The void
left by the death of a bitter, broken Nehru in 1964 was
quickly replaced by the unassuming Lal Bahadur Shastri,
whose inexplicable death two years later left another
void. However, before the nation got over its collective
grief at a very shaky time -- two premiers lost, two
wars, and a terrible drought -- Indira, once derided as
goongi gudiya (dumb doll) coolly, coldly, masterfully
assumed total control of the Congress party. And the
country.
The void
left by the death of a bitter, broken Nehru in 1964 was
quickly replaced by the unassuming Lal Bahadur Shastri,
whose inexplicable death two years later left another
void. However, before the nation got over its collective
grief at a very shaky time -- two premiers lost, two
wars, and a terrible drought -- Indira, once derided as
goongi gudiya (dumb doll) coolly, coldly, masterfully
assumed total control of the Congress party. And the
country.
