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Remembering Indira Gandhi

It’s 27 years since Indira Gandhi was assassinated. I have fuzzy recollections of a confused self amused at the sudden communal tension that surrounded us, even in the otherwise peaceful neighborhood of Telco Colony. I understood that Mrs.Gandhi was assassinated by two of her own body-guards. What I didn’t understand was how could all the Sikhs be held responsible for it.

As I grew older and my understanding of worldly ways increased, I began to see how the blame fell squarely on an entire community. Sick though the realization was, it was a fact hard to reconcile with…and it remains so to this day.

Mrs.Gandhi had a domineering influence on the Indian media. Open the newspaper and you would almost certainly see a photo of hers hogging the front page, her stylish image instilling pride in us. Mrs.Gandhi was definitely charismatic, and one of the most recognized leaders in the world of her day. This in spite of leading only a 3rd world country lost in the deluge of irrelevance.

I remember participating in a peace-march in her honor. For me and my friend from the neighborhood, Anirvan, it was just for fun, yet somewhere in the back of our minds we did know that the occasion was a grave one.

Memories, memories, memories.

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