by AJAZ ASHRAF
Three former prime ministers. (from left) Rajiv Gandhi, P. V. Narasimha Rao, and Indira Gandhi
The celebration of 25 years of India’s economic reforms has triggered an intellectual battle over the legacy of the late Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao. His supporters hail him as the principal architect of India’s success story who has been denied his due place in history. In their enthusiasm to create a halo around Rao, they have tried to absolve him of the ignominy of failing to prevent the mass killing of Sikhs in Delhi in 1984 and the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992.
Two distinct methods have been adopted to justify Rao in the cataclysmic events of 1984 and 1992.
Since he was the prime minister in 1992 and could not but take flak for the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, his supporters rationalise his failure by arguing that he committed a political blunder in trusting Sangh Parivar leaders who assured him their intention wasn’t to damage or destroy the medieval mosque.
By contrast, the supporters find it relatively easier to absolve Rao of any role in the massacre of Sikhs in 1984. After all, he was only the Union Home Minister then. Even though the Delhi Police reported directly to him, they argue that the primary responsibility for ensuring that Delhi did not burn and bleed rested on the Prime Minister.
In this narrative, Rao is blamed for being merely cynical. Or for not nobly risking political banishment by standing up to his boss, Rajiv Gandhi, and party leaders who were allegedly keen to teach Sikhs a lesson because two of their religious brethren had assassinated Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984.
The battle over Rao’s legacy reminds me of the story Amit Prakash and I did for The Pioneer. Published on November 1, 1992, we sought to recreate the 1984 riots through the experiences of an eminent band of five Sikh personalities and politician IK Gujral, who was to later become India’s prime minister.
Between October 31 and November 3, these six gentlemen tried to coax the public authority to impose curfew and call in the Army to prevent the mobs from killing the Sikhs. We bolstered their accounts with reports of official inquiries and those of civil and democratic rights groups, besides speaking to police officers.
The eminent band of Sikhs included two who are celebrated for their heroics in war – India’s only Marshal of the Indian Air Force, Arjan Singh, and Lt Gen Jagjit Singh Aurora, the hero of the 1971 Bangladesh war. The other three were the noted writer Patwant Singh, diplomat Gurbachan Singh and Brig (retd.) Sukhjit Singh, a scion of the Kapurthala royal family.
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