{"id":668217,"date":"2026-11-07T13:40:02","date_gmt":"2026-11-07T17:40:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.malayalamdailynews.com\/english\/668217\/"},"modified":"2026-11-07T13:40:02","modified_gmt":"2026-11-07T17:40:02","slug":"that-dark-day-when-indira-gandhi-was-shot-no-response-even-when-calling-out-to-mother-covered-in-blood-sonia-gandhis-haunting-memories-of-october-31-1984","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.malayalamdailynews.com\/english\/668217\/","title":{"rendered":"That Dark Day When Indira Gandhi Was Shot; No Response Even When Calling Out to Mother Covered in Blood: Sonia Gandhi\u2019s Haunting Memories of October 31, 1984"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"That<\/figure>\n

New Delhi: October 31, 1984, stands as one of the most tragic chapters in Indian political history. On that day, Indira Gandhi, then Prime Minister of India, was shot dead by her own security personnel. The memories of this assassination, which shocked not only India but the entire world, remain sharply etched even four decades later. Congress leader Sonia Gandhi heartbreakingly narrates the events of that day through the perspectives of a daughter-in-law, a mother, and a wife. Her autobiography, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love,' scheduled for release on November 10, details the final moments of Indira Gandhi\u2019s life as well as the subsequent developments within the Nehru-Gandhi family.<\/p>\n

The day of October 31, 1984 began as usual, but Sonia Gandhi never imagined it would turn into the most terrifying day of her life. While preparing to bathe in her own room, she heard sounds outside resembling firecrackers. At first, she could not comprehend what was happening. But soon indications began to suggest a grave calamity had taken place. Ongmu, the ayah of Rahul and Priyanka, was seen trembling as she crouched by the bathroom door, crying and pointing towards the garden. Noticing the fear and anxiety on their faces, Sonia realized that something serious must have happened. Wasting no time, she ran outside.<\/p>\n

Upon reaching near Akbar Road, Sonia recalls witnessing an image she would never forget for life. A white Ambassador car was slowly moving, attempting to take the shot Indira Gandhi to the hospital. Sonia boarded the vehicle and sat on the floor beside her. The sight she saw shattered her: Indira Gandhi\u2019s sari and chest were soaked in blood. Though gravely injured, her eyes remained open, displaying a look of shock. Sonia describes the expression on her mother-like figure\u2019s face as that of disbelief. Repeatedly, she called out, \u201cAmme\u2026\u201d but received no response. Indira Gandhi lay motionless. Sonia hoped for a miracle, wishing she would speak again.<\/p>\n

Sonia remembers facing numerous hurdles while trying to swiftly get the critically injured Indira Gandhi to the hospital. Traffic congestion clogged the roads of Delhi, making the journey extremely difficult. Every minute was precious, yet the vehicle\u2019s slow progress heightened the family\u2019s worry.<\/p>\n

Upon arrival at the hospital, the crisis was not yet over. The gates were closed, blocking entry. Sonia recounts these fraught moments amid efforts to save her mother figure\u2019s life as deeply painful. Finally, Indira Gandhi was admitted and the doctors began emergency treatment. However, the grave injuries and excessive blood loss rendered her condition very critical. Hours of agonizing waiting followed for Sonia. She oscillated between hope for her survival and terror of the worst news. Watching the doctors\u2019 faces for updates, she eventually questioned one, only to receive the most painful answer \u2013 a silent nod indicating that Indira Gandhi could not be saved.<\/p>\n

Indira Gandhi\u2019s death was officially announced at approximately 2 PM on October 31, 1984. The curtain fell on an era in Indian politics. For the Nehru-Gandhi family, it was an irreparable personal loss.<\/p>\n

Returning home after the death, Sonia was met with yet another heartbreaking scene. Rahul and Priyanka were urgently brought home from school by security personnel. Both children sensed something was terribly wrong but did not know the full extent of the tragedy involving their grandmother. When Sonia arrived home, the children cried and clung to their mother, filled with questions: Where was their mother? Where was their grandmother? What had happened? Why had no one told them the truth? Answering these was another immense emotional ordeal for Sonia. Unable to control her own grief, she nevertheless had to comfort her children.<\/p>\n

For Rahul and Priyanka, who shared a close bond with their grandmother, that day became one of the most traumatic experiences of their childhood.<\/p>\n

At the time of the shooting, Rajiv Gandhi, Indira Gandhi\u2019s son, was not in Delhi but attending political events in West Bengal. Sonia writes in her memoir that Rajiv heard of his mother\u2019s critical condition through the BBC. Upon learning this, he cut short his engagements and returned to Delhi. Alongside concerns about her health, crucial discussions regarding the country\u2019s political future began.<\/p>\n

Rajiv Gandhi was informed that he was being asked to take oath as Prime Minister following Indira Gandhi\u2019s assassination. Sonia describes how distressed she was upon hearing this. Her greatest fear was that Rajiv, like his mother, would become a target of the assailants. She pleaded with Rajiv not to assume the Prime Ministership, fearing for his life and the dangers the political responsibilities would bring. Rajiv\u2019s response intensified Sonia\u2019s anguish: \u201cThey will kill me anyway.\u201d She reflects in her autobiography on the terrifying dread that swept through her on hearing this. Rajiv\u2019s political path held the ominous possibility of leading him to a similar tragedy\u2014a fear that years later would come true.<\/p>\n

On May 21, 1991, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in a suicide bomb attack during an election campaign in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. The words Rajiv spoke after Indira Gandhi\u2019s assassination were haunted by the tragedy that unfolded later.<\/p>\n

The news of Indira Gandhi\u2019s death sent shockwaves throughout the nation. Amid uncertainty in political leadership and governance, Rajiv Gandhi decided to assume the Prime Minister\u2019s office. At around 6.30 PM on October 31, 1984, Rajiv Gandhi took oath as India\u2019s Prime Minister. He was thrust into the responsibility of leading the nation while grieving the sudden loss of his mother. This was the most critical turning point in Rajiv Gandhi\u2019s political journey. However, Sonia\u2019s foremost concern was not her husband\u2019s political rise but his safety.<\/p>\n

Indira Gandhi\u2019s assassination profoundly influenced India\u2019s political history. The assailants Satwant Singh and Beant Singh were part of her own security detail. The assassination triggered anti-Sikh riots across the country, particularly in Delhi, leading to the killing of thousands of Sikhs. These riots became one of independent India\u2019s darkest chapters.<\/p>\n

Yet for Sonia Gandhi, October 31, 1984, was more than a political event \u2014 it was a day that destroyed her personal life. The morning gunshots, her mother covered in blood, the unanswered call of \u201cAmme,\u201d the long wait at the hospital, the doctor\u2019s silent nod, the tearful children\u2019s questions at home, and fears for Rajiv Gandhi\u2019s future all remain indelibly imprinted in her memory.<\/p>\n

October 31, 1984, recorded in history books as the day of a political assassination, remains for Sonia Gandhi a day filled with tears, fear, and the painful separation of a nation\u2019s Prime Minister and a family\u2019s beloved mother and guiding grandmother.<\/p>\n

n<\/p>\n

Original Malayalam report: Malayalam Daily News<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New Delhi: October 31, 1984, stands as one of the most tragic chapters in Indian political history. On that day, Indira Gandhi, then Prime Minister of India, was shot dead by her own security personnel. The memories of this assassination, which shocked not only India but the entire world, remain sharply etched even four decades later. Congress leader Sonia Gandhi heartbreakingly narrates the events of that day through the perspectives of a daughter-in-law, a mother, and a wife. Her autobiography, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love,' scheduled for release on November…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":668219,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[582,170397,47748],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-668217","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english","category-india","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.malayalamdailynews.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/668217","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.malayalamdailynews.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.malayalamdailynews.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.malayalamdailynews.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=668217"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.malayalamdailynews.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/668217\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.malayalamdailynews.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/668219"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.malayalamdailynews.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=668217"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.malayalamdailynews.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=668217"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.malayalamdailynews.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=668217"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}