|
Page 1 of 3
In the euphoria created by the gharibi hatao slogan, Mrs. Indira Gandhi recorded a landslide victory humbling the Grand Alliance that had joined hands against her. Many people, leading political commentators included, then wrote the obituary of the Grand Alliance and the parties constituting it.
In one of his interviews published in the Times of India the interviewer told Mr. Morarji Desai that it is felt that had he not been that obstinate champion of prohibition he would have been the prime minister of India. Mr. Desai shot back: For me a drunk is a man dead and I don't want to rule over dead people.
Both Mr. Morarji Desai and most of the parties constituting the Grand Alliance stood by their conviction. They did not vacillate on their ideology and continued to propagate their way of thinking. Janata Party inspired by Loknayak Jayaprakash Narain and consisting of most of the parties in the earlier Grand Alliance were voted to power in the next general election to Lok Sabha in 1977 by the same electorate that had given Mrs. Indira Gandhi a landslide victory.
In 1962 Lok Sabha elections Mr. J. B. Kriplani left Uttar Pradesh to the far west in Mumbai to contest against Pandit Nehru's blue-eyed Defence Minister V. K. Krishna Menon alleging that the latter's election would be a threat to the security of the nation. Many intellectuals including the then Editor of the Indian Express Mr. Frank Moraes headed a "Defeat Krishna Menon Committee". Mr. Kriplani and his associates failed to bring home the message to the electorate. Mr. Menon won; Mr. Kriplani was defeated. Just after eight months when China invaded India, Mr. Krishna Menon stood exposed before those very people who had overwhelmingly voted for him. There was a unanimous demand for Mr. Menon's dismissal but Pandit Nehru was prevaricating. The whole cabinet put its foot down and Pandit Nehru had to bow and seek Mr. Menon's resignation.
Last update : 22-06-2009 10:28
|
|
|
Users' Comments  |
|
Average user rating
 (0 vote)
|
|
Add your comment
|
