Presented by Julia Somervillen BBC. Brian Hanrahan report from New Delhi.
“In India, a day of mourning has turned into a day of violence after the assassination of the Prime Minister, Mrs. Gandhi.
The latest report tonight says that at least 110 people have been killed in the fury that swept the country. Hundreds more have been injured. Cities are under curfew and troops in the capital, Delhi have been ordered to shoot looters and arsonists on site. In one incident, twelve people were dragged from a train and clubbed to death.
Julia Somerville, BBC
The Foreign Office in London say Britains planning to go to India in the next few days should stay away. Princess Anne, who’s to represent the Queen at Mrs. Gandhi’s funeral on Saturday has been advised by the Indian government to return home immediately afterwards, instead of carrying on with her Save the Children plans. Armed bodyguards will accompany Mrs. Thatcher when she flies to India tomorrow. And opposition leaders will also be guarded by Special Branch men.
The main target of today’s violence has been the Sikh community because the gunmen who killed Mrs. Gandhi were Sikhs. But in spite of the hostility and bloodshed, a Sikh soldier took his turn guarding the body of the dead Prime Minister as she lay in state. The capital has seen the worst of the violence. 16 people died there tonight. It’s reported to be quiet. In Kanpur, troops were called out to control the mobs. In Calcutta, the police opened fire, then the army had to go in to help. It was a similar story in cities all over the country.
From Delhi, Brian Hanrahan reports.
The Hindu backlash turned what should have been a day of mourning into a day of revenge. Hardly a part of Delhi was spared the attacks on the Sikhs. The elegant colonnades of Connaught Centre were put to the torch as part of a frenzy that started early and spread right across the city.
Brian Hanrahan, BBC
To rich and poor areas alike. Burning vehicles by the dozen littered the roads and pavements. Heavy black smoke puffed upwards with each exploding petrol tank. Particular targets were the taxis, mostly driven by Sikhs. They were stopped, smashed and set on fire. Few drivers were willing to risk their lives. Nearly all traffic stopped. The few policemen in sight watched without attempting to interfere. They said the violence was so widespread, it was impossible to cope with it.
Parts of Delhi became lawless. At their temples, the Sikhs gathered with swords and homemade cudgels, ready to defend themselves. The targets of the violence were undoubtedly Sikhs. Their shops, their offices and their vehicles. A similar pattern of violence against Sikhs is becoming apparent across central and northern India, the areas they call the Hindu heartland.
Brian Hanrahan, BBC
Eventually, in Delhi this evening the army were brought in to try to restore order. They’ve had to be called out in six cities now. Curfews have been declared in sixteen.
While all this was happening Mrs. Gandhi’s body was taken on a gun carriage from her house, where it had remained overnight. It will lie in state for two days in the mansion used by her father, Pandit Nehru, while he was India’s Prime Minister. Her son Rajiv, now Prime Minister in her place, took his stance as tradition demanded, alongside the body. He greeted the President of India, other officials and members of the family, who came to see Mrs Gandhi’s embalmed body.
While the mighty file passed inside, many thousands passed in front of the open door outside. Theirs was a noisy and an angry procession, shouting and surging their slogan Mrs Gandhi’s memory will live on. And there to watch and sometimes greet them, was the new Prime Minister, who has to ride that anger and turn it away from communal violence.
Rajiv Gandhi, the third of his family to rule India, must now prove his own worth. His likely first step is to call an election and hope that this, outpouring of national anger and grief, can be turned into a vote in support of him. Then, with a popular mandate, he’ll be able to turn his attentions to tackling India’s problems. The problems his mother has bequeathed him.
It was noticeable that nowhere in that long line of people were there any turbans. No Sikh felt his grief was deep enough to risk appearing in the midst of a volatile crowd that seemed constantly close to violence. Outside the grounds, the line wound on many thousands strong and tens of thousands plotted through the broad avenues to join the queue to show respect and grief and anger. A funeral pyre is being prepared for Mrs Gandhi’s cremation after a state funeral on Saturday. More than 100 nations have announced that they will be represented. Guarding them will be a further strain on security forces already overstretched.
Peter Ustinov was waiting to do a TV interview with Mrs Gandhi in her garden when she was shot. He told Michael Blakey what he’d seen of the shooting and what happened afterwards.
We were kept there for about then. There were, of course, a pause while people ran around the garden furtively without any orders being given. It was almost quite uncanny. It was like a film without a soundtrack. And then suddenly two more bursts of machine gunfire, which was the commandos, the Tibetan Indian commandos who were accounting for the two assassins in the garden. I think their justice was swift. And after that, of course, it became a largely Indian political affair with people arriving in cars.
Peter Ustinov, actor.
What was the effect on you personally of being so close to this assassination?
The shockwaves don’t start immediately. You live with the moment and you’re aware of everything. And if the whole garden is bristling with trigger happy soldiers looking for something to move not sure how many assassins there are. Absolutely. You’re on your guard and all your senses are woken. It’s only later that the shockwaves come. It’s the same with the people here because yesterday there wasn’t yet much reaction.
Today I get that awful sweet smell in my nose that I remember from the blitz of buildings burning here, gratuitously little local revenges. It’s all unexplained, it’s all chaotic, it’s all slightly crazy. Young men overturning cars.
Peter Ustinov, actor.
And as you go by in your car, people look to the inside to see who you are or how you’re dressed. And it’s a dangerous time for Sikhs.
Leaders of the Sikh community in Manchester met police officers today after threats were made to burn down their temple. In Cardiff, Hindus and Sikhs joined together in prayer to mourn Mrs Gandhi. Chris Morgan reports. The leader of the Sikh community in Cardiff was one of the organisers of the event. He was anxious to show that Sikhs in South Wales were grieving alongside Hindus.
Julia Somerville and Chris Morgan, BBC
About 200 people gathered this evening. Among them were also Christians and Muslims. It’s the first of a series of joint events planned to honour the memory of Mrs Gandhi over the weekend. This service we organised today is not organised by a Hindu, but it’s only organised by a Sikh and a Hindu and a Muslim and Christians altogether. So you can see the feeling. Particularly the Sikhs have come out not to just attend the service but they are sincerely involved organising it. In this evening’s congregation were a number of community policemen. They said that both Indian communities in Cardiff had been deeply upset by the assassination and they reported an atmosphere of complete harmony tonight.”
Brian Hanrahan of the BBC reporting from New Delhi.
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