dran.But, despite the existence of strong public sentiment against her, Gandhi proved remarkably resilient. During much of her political career she was extremely popular among the majority of Indians, who saw her as the "Mataji," or Great Mother of India, and as the single most stabilizing force in Indian politics. Her charisma captivated the populace, who saw her as Bharat Mata (Mother India). Indira could wear out less-devoted aides with her relentless, no-frills travel to India's villages and towns. "I have a special relationship with the Indian people," she said. "Mahatma Gandhi was loved as somebody above. My father with a sense of awe. I receive love as an equal”(New York Times)To her political supporters, she became known as "a tigress among one hundred monkeys." Her first preys were the Congress Party leaders who appointed her Prime Minister after the sudden death of Lal Bahadur Shastri. The "dumb doll" sidelined them, offset opponents and concentrated authority in New Delhi. Then she boosted her standing with the military by commanding them in the 1971 war against Pakistan that created Bangladesh (Info Please). "In her decision-making, she went by one yardstick: Is it good for the pride of the country?" says Abid Hussain, former ambassador to the U.S. and now vice-chairman of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. By its fourth decade of independence, India was able to feed itself, build modern electronic factories and sustain nuclear and space programs. It was also regarded (outside Pakistan) as a force for peace: nonaligned, independent and democratic.Nevertheless, Indira’s popularity and leadership always seem to be in jeopardy. The success in creating the state of Bangladesh pleased the Hindus, however, Muslims which make up a large percentage of India’s population were extremely displeased since they considered the military support against Pakistani’s (mostly Muslims) a war against Muslims. This bitter fe...
