Childhood memories. In 1965, the All India Congress Session was held in the steel town of Durgapur in West Bengal, a few months prior to the Indo-Pak war. The location being in a vast field proximate to our bungalow, we used to wander across in the late afternoons staying there till dusk set in. The main attraction was the large stall of the Indian Railways filled with working models which were fascinating for a kid. Security was minimal those days ; one could get close to the dais and see the famous national leaders at close quarters. I particularly remember K Kamaraj vividly, reading the newspapers, a distinctive figure in spotless white. One afternoon is particularly etched in memory; wandering in the grounds i saw a lady , dressed in a predominantly white modest sari walking along escorted by 2 police officers but devoid of any other security. She seemed a very shy lady, keeping her eyes lowered to the ground. Only after she had passed a casual passer-by mentioned that the lady was none other than the PMs wife, Lalita Shastri. Will India ever return to those carefree days when leaders mingled freely with the people and the Congress was a party of the masses ?
Posted on: Thu, 02 Oct 2014 02:30:37 +0000
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