bls31
October 30th, 2014, 07:59 PM
An Extract from my Book "A solder;s Journey in Life with Two wives"
DELHI- The Black Tuesday
I
t was on 31st October 1984 when just back from the Oversea’s tour and busy finalising the report that one of the staff came rushing in my office in Sena Bhawan blurting the incredible news in an agitated voice ‘Mrs Gandhi has been shot’. Though stunned I refused to believe it and told him not to spread rumours. However, it was true she had been shot and that too by her own guards.
Early morning, the next day, coming out of my house in Dhaula Kuan Part II, I noticed in far-distance large columns of smoke bellowing high in the sky. Alarmed I rang up Gyan Bains the Commander, a Sikh Brigadier, of a unit technically under me albeit administratively under Delhi Area.
‘…What are you doing sitting there with Delhi burning’ I asked in an agitated voice.
‘We are preparing for Mrs Gandhi's funeral’ was the reply I got.
Feeling helpless and traumatised, that was the sum total of my initiative on that fateful day
[1] (http://www.jatland.com/forums/#_ftn1)I was also destined to play a minuscule role in this sad and sordid episode in standing as part of an inter-service guard along with another officer of my rank, in shifts. The body of Indra Gandhi lying in state in Teen Murty Bhawan, me blankly watching, the unending line of humanity with people with folded hands and agony written on their faces silently and slowly shuffle by.
As the events unfolded the situation becoming worse I did advise Shamsher, one of my Sikh officer then residing in GK to shift and move in with us in Daula Kuan Part II for his and his family’s safety.
Services cannot take unilateral action even when matters go out of hand of the civil authorities unless specifically asked for. Those who took initiative did so at their own peril and subsequent grief.
I am told that a senior Air force officer at Palam had to answer for his efforts to save a number of threatened lives. The Centre Commander of a Regiment at Ramgarh, though cleared, was denied the promotion to the next rank for taking unilateral charge of the situation that was getting out of hand.
One image from those days still remains etched in my mind is that of a Sikh couple riding, break-neck, on a scooter whom I over-took near the Buddha Jayanti Park one afternoon, when the mayhem had not yet died. They had dared to be on the road, possibly the errand was more important that the perceived risk to life.
Even at this late stage can someone enlighten me, a Hindu married to a Sikh as to how I should have reacted to the events of the day mentally if not physically. Sadly to what depth the so-called civilized human beings can sink!
We learn nothing otherwise such sudden and gruesome incidents, some planned others spontaneous, the emotionally charged and insane crowds mostly lead by criminal elements always on lookout for opportunities like Godhra and what happened subsequently in Gujarat as also immanently forgettable events earlier and later in India and abroad, would not have happened
[1] (http://www.jatland.com/forums/#_ftnref1) Indira Gandhi had numerous bodyguards, two of whom were Satwant Singh (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satwant_Singh) and Beant Singh (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beant_Singh), both Sikhs. On October 31 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_31), 1984 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984) they assassinated Indira Gandhi with their service weapons in the garden of the Prime Minister's Residence at No. 1, Safdarjung Road in New Delhi. As she was walking to be interviewed by the British (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Britain) actor Peter Ustinov (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Ustinov) filming a documentary for Irish television, she passed a wicket gate, guarded by Satwant and Beant. According to information available immediately following the incident, Beant Singh shot her thrice using his side-arm and Satwant Singh fired twenty-two rounds into her using a Sten submachine gun. Beant Singh was shot dead and Satwant Singh was shot and arrested (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrested) by her other bodyguards.. After her death, sectarian unrest engulfed New Delhi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Delhi) and several other cities in India, including Kanpur, Asansol and Indore, leading to the death of thousands of Sikhs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhs).
DELHI- The Black Tuesday
I
t was on 31st October 1984 when just back from the Oversea’s tour and busy finalising the report that one of the staff came rushing in my office in Sena Bhawan blurting the incredible news in an agitated voice ‘Mrs Gandhi has been shot’. Though stunned I refused to believe it and told him not to spread rumours. However, it was true she had been shot and that too by her own guards.
Early morning, the next day, coming out of my house in Dhaula Kuan Part II, I noticed in far-distance large columns of smoke bellowing high in the sky. Alarmed I rang up Gyan Bains the Commander, a Sikh Brigadier, of a unit technically under me albeit administratively under Delhi Area.
‘…What are you doing sitting there with Delhi burning’ I asked in an agitated voice.
‘We are preparing for Mrs Gandhi's funeral’ was the reply I got.
Feeling helpless and traumatised, that was the sum total of my initiative on that fateful day
[1] (http://www.jatland.com/forums/#_ftn1)I was also destined to play a minuscule role in this sad and sordid episode in standing as part of an inter-service guard along with another officer of my rank, in shifts. The body of Indra Gandhi lying in state in Teen Murty Bhawan, me blankly watching, the unending line of humanity with people with folded hands and agony written on their faces silently and slowly shuffle by.
As the events unfolded the situation becoming worse I did advise Shamsher, one of my Sikh officer then residing in GK to shift and move in with us in Daula Kuan Part II for his and his family’s safety.
Services cannot take unilateral action even when matters go out of hand of the civil authorities unless specifically asked for. Those who took initiative did so at their own peril and subsequent grief.
I am told that a senior Air force officer at Palam had to answer for his efforts to save a number of threatened lives. The Centre Commander of a Regiment at Ramgarh, though cleared, was denied the promotion to the next rank for taking unilateral charge of the situation that was getting out of hand.
One image from those days still remains etched in my mind is that of a Sikh couple riding, break-neck, on a scooter whom I over-took near the Buddha Jayanti Park one afternoon, when the mayhem had not yet died. They had dared to be on the road, possibly the errand was more important that the perceived risk to life.
Even at this late stage can someone enlighten me, a Hindu married to a Sikh as to how I should have reacted to the events of the day mentally if not physically. Sadly to what depth the so-called civilized human beings can sink!
We learn nothing otherwise such sudden and gruesome incidents, some planned others spontaneous, the emotionally charged and insane crowds mostly lead by criminal elements always on lookout for opportunities like Godhra and what happened subsequently in Gujarat as also immanently forgettable events earlier and later in India and abroad, would not have happened
[1] (http://www.jatland.com/forums/#_ftnref1) Indira Gandhi had numerous bodyguards, two of whom were Satwant Singh (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satwant_Singh) and Beant Singh (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beant_Singh), both Sikhs. On October 31 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_31), 1984 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984) they assassinated Indira Gandhi with their service weapons in the garden of the Prime Minister's Residence at No. 1, Safdarjung Road in New Delhi. As she was walking to be interviewed by the British (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Britain) actor Peter Ustinov (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Ustinov) filming a documentary for Irish television, she passed a wicket gate, guarded by Satwant and Beant. According to information available immediately following the incident, Beant Singh shot her thrice using his side-arm and Satwant Singh fired twenty-two rounds into her using a Sten submachine gun. Beant Singh was shot dead and Satwant Singh was shot and arrested (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrested) by her other bodyguards.. After her death, sectarian unrest engulfed New Delhi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Delhi) and several other cities in India, including Kanpur, Asansol and Indore, leading to the death of thousands of Sikhs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhs).