When a Tree Shook Delhi

October 31, 2009 marked the 25 anniversary of the night that Indira Gandhi, daughter of India's founding body Jawaharlal Nehru, was assasinated.

I was very young, but can remember bits and pieces of the night her death was making international headlines: my father was following the story on every news channel. i can recall him channel surfing to see if one channel was investigating the issue differently than the others.
at the time, i didn't understand the gravity of what had just transpired. today, i feel more informed, dare i say more connected, to the events in question.

The religious shrine had become absorbed with militants who had taken its refuge. Matters of sovereignty, governance, national security, ethnic group sensitivity, and international stability were at stake. the situation would not be easy to resolve and delicate steps would had to be taken in order to resolve this escalating matter.

Gandhi ordered the army to attack the temple and to rid it of its terrorists.
many have no self-actualized awareness regarding Gandhi's assassination. many dismiss her as a novice leader learning the tough lessons of public decision making, others site religious grounds-and by extension justification- of her untimely death. many refuse to listen to alternatives, and if presented with one are quick to dismiss.

what a sad state of mind.

Gandhi served her nation to the best of her ability: she introduced the Green Revolution, secured india's entry to the nuclear club, sought the development of the scientific and technical markets, and turned india into a global competator.

she made tough choices, harboured enemies along the way, and ultimately lost her life doing what she loved most: fighting for her country. unfortunate yet, is that she lost her life fighting with her country.

what people fail to recall, is that the preceding and proceeding atrocities were not commited by her, but rather by one indian to another; and this oversight remains india's ultimate shame.