New Delhi, Agency
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, on Saturday, paid an emotional tribute to his grandmother and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her 42nd martyrdom anniversary, recalling a cherished childhood memory of sitting on her lap, holding her hands and learning a profound Sanskrit prayer from her.
In a deeply personal post on social media platform X, Rahul Gandhi revisited those intimate moments with Indira Gandhi, remembering how she would recite the ancient prayer while he listened and repeated the verses after her.
"Sitting on your lap. Holding both your hands. Listening to your voice say these words. Repeating them after you," he wrote, before sharing the Sanskrit prayer: "Asato mā sadgamaya, tamaso mā jyotirgamaya, mṛtyormā amṛtaṃ gamaya."
The prayer, traditionally understood as a plea to be led from untruth to truth, from darkness to light and from death to immortality, was accompanied by the words "Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti".
Concluding his message on an intensely emotional note, Rahul Gandhi wrote: "What a beautiful gift you gave me dadi. What a gift. I never imagined."
The tribute offered a rare glimpse into Rahul Gandhi's personal memories of his grandmother, remembering her not merely as one of India's most consequential political leaders but as a grandmother who passed on a spiritual lesson to her grandson. His recollection lent a deeply intimate dimension to the anniversary, bringing into focus the enduring personal bond between the two.
Indira Gandhi was assassinated on October 31, 1984, at the age of 66, by her security personnel at her official residence in New Delhi. Her assassination sent shockwaves across the country and marked one of the most tragic episodes in independent India's political history.
India's first and, so far, only woman Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi served two terms, from January 1966 to March 1977 and again from January 1980 until her assassination. Her political legacy remains closely associated with landmark events, including the 1971 war that led to the creation of Bangladesh, the imposition of the Emergency from 1975 to 1977, and far-reaching political and economic changes that shaped the country's subsequent trajectory.
Her martyrdom anniversary is observed across the country in remembrance of her life, leadership and contribution to India's history. Rahul Gandhi's message, however, went beyond a conventional political tribute, recalling a grandmother's voice, a grandson's childhood and a Sanskrit prayer that, decades later, remains an invaluable gift in his memory.
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