rh@mit-eddie.UUCP (Randy Haskins) (11/02/84)
The Boston Globe today had a little item from AP that listed the world leaders slain in this century. With the assassination of Ms. Gandhi, we now have to travel back to 1974 to find a year in which a world leader was not killed. There have been 19 of them killed since 1975, and 26 killed between the year 1900 and 1973. What a wonderful world. -- Randwulf (Randy Haskins); Path= genrad!mit-eddie!rh
raghu@rlgvax.UUCP (Raghu Raghunathan) (11/11/84)
> It seems that some Sikhs have been celebrating the killing of Mrs. Gandhi. > William Pitt's comment on celebrating the outbreak of war applies all too well: > > "Now they are ringing their bells; soon they will be wringing their hands." I totally agree with your comments. I think the few sikhs who did celebrate IG's assassination displayed lack of maturity and an understanding of the gravity of the situation. About a year back, the sikh conflict was a local issue between the Government of India and a few militant sikhs (about 5% of the sikhs). When the Golden Temple was taken by force, it became a regional issue between the Government of India and the entire sikh population. But the majority Hindus still were on the sidelines with their sympathy divided between the two sides. With the assassination of Indira Gandhi, the conflict has become a national issue between the Hindus and the Sikhs with the Government standing on the sidelines in helpless frustration. Things were much more controllable when the conflict was confined to the Government and a group of militant sikhs. But when a conflict pits people of one religion against the people of another, mass hysteria and emotional outbrusts prevail and bodes ill for the country. I hope Rajiv Gandhi can find a middle course between the Hindus and the Sikhs and steer both sides towards it.