikh stronghold,
the Golden Temple
of Amritsar. This
holy site had seen
a famous British
massacre in 1919
#
After a stand-off
which lasted for
months, Mrs Gandhi
ordered the army
to storm the Sikh
terrorists in the
Golden Temple.
The battle went
on for four days,
and left at least
300 people dead.
Sikhs in India and
around the world
were horrified by
the violation of
their most
holy shrine
@
Mrs Gandhi was
killed by her Sikh
bodyguards three
months after the
Amritsar attack.
The reins of power
were handed to her
son, Rajiv, in the
hope that dynastic
continuity might
ensure stability.
Thus he became the
third generation of
the family to
govern India, the
largest democracy
in the world
#
Mrs Gandhi's death
was followed by a
period of terrible
violence as Hindus
exacted vengeance
from the Sikh
community. All over
India Sikhs were
attacked and killed .
Curfews were
enforced in over 80
cities. Rajiv Gandhi
pleaded for calm:
"Communal madness
will destroy
everything India
stands for", he said
#
Asia has a history
of strong female
leaders: Mrs Gandhi
was just the most
prominent. But it
is ironic that the
countries which
produced these
skilful women
politicians have
failed to place
women's rights
on the political
agenda - perhaps
because of even
more pressing
social problems
#
In May 1991
Rajiv Gandhi was
assassinated in
his turn. For the
first time in 47
years the Congress
party was without
a leader from
the Gandhi-Nehru
dynasty. But Rajiv's
wife, Sonia, has
great influence, and
many hope that a
young member of
the family will
emerge to revive
the party
#
India has a long
tradition of Hindu
secularism, which
Nehru had sought
to weave into the
new political
institutions born
of Independence
in 1947. But
violence between
militant Hindus
and Muslims is
a serious problem
which  a weak
central government
has made worse.
India after Mrs
Gandhi is still a
very troubled land
@