Tracing late Indira Gandhi's stupendous comeback after the disastrous electoral rout in 1977, President Pranab Mukherjee today said the lesson that must be learnt from her life is that every defeat can be turned into a stepping stone for success.
Delivering the Indira Gandhi Centenary lecture on the occasion of her 100th birth anniversary, he said even the impossible can become possible.
"The lesson that we must draw from the life and legacy of Indiraji are that every defeat can be turned into a stepping stone for success. Even the impossible can become possible.
"What is important is not victory or defeat but the effort that we make to achieve our goals in the service of our nation. We must be relentless in our striving for the welfare of our people," he said.
With Congress President Sonia Gandhi and a host of leaders including Rahul Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the dais and in the audience, Mukherjee referred to the 1977 Lok Sabha elections following the Emergency period that resulted in a disastrous defeat for the Congress and Gandhi, after which the Congress had to sit in Opposition for the first time in 30 years.
He recalled the events that followed her defeat for which she accepted responsibility and the atmosphere following the elections that was extremely hostile to her.
"The atmosphere following the elections was extremely hostile for Indiraji. The Janata Party as well as a section of Congressmen conducted a relentless slander campaign against her. The media was also completely against her. Anti-Indira rallies were held across the country with demonstrators shouting 'Hang her!'," he said.
The President said the Shah Commission was constituted and the then Home Minister declared that Indira Gandhi's 'crimes' deserved a trial of a nature of Nuremberg.
"Frivolous cases were instituted against her and in one instance, she was even made co-accused in a case of stealing eggs and chicken in Manipur," he said.
Mukherjee recalled an incident in 1978 when a tea garden
owner, in spite of being a Congress supporter, refused to serve her water or tea when she was thirsty as he was scared of being seen with her.
"Indiraji, however, remained steadfast through all these trials and tribulations. She kept telling us 'we shall fight it out'," he said.
The president said it only took a couple of months for Gandhi to abandon her self imposed hibernation and started to tour the country extensively and met personalities like Vinoba Bhave and JP.
Often her meetings were disturbed with demonstrations, disturbances and heckling, he said, adding he was himself hit by a stone once in Silchar in Assam.
"Indiraji, however, remained cheerful and her indomitable spirit inspired and helped the morale of all around her. She kept telling the media and others who sought her views, 'wait and see, things can change'," he said.
Mukherjee said Gandhi's biggest strength was her connect with the common people, especially the grassroots Congress worker. He said after her dogged visit to Belchi, a tribal district in Bihar on an elephant's back, to commisserate with the families of 11 massacred Dalits, she was hailed as a saviour of the under-privileged and the exploited.
He also referred to the split in the Congress for the second time in 1978 and Gandhi lost the official name of the party, its flag, all its bank accounts, the headquarters as well as election symbol to the Reddy Congress.
When the second split of 1978 in Congress happened, sections within the Congress felt that people had punished the party for Emergency and they would not pardon the party if it did not cooperate with the ruling Janata Party.
"Indiraji, however, believed that the electoral defeat does not change the role of the Opposition. It is the Opposition's duty to oppose, expose and if possible depose," he said.
She adopted an attitude of challenge and confrontation, arguing that it was immaterial, whether the Congress party lost or won the election and what was important continued and uninterrupted service to the people.
The President also referred to the expulsion of Indira
Gandhi from Lok Sabha after a privilege motion was moved against her in connection with a probe into Maruti Udyog Limited and her imprisonment till the proroguing of the House.
He said Indira Gandhi was a confident and far-sighted leader, insightful regarding people as well as electoral politics -- a combination which made her a rare politician.
"Under her inspiring leadership, it took Congress workers just about a year to regain courage, conviction and confidence in the future. The Janata government soon ran out of steam to face the opposition provided by a strong and determined Congress under the leadership of Indira Gandhi.
"Even as media reports and editorials repeatedly wrote her off and predicted she could never come back, she proved them completely wrong and emerged as champions of the downtrodden, oppressed, kisans and working classes," he said.
The President said that the first woman Prime Minister was voted out by an unforgiving populace after the Emergency, but the people brought her back to power in 1980 within a short span of three years.
"The Indira of 1980 was a fighter returning to power, overcoming all the taunts and insults to her. It was not the family name or Nehru's legacy that brought her to power but her determination to focus on the problems of the people and her ability to mobilise them behind her," he said.
Mukherjee also said that it was during Indira Gandhi's time that India became the third largest reservoir of skilled scientific and technical manpower, the fifth military power, the sixth member of the nuclear club, the seventh in the race for space and the tenth industrial power.
He also recalled the life and times of his mentor and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi saluting her courage and conviction in the face of tremendous odds including the post-Emergency period and the Bangladesh war.
The President also recalled that during her life, she rose above all divisions of religion, caste, community and creed.
"As a result, she was loved universally by all sections of people and across the length and breadth of our country. Indiraji was unwavering and resolute in her support for the liberation struggle in East Pakistan.
"She showed that she was a leader with nerves of steel, fully equipped to lead India through any challenge," he said.
