Monday, June 15, 2009
The importance of being Rahul Gandhi
The Congress Party is celebrating the arrival of Rahul Gandhi. Loyalists waiting to offer his leader ship a grand legitimacy grabbed the opportunity to hail him as an astute political brain and the architect of the party's showing in the national elections.Even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh did not hold back accolades and publicly wooed the reluctant crown prince to join his Cabinet even as the results were coming in.
Yet, amid the extreme flattery and adulation, Rahul betrays no emotions – neither joy, nor relief, nor even the strains of impending responsibilities. In fact, Rahul was absent from the postpoll celebrations. He was at the memorials of his grandmother, Indira Gandhi, and father, Rajiv Gandhi, quietly dedicating the victory to them.
As the clamor for granting Rahul a Cabinet post gained ground, he declined, opting to work for the party instead.
To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Yet, amid the extreme flattery and adulation, Rahul betrays no emotions – neither joy, nor relief, nor even the strains of impending responsibilities. In fact, Rahul was absent from the postpoll celebrations. He was at the memorials of his grandmother, Indira Gandhi, and father, Rajiv Gandhi, quietly dedicating the victory to them.
As the clamor for granting Rahul a Cabinet post gained ground, he declined, opting to work for the party instead.
To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: congress, Indira Gandhi, national elections, post poll celebrations, Rahul Gandhi, rajiv gandhi
Sunday, June 29, 2008
War hero Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw, 94
His handlebar moustache and his ramrod stiff gait gave Field Marshal Sam Hor musji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw a commanding presence on the battle field, but to the troops that served under him he was their beloved "Sam Bahadur", a soldier's general who put their well- being before his own.Manekshaw, 94, who died at the military hospital at Wellington in Tamil Nadu early on June 27 after developing acute bronchopneumonia, will be best remembered for the decisive campaign he crafted during the 1971 India-Pakistan war that saw the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent nation after the surrender of over 90,000 Pakistani troops in what was then the eastern wing of the country.
That campaign was the defining moment of his tenure as the Indian Army chief 1969-73 and led to his elevation as India's first field marshal, a largely ceremonial post but which ensured he maintained close links with the 1.1 million-strong force till the very end.
Ever the one to speak his mind out on matters military, Manekshaw, a highly decorated officer who was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry during the Burma campaign of the Second World War, often found himself in a minority of one - but firmly stood his ground.
Three instances stand out vividly.
The first was when he famously refused to address then prime minister Indira Gandhi as "Madam", saying the sobriquet was reserved for occupants of a "certain kind of house".
"I shall stick to prime minister", he maintained.
The second was during the 1971 war when he had signboards reading "Hands in your pockets, You are entering Pakistani territory, Indian girls are prettier" erected at various spots as Indian troops advanced along the western frontier.
Manekshaw was panned as being sexist and accused of insulting Indian womanhood but he stood his ground.
"It's the best way of telling the troops to behave and to concentrate on the job at hand," he contended.
The third happened at the very end of his career, days after he had retired from the army.
A young reporter from a tabloid, at the fag end of an interview, asked a seemingly innocuous question, "What would have happened had you opted for Pakistan at the time of independence (in 1947)?"
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: 1971 India-Pakistan war, battle field, Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, Hero, independence, Indian Army, Indira Gandhi, moustache, pakistan, Pakistani territory, Tamil Nadu, troops, War, Wellington
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