1980 SETTING SON

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1947-2008-India-Roundup

Sanjay Gandhi’s death was as sudden as it was violent. It was also self-indulgent. Warned often about his dangerous aerobatics at the Delhi Flying Club, Gandhi pushed his S2-A Pitts biplane too far and too low on that fateful June day. Mrs. Gandhi suddenly found herself without her point man and airline pilot Rajiv Gandhi found himself a new career. Sanjay’s death left a big question mark over Delhi skies: would he have given Indian politics the catharsis it so badly needed? Would he have ushered in a one-party dictatorship? Would he have become prime minister?

FIRST CUT

• Prakash Padukone became the first Indian to win the prestigious All England Open badminton title when he beat Indonesian Liem Swie King. It was the only All England finals that King lost between 1978 and 1981. In 1981, Padukone faltered in his title defence, as King proved too good and too steady to be beaten at the pinnacle of the sport once again.

THE LAST LEAP

India won a hockey gold medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, beating Spain 4-3 in the finals. This was the last gold India would ever win at the Games, in both individual and team events.

On June 24, just a day after the death of Sanjay Gandhi, President V.V. Giri also passed away in Chennai at the age of 85. A national mourning was declared after the twin tragedies.

“YOU CAN’T SHAKE HANDS WITH A CLENCHED FIST.”

Indira Gandhi

She saw her plans pan out immaculately as the Charan Singh government collapsed even before it was able to get to its. Feet. With the incumbent Janata Party fractured by infighting and losing credibility before the public with its incessant anti-Indira rhetoric, all the former prime minister had to do to bring the house of cards crashing down was coin a classic line like “Choose a Government that Works” to seal the fate of her opponents.

L.K. ADVANI about the newly-formed BJP

“I do not mind if today somebody regards the Bharatiya Janata Party as a Hindu party.”

ANGER RIGHT

Goving Nihalani gave a hint of things to come with his directorial debut, Aakrosh. The film, featuring the art frat including Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, Smita Patil and Amrish Puri, was based on a true story that was adapted for screen by Marathi play-Wright Vijay Tendulkar. The hard-hitting film established Nihalani as a no-nonsense director.

ELSEWHERE…

• Yugoslav President Tito died and the funeral ceremony saw more than 140 state delegations in Belgrade from all over the world.
• The Summer Olympic Games kicked off in Moscow. Sixty-six nations, including the US, Canada, West Germany and Japan, boycotted the games in protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
• Former Beatle John Lennon died after being shot outside the Dakota Entrance of his New York City home, by Mark David Chapman, a deranged fan who had taken his autograph earlier in the day.

56

per cent of Indian women were in the age group of 15 to 19. The figure was higher than in many developed countries, where it was 39 per cent. This, despite India’s infant mortality rate being a high 113 per 1,000 live births.

Courtesy By India Today