Sanjay Gandhi was much misunderstood, says President Pranab Mukherjee in memoir
President Pranab Mukherjee has clarified in his autobiography The Turbulent Years 1980-1996 that Congress was not involved in anti-Sikh riots of 1984.
New Delhi, January 30, 2016 | Posted by Bijaya Kumar Das | UPDATED 15:12 IST
The
1984 anti-Sikh riots following the assassination of the then prime
minister Indira Gandhi were carried out by miscreants, President Pranab
Mukherjee has noted in his autobiography The Turbulent Years 1980-1996.
The president also observed in his memoirs that though Congress leader Sanjay Gandhi has been characterised as a villain in most post-1975 writings, he was a doer and his ideas were good and targeted at bringing about positive change.
The 1984 riots have been used by the Congress' rivals since then to target the Grand Old Party, which accuses the BJP of playing communal politics.
In his autobiography, which was released on Thursday, Pranab, who was the senior most minister in the Indira Gandhi Cabinet in 1984, recalled the incident that shocked the country: "The brutal assassination of Indira Gandhi had filled people with grief and miscreants took advantage of the situation, killing innocent Sikhs and looting their shops and houses."
Two decades later, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, a Sikh, apologised for the 1984 riots in 2005 after the Congress-led UPA came to power in 2004.
On Sanjay Gandhi, who is alleged to have played the role of an extraconstitutional authority during the Emergency period 1975-77, the President had words of praise.
"In much of the post-Emergency period, Sanjay Gandhi has been characterised as a villain, devoid of any good qualities. This animosity and venom against him was to a large extent the result of the euphoria surrounding the Janata Party's creation, a wave of anti-Mrs Gandhi and the divisions in the Congress," the President has said in his autobiography.
He further noted: "Every human being is a mixture of good and bad. However, no one can fault the intentions of guiding Sanjay's decisions -whether these pertained to population control, tackling illiteracy or afforestation."
According to the President, Sanjay played a crucial role in the 1980 general elections. Indira Gandhi was voted back to power in 1980 after she faced the voters' wrath in 1977 national polls and paid the price for imposing Emergency.
"Sanjay proved his political mettle in the 1980 general elections and the subsequent assembly elections. He was the principal architect of the Congress' victory, along with Mrs Gandhi."
"Sanjay had charisma and an instant connect with the youth," said the President. Talking about the events in Punjab, which led to Operation Blue Star (when the Army entered the Golden Temple, the famous Sikh shrine in Amritsar) and the subsequent killing of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards, the President noted in his memoirs that the Akali Dal played a dubious role.
"Had the Punjab movement been limited to the original demands of the Akali Dal, it may have found an easier resolution. But as it progressed, the establishment of an independent Khalistan emerged as its principal goal. It thus became a movement challenging India's unity, territorial integrity and security.
Sadly, the Akali Dal never took a clear position regarding the hijacking of the movement by separatist elements. Instead, its leaders often used provocative language very similar to that used by the militants."
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10 things the President said on the eve of 67th Republic Day
The president also observed in his memoirs that though Congress leader Sanjay Gandhi has been characterised as a villain in most post-1975 writings, he was a doer and his ideas were good and targeted at bringing about positive change.
The 1984 riots have been used by the Congress' rivals since then to target the Grand Old Party, which accuses the BJP of playing communal politics.
In his autobiography, which was released on Thursday, Pranab, who was the senior most minister in the Indira Gandhi Cabinet in 1984, recalled the incident that shocked the country: "The brutal assassination of Indira Gandhi had filled people with grief and miscreants took advantage of the situation, killing innocent Sikhs and looting their shops and houses."
Two decades later, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, a Sikh, apologised for the 1984 riots in 2005 after the Congress-led UPA came to power in 2004.
On Sanjay Gandhi, who is alleged to have played the role of an extraconstitutional authority during the Emergency period 1975-77, the President had words of praise.
"In much of the post-Emergency period, Sanjay Gandhi has been characterised as a villain, devoid of any good qualities. This animosity and venom against him was to a large extent the result of the euphoria surrounding the Janata Party's creation, a wave of anti-Mrs Gandhi and the divisions in the Congress," the President has said in his autobiography.
He further noted: "Every human being is a mixture of good and bad. However, no one can fault the intentions of guiding Sanjay's decisions -whether these pertained to population control, tackling illiteracy or afforestation."
According to the President, Sanjay played a crucial role in the 1980 general elections. Indira Gandhi was voted back to power in 1980 after she faced the voters' wrath in 1977 national polls and paid the price for imposing Emergency.
"Sanjay proved his political mettle in the 1980 general elections and the subsequent assembly elections. He was the principal architect of the Congress' victory, along with Mrs Gandhi."
"Sanjay had charisma and an instant connect with the youth," said the President. Talking about the events in Punjab, which led to Operation Blue Star (when the Army entered the Golden Temple, the famous Sikh shrine in Amritsar) and the subsequent killing of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards, the President noted in his memoirs that the Akali Dal played a dubious role.
"Had the Punjab movement been limited to the original demands of the Akali Dal, it may have found an easier resolution. But as it progressed, the establishment of an independent Khalistan emerged as its principal goal. It thus became a movement challenging India's unity, territorial integrity and security.
Sadly, the Akali Dal never took a clear position regarding the hijacking of the movement by separatist elements. Instead, its leaders often used provocative language very similar to that used by the militants."
ALSO READ:
10 things the President said on the eve of 67th Republic Day
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