INDIRA GANDHI-ELEGANCE PERSONIFIED

19th November, has special significance for me. It was the date when Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi nee Nehru was born. I used to be a big fan of Indira Gandhi, our Prime Minister from 1966 to 31st October 1984, when she was assassinated by her own Security Guards.

I admired her for a lot of things. Her beauty, grace, courage, style, posture, attitude were exquisite. Her firmness and no nonsense attitude stood out quite prominently, just like her nose, which was so very Kashmiri.

When she went to the people, she was the picture of dignity in her elegant sarees. These always appeared to be hand spun or hand woven. They looked good on her. When she went abroad, she looked so very dignified and graceful. Her sarees in the international forum were always exquisite. They were usually silk with beautiful borders. Her hair also looked different. She always looked at ease and seemed to be in control of the situation. It never seemed as if she was in awe of anyone of the World leaders with whom she interacted.

The young Indira lived alone for long spells as her parents were often in jail. Her father the dynamic Jawaharlal Nehru tried to keep in touch with her and educate her through letters, which were published as "Letters from a Father to his Daughter." Her mother died when she was 18. She studied at Oxford in England.

Being the daughter of a great statesman who was a great visionary, she grew up in the lap of politics. As a child she had organised a group of children called Vanar sena or Monkey Brigade.

She was lonely and appeared to be shy.

When her father was alive, she lived mostly under his shadow and was his Official hostess. Nehru was against nepotism, so while he was alive Indira never contested any Elections.Once her father died she was inducted into the Cabinet and given the portfolio of Minister of Information & Broadcasting, which was considered a relatively un- important ministry. People thought she could be made a puppet. Ram Manohar Lohia even called her "Gungi Gudia" or Dumb Doll.Instead of that what emerged was an extremely strong, competent,dynamic leader who controlled everything in the country. She was almost dictatorial and extremely powerful.

I thought she was very charming. I was very impressed by the way she conducted the governance of the country.

I have no comments or opinion about her political side of persona. I admired her outward appearance, her personality. I admired her having the wherewithal to govern this mighty India for such a long time, almost single handedly.

India is a country where women are treated with scant respect and where the girl child has to somehow survive. There are some pockets of people in certain states where baby girls are killed as soon as they are born. This is a country where having only daughters is considered a stigma, and many men marry a second time as they believe that having a son is extremely necessary and the wife is held responsible for not having a son.

I admired Indira Gandhi for being such a strong woman in this India, and showing that women had the competence to lead the country and take it to such heights. Her bold decisions to abolish the Privy Purse, and Nationalise Banks were really commendable. The Liberation of Bangladesh was another great feat. The Pokhran test which made India the world's youngest nuclear power in 1974 was also a big achievement.

She looked very Indian but ruled the country with an iron hand. She had a charisma, which very few people have. My salute to a most deserving woman leader who led from the front.