As Congress on Sunday remembered former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for her lifelong dedication and service to the nation on her 37th death anniversary, Rahul Gandhi also posted a three-minute video on social media recollecting the day his grandmother died in 1984.
An emotional Rahul Gandhi narrated how he lost one of his mothers as Indira Gandhi was his second mom, "supermom", and used to protect him when his father Rajiv Gandhi got angry. The video shows a young Rahul crying at Indira Gandhi’s last rites.
"That morning before she died she told me don’t cry if something happens to me. I didn’t understand what she meant. And 2-3 hours later, she was dead. She sort of sensed that she would be killed. And everybody in the house also knew it," Rahul says in the video posted on his YouTube channel.
That day was the second most difficult day of my life, said Rahul, and also explained why he was hiding his face in the video. Because his grandmother had told him not to cry.
"She once said to me, to all of us, at the dining table, that the biggest curse would be to die of a disease. From her perspective, this was probably the best way to die... for her country... defending the idea she loved," Rahul said. At that time, I did not understand the idea behind it, but now I understand, he said.
"In my house my father was strict... and I essentially had two mothers, including a "super" mother who was my grandmother, who would defend me when my father got angry," Rahul said.
"My grandmother continued to serve the country fearlessly till the last moment -- her life is a source of inspiration for us. A great example of women power, humble tribute to Indira Gandhi on her martyrdom day," Rahul Gandhi tweeted after paying tributes.
"She represented strength. She epitomised sacrifice. She personified service. A billion salutes to the Iron Lady of India, our very first woman Prime Minister, a true Bharat Ratna, Smt. Indira Gandhi, on her death anniversary," the Congress said in its tweet.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi joined her party men in paying floral tributes to the late leader at Shakti Sthal and hailed Indira Gandhi, also known as the "Iron Lady of India", as a "great example of women power".
Several other party leaders and Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled States too paid rich tributes. Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot stated that the "nation established new dimensions of development" during her tenure as the Prime Minister.
"The creator of a capable and strong India .... The country’s first and only woman Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi was rich in management ability, during her tenure, India established new dimensions of development and India’s image got a new identity on the world stage. . Tributes to her on his death anniversary today," Gehlot tweeted.
Indira Gandhi served as the first and only woman Prime Minister of India from January 1966 to March 1977 and again from January 1980 until her assassination in October 1984.
