Country missing steady hand of Indira Gandhi: Sonia

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, OCT. 31. In present times - which she described as ``dark'' and ``menacing'' - the Congress president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, said the country was missing the ``steady hand'' of Indira Gandhi ``in navigating the Indian ship through troubled times''.

At the presentation of the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration to Mr. H.Y. Sharada Prasad here today, she said Indira Gandhi was being remembered throughout the nation for her ``valiant role'' during critical situations faced by the country.

Lauding Mr. Prasad's contribution in upholding the values of democracy and secularism, Ms. Gandhi said: ``at a time when hatred was being spread in the name of religion, we need more people like him. Today, it has become most important for us to remind ourselves that India is one and many at the same time.''

In his address, Mr. Prasad described Indira Gandhi as a person with a swift and intuitive mind. She was imbued with limitless courage, initiative and staying power, he said.

Dejected by the way the Nehru-Gandhi era was being portrayed, Mr. Prasad said their record was being wrongly belittled on the grounds that Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi were busy building their dynasty.

Refraining from getting drawn into a discussion on Indira Gandhi's proclamation of Emergency, he said, ``even her critics would probably grant that by using the Emergency clauses existing in the Constitution, Indira Gandhi has made it impossible for anyone to invoke them again.''

Mr. Prasad, however, came down heavily on the present Government. He said that not only did many among the present leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party stayed away ``deliberately'' from the freedom movement, they were not in ``sympathy'' with the liberal and secular values that form the basis of the Constitution.

While countries were forging an alliance to fight the terror being spread in the name of Islam, it has become important not to forget that other religions also bred terror, he added.

``Hindu fundamentalism is not a response to Islamic fundamentalism. It existed much before. Otherwise, how did Jainism dwindle and Buddhism die out of the country? If we do not strive to remove the suspicions and fears of Hindus and Muslims about each other, then each region of India, each district, and each village would become a Panipat.''

Mr. Prasad's speech - sprinkled with a narration of some of his personal encounters with Indira Gandhi - set the tone for the remaining part of the brief function as Congress workers went on a sloganeering spree following an emotionally-charged vote of thanks by the senior Congress leader, Ms. Mohsina Kidwai.

Among others present at the function were the former Prime Ministers, Mr. Mr. P.V. Narasimha Rao, and Mr. I.K. Gujral, the Delhi Chief Minister, Ms. Sheila Dikshit, and senior Congress leaders Mr. Natwar Singh, Dr. Manmohan Singh, and Mr. K. Karunakaran.

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