THE DAWN OF A NEW ERA IN INDIA :

I was a second year M.B.B.S. student in Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India when Srimati. Indira Gandhi was chosen as the first woman Prime Minister of India on January 24, 1966. She had symbolized the spirit of Indian Nationalism. She had transcended the limitations imposed by region or religion. I was instantly attracted by the charisma of her personality which portrayed my vision of National Unity. I sent her a hand written letter expressing my sense of pleasure for her appointment as the Prime Minister. She had graciously sent me a reply. During the year 1967, I met her at her official residence in New Delhi along with a batch of students attending a National Student Seminar on National Integration. National Integration represents the idea of people of all regions and religions coming together, to work together, and to participate in National Affairs as equals. During 1969, while I was a Final Year M.B.B.S. student in Kurnool Medical College I was granted Short Service Regular Commission in the rank of Second Lieutenant. I made this deliberate choice to join the Indian Army Medical Corps to serve the Nation because of the memory of Indian Army's humiliating defeat in 1962 when Communist China had invaded India across the Himalayan Frontier.

INDIRA GANDHI'S GLORIOUS YEAR IN OFFICE :

The year 1971 defines the glorious period of Indira Gandhi's National Leadership. On completion of my military training and internship at Military Hospital, Ambala in Haryana State, I was dispatched on deputation to the Special Frontier Force which is supervised by the Prime Minister's Cabinet Secretariat. I got an opportunity to know and to implement her decisions in furtherance of her foreign policy initiatives. During the conduct of Indo-Pak War of 1971, Indira Gandhi had approved the military operations in the Chittagong Hill Tracts which had initiated the Liberation of Bangladesh from Pakistani dictatorship. During this military operation, I had served under Brigadier T S Oberoi, a remarkable military Commander who cared deeply about the welfare of the men under his command. That was the most memorable part of my army service. The proudest moment of my military service was during 1972 when I got the opportunity to serve in the North East Frontier Agency which is now known as Arunachal Pradesh. At Walong, I had personally paid my tributes to the memory of those men who had given their lives defending India from Chinese aggression. I was granted Direct Permanent Commission in the Indian Army Medical Corps during 1973. Later, Indira Gandhi took the bold initiative to carryout the testing of a nuclear device at Pokhran in the State of Rajasthan. While participating in military training, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit this nuclear test site. During 1976, I was awarded the Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services Silver Medal by Lieutenant General R S Hoon during an Awards Function held at Armed Forces Medical College, Pune and my name was entered in the Honour Roll maintained at that Armed Forces Institute.

POLITICAL ECLIPSE AND A TRIUMPHANT RETURN :

Indira Gandhi lost her power for nearly three years after the elections held in 1977 and made a very remarkable triumphant return during 1980. During her absence, I had served in the First Armoured Division commanded by Major General K S Sundarji. Many Indians recognize his name. He was the General who had executed Operation Blue Star during 1984. Unfortunately, she had started choosing people without any nationalist aspirations. She had started trusting career opportunists who would not use any discretion and increasingly, the chief concern of her top bureaucrats was to protect and advance their own selfish interests. The spirit to serve the Nation had started withering. Srimati. Indira Gandhi eventually paid a very heavy price for trusting General K S Sundarji.

A FLAME THAT GOT EXTINGUISHED :

In January 1983, Telugu people had rejected the Congress Party led by Indira Gandhi and Shri. N. T. Rama Rao was chosen as the 10th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. I had voted in favour of his Telugu Desam Party as Telugu people believe in defending their self-respect. At the same time, I got exposed to humiliating treatment from the top bureaucrat of the Army Medical Corps. Lieutenant General V.V.S. Pratap Rao, the Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services had blocked all my opportunities to improve my professional education and denied me the opportunity to serve in Army with Pride, Dignity and Honour. On 17th January 1983, I had asked my Commandant of Army Ordnance Corps Centre, Secunderabad where I was then posted to give me the permission to relinquish my Permanent Commission in the Army Medical Corps. He had granted the permission but it needed the approval of General Rao who had his office in the Ministry of Defence. He made two attempts to kick me out of Secunderabad and send me on posting to Mizoram to demonstrate his power and authority over my life. Army Ordnance Corps Centre, Secunderabad firmly resisted my posting to Mizoram and had insisted that the Defence Minister must decide upon my request to relinquish my Commission. General Rao had asked the Defence Minister to deny my request and my application got rejected. General Rao had again insisted that I must proceed to Mizo Hills in an apparent bid to degrade and devalue my contribution to the Indian Armed Forces. I was forced to take up the issue directly to Shri. Kamakhya Prasad Singh Deo, the Union Minister of State for Defence. I had received the support of Shri. Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy who had served as the 9th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and became the Union Cabinet Minister for Shipping and Transport and for Industry and Company Affairs. Shri. Pendekanti Venkata Subbaiah, Union Minister of State for Home and Parliamentary Affairs had also joined in giving me the support to confront the Defence Minister. Shri. R. Prabhu, Member of Parliament, then 7th Lok Sabha Member also spoke to the Defence Minister on my behalf. On September 18, 1983, Shri. K P Singh Deo gave me permission to meet him in his office in the South Block. He did not defend the actions taken by General Rao and at the same time did not ask me to continue serving the Nation. I made it clear to him that I am not willing to serve without upholding the principles of Discipline with Dignity. My spirit to serve the Nation got effectively extinguished and he had consented my departure from Indian Army. I had received a formal letter from the Government of India on January 10, 1984 while I was in Secunderabad where I had continued to serve without proceeding to Mizo Hills. I left India immediately after relinquishing my Permanent Commission in 1984 and had not revisited that country in the last twenty five years.

http://bhavanajagat.wordpress.com/2010/04/06/indira-gandhi-a-flame-that-got-extinguished/

Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham,

Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India,

M.B.B.S.,  Class  of  April,1970.