Why did Indira Gandhi start considering herself responsible for the death of her son Sanjay Gandhi?

Indira Gandhi was a staunch follower of Chamunda Devi Shakti Peeth in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. She not only went there regularly to worship but a lamp was also lit there in her name. Once, Indira Gandhi planned to go there but could not go for some reason. This angered the priest there. The very next day, her son Sanjay Gandhi died in a plane crash. Indira believed that Chamunda Devi had perhaps become angry. She even told her friend Pupul Jayakar that Sanjay’s death was due to her mistake.

An astrologer had warned her that Sanjay’s horoscope showed a ‘short lifeline’. This disturbed her a lot. This made her overly religious. For redressal, she was suggested to seek refuge in Chamunda Devi. After 1977, she started visiting this Shakti Peeth in Kangra.

On 13 December 1980, a helicopter carrying Indira Gandhi landed at Yol Camp in Kangra. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Ram Lal was there to welcome the Prime Minister along with his ministers. She had come to pray in memory of Sanjay Gandhi, who had died in an air crash on 23 June that year.

Thousands of devotees visit this sixteenth century temple every year. Chamunda Devi Temple is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas of Shakti. Chamunda Devi Temple is situated at a height of 1000 m above sea level. This temple is 15 km away from Dharamshala. Chamunda Devi Temple is situated on the banks of the Bunker River. Chamunda Devi Temple is dedicated to Mata Kali. Mata was named Chamunda due to the killing of the demon Chand-Mund.

How Prasad was offered in his name
Indira Gandhi was a great believer in the goddess. Until her death in 1984, regular prayers were offered in her name at the temple. Prasad was then taken back to her in Delhi. For this, she had appointed a person close to her, to whom she would give money in an envelope for offering and prayers to the goddess. Every two months she would give him Rs 101 for the temple.

Sanjay and Indira’s program for Chamunda had been fixed
Actually, Indira Gandhi had to come to Chamunda with her son a day before Sanjay Gandhi’s death. She had again become the Prime Minister after winning the elections in 1980. She was reminded that Madam, you have to go to Chamunda Devi. She was busy but made a program to go to Chamunda Devi on 22 June 1980.
The state government was informed about his programme. Special arrangements were made for a puja in his presence at the temple. Renowned journalist Neerja Chaudhary has written about this in detail in her book ‘How Prime Ministers Decide’.

A message came that the Prime Minister’s program was cancelled, the priest got angry
On the evening of June 20, a message came to Chamunda that the Prime Minister’s program had been cancelled. The entire Himachal Pradesh government, including Chief Minister Ram Lal, was camping there. They were waiting for her. When the priest came to know that she was not coming, he reacted sharply, ‘You tell Indira Gandhi, this is Chamunda. If an ordinary person is unable to come, the mother will forgive. But if the ruler disrespects, the goddess will not forgive. You cannot disrespect the goddess.’

And then the next day this accident happened
‘Panditji,’ Indira Gandhi’s close aide tried to pacify her, saying, there must be some reason why she could not come. ‘There must be some good reason why she could not come.’ On the 22nd, puja and kirtan were performed in Indira’s absence. The next morning, Anil Bali, Indira Gandhi’s close aide in Delhi, left the city. As the group reached the Jwala Mukhi temple 50 kilometres further, Bali’s secretary came running.

Sanjay Gandhi’s plane crashed
He said, ‘Sanjay Gandhi’s plane has crashed and Pakistan Radio is broadcasting it.’ 33-year-old Sanjay lost control of the plane while performing aerobatics. After that his plane crashed. He died on the spot. Maneka had come in this plane with Sanjay Gandhi a day before, whom he had taken to show his aerobatics. Maneka was shocked by the way Sanjay Gandhi made the plane perform aerobatics in the air. She kept screaming to stop it but it made no difference.

On returning home, Maneka first ran towards her mother-in-law Indira Gandhi and said, ‘I have never asked you for anything in my life. But please tell Sanjay not to fly ‘this’ plane again.’

Indira asked – is this related to my not going to Chamunda
The news of Sanjay’s death shook the entire country. Anil Bali and Kapil Mohan’s family (who were at the Chamunda temple) returned to Delhi. Bali went straight to Indira Gandhi’s residence. It was 2.30 am when he arrived. Indira was sitting near the body. She looked at him. She got up to talk to him.

‘Does this have anything to do with me not going to Chamunda?’ he asked Bali.

‘Madam,’ Bali tried to calm her down, ‘this is not the time (to talk about it). I will tell you later.’

Then he again asked what happened that day in Chamunda
On the fourth day, when Bali arrived at 1, Akbar Road, Indira Gandhi was accompanied by Sunil Dutt and his actress wife Nargis. Indira gestured to Bali. She took him aside and said, “Now tell me what happened.” Bali told her what had happened that day when she had to reach the Chamunda temple. Everyone was waiting for her. What the head priest had said when she did not come.

Indira did not know who cancelled the program
Then Indira replied, ‘I don’t know who cancelled my program.’ She had to come to Chamunda from Jammu that day. Sanjay was with her. He was going to accompany her to visit the temple. It was told that the weather had turned bad. It was raining very heavily in Chamunda. The helicopter would not be able to land there in the coming hours. So she decided to return to Delhi a day earlier.

A shocked Bali then replied that the weather was not bad in Chamunda. It was not raining either. Someone had deliberately made them postpone the Chamunda visit. Later, Indira told Pupul Jayakar that Sanjay’s death was actually her fault. She did not go to the Chamunda Devi temple and perform the rituals and prayers that she wanted to do.

And she went to Chamunda again after the accident
Several months after Sanjay’s death, Indira Gandhi’s political aide ML Fotedar called Bali. Fotedar said, “The Prime Minister wants to meet you. Please be there at 7.30 in the morning.”

As soon as Bali arrived, he was taken inside. Though Indira Gandhi had dyed her hair at that time, she immediately got to the point. She told Bali, ‘I want to go to Chamunda.’ She asked Bali to make the necessary arrangements.

she cried and kept crying
On 13 December 1980, she went to the Chamunda temple. ‘When she was performing the puja, the priest’s hands were trembling.’ She recited the mantras of Poornahuti. She bowed her head in the sanctum sanctorum. She performed the Kali puja completely. After this, she started crying. She kept crying and crying.

Bali recalled, ‘I remember the pandit said she will come crying.’ ‘Now you have 60 crore daughters,’ the priest said, consoling him. ‘You look at them and don’t cry after today.’ He ensured that a ghat was built in Chamunda in Sanjay’s name.

Tags: Chamunda Devi, Indira Gandhi, Kangra Valley