Bullets Not Ballots: Shashi Tharoor Recalls Student Days and Interviews With Indira Gandhi
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor pays tribute to Indira Gandhi on her 42nd death anniversary, recalling their early interactions and her 1971 triumph.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has shared a poignant reflection on the life and legacy of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, marking the 42nd anniversary of her assassination. In a detailed tribute, Tharoor looked back at his personal interactions with the former leader, describing her death as a profound personal blow that struck at the very heart of Indian democracy.
From Student Union Leader to Doctoral Researcher
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Tharoor revealed a side of his history many may not know, tracing his connection with Indira Gandhi back to his time as a student. He recalled first meeting her in 1974 while serving as the president of the St Stephen's College students' union.
Their professional interactions grew more significant shortly after. Tharoor noted that in early 1975, he had the opportunity to interview the Prime Minister for a Swiss youth magazine. This academic curiosity continued even after her political fortunes shifted; following her electoral defeat in 1977, Tharoor interviewed her twice more, this time for his doctoral dissertation which focused on her foreign policy.
A Complex Legacy: Opposition and Admiration
Tharoor did not shy away from the controversies of her tenure. He openly admitted his "fierce opposition" to the Emergency and criticized the "occasional authoritarian excesses" that characterized certain periods of her rule. However, he emphasized that these political disagreements did not diminish the shock of her assassination in 1984.
"It took something vital away from our democracy that the political fate of our Prime Minister should be determined by bullets and not ballots," Tharoor wrote.
The Triumph of 1971
When asked to identify a defining moment in Indira Gandhi's consequential career, Tharoor pointed to the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. He hailed her leadership during this crisis as a moment of "moral clarity," noting that her actions liberated millions of people and resolved what was then the world's largest refugee crisis, effectively redrawing the map of the subcontinent.
Remembering the Iron Lady
Indira Gandhi, the daughter of India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, remains a towering figure in Indian history as the nation's first woman Prime Minister. She served two distinct terms—first from 1966 to 1977, and again from 1980 until her life was cut short on October 31, 1984.
The former Prime Minister was assassinated at her New Delhi residence by two of her own bodyguards, an event that continues to be remembered every year as a pivotal and tragic moment in the country's political journey.