NEW DELHI: A significant feature of Indian politics in the wake of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi has been the failure of Congress (I) to build up the kind of hysteria it developed after the killing of Mrs Indira Gandhi in 1984.
Several thousand Sikhs were killed by Congress (I) organized lumping crowds seven years ago culminating in a big Congress (I) victory to install Rajiv Gandhi firmly in power.
Congress (I) great at organizing lumpens indeed tried their best to whip up mass feelings they stoned President Venkataraman’s car when he rushed to Gandhi’s official residence hours after the assassination news reached Delhi. They also organized attacks on opponents in Tamil Nadu where two sympathisers of the D.M.K. were killed by pro-Congress (I) AIADMK. Similar attacks were also mounted on workers of the Telegu Desam Party in Andhra on C.P.I. workers in Orissa and Kerala and on CPM workers in West Bengal and on B.J.P. workers in other parts of the country. In all a dozen persons lost their lives as a result of these attacks.
Evidently the former ruling party was not adequately prepared for the event. It was no longer in power to make use of the state machinery to further its aims The party’s organizers were handicapped also due to the fact there was no clear target to attack. It was still a mystery as to who killed Mr Gandhi. The known conspirators such as Mr Arun Nehru was no longer in the party Others such as H.K.L Bhagat Jagdish Tyuer Bhagwan Das etc. were too busy arranging the succession. They were keen on bringing round the party leader to accept Sonia Gandhi and formalize her election as president of the party before things could go haywire after Gandhi’s body had been cremated. They were in a hurry to make a place for themselves in the national politics. Another factor that made a difference to the situation was the initiative taken by Prime Minister Chander Shekhar not to let Congress (I) repeat the 1984 massacres. In this situation senior bureaucrats and police officers who took the leading role by default seven years ago were cautious in their handling of the situation.
The aftermath of Gandhi’s killing however reposed certain unsavory aspects of the Indian power structure The way the government owned media the AIR and the Doordarshan were used to project the Congress (I) and the Nehru dynasty made it clear that top managers of the media were Congress (I) loyalists Another area where the former ruling party had strong roots was the foreign ministry which was put to maximum use to drum up grief for the former prime minister. Evidently certain international personalities and countries were encouraged in a planned manner to attend the last rites in Delhi which is unusual for a former PM now a private citizen.
Meanwhile India’s security agencies are still groping in the dark about the Gandhi killing. Law Minister Subramaniam Swamy hinted at the involvement of Sri Lanka’s LTTE but the latter’s spokesman in London twice denied the suggestion.
Preliminary evidence collected by investigation authorities suggested that a young woman in the age group 25-30 years may have strapped explosives to her body and had detonated the explosives to blast Gandhi when he reaches Sriperumbudur near Madras to address a public rally on May 21 night. The young lady’s body was recovered along with 15 others dead. The investigations ruled out the use of a time bomb or a remote controlled device.
No group in Tamil Nadu Sri Lanka or Punjab has owned responsibility for the organization. A newspaper however conjectured that Sikh militants might have commissioned the Tamil looking lady to kill Gandhi there are no more clues.
Meanwhile except for PS Badal Captain Kanwaljit Singh of the Akali Dal (Longowal) and Mahant Sewa Dass no Sikh group condemned the Gandhi killing. Most Sikh groups described Rajiv Gandhi as a tyrant who met the fate ordained for him. However none commented in public so far.
That many pro-Congress (I) elements expected a prolonged phase of unrest and violence after Rajiv Gandhi’s death was evident from the manner in which the Indian Election commissioner T.N. Seshan hastily postponed the remaining parts of elections. Earlier the poll was due to be held on May 23 and May 25. Now it will be held on June 12 and June 15. Congress (I) men feel cheated as the public sympathy will decline as days pass.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 31, 1991
