 "Mangalsutra row: The truth behind Priyanka’s claim on Indira Gandhi donating gold to the country")
Over the weekend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing a rally in Rajasthan stirred up the ‘mangalsutra row’, alleging that married women’s mangalsutras won’t be safe if the Congress was voted to power.
And on Tuesday (24 April), Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Congress leader, launched a scathing attack on the PM for his comments, questioning if such a thing has ever happened in the 50-year rule of the party. The Congress general secretary further added that her mother Sonia Gandhi’s mangalsutra was sacrificed for the sake of the country, whereas her grandmother, Indira Gandhi’s, gold was donated during the war in 1962.
Is the Congress leader’s claim true? Did Indira Gandhi, in fact, donate gold during the 1962 war against China? Here’s what we know.
Priyanka’s attack
On Tuesday while addressing a crowd in Karnataka ahead of Phase 2 of the Lok Sabha elections, Congress’ Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took aim at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of making provocative statements during elections to distract people.
She said: “In the past two days, the prime minister says that the Congress party will rob your gold and mangalsutra. For 70 years, India has been independent, for 55 years Congress ruled the country, did they take your gold away?”
“When the war was on, Indira Gandhi gave her gold to the country. My mother’s mangalsutra was sacrificed for this country,” she added, “The prime minister says they will cross 400 seats and change the Constitution… sometimes he says he is being abused, or talks about religion. You are among the most qualified cities in the world… do you deserve this?”
Even Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday (24 April) slammed the PM on the remarks, questioning “what sacrifice has any BJP-RSS leader made for the country”.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“For elections, Modi ji is lying to the people that their mangalsutra shall not be safe. Congress governed this country for 55 years. Has that even happened once? Indira Gandhi donated her jewellery in the 1962 War. Pandit Motilal Nehru and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru donated their home to the freedom movement as Anand Bhawan in Allahabad. Our leaders have lived and sacrificed their life and blood for the nation,” he wrote on X.
What sacrifice has any leader of the BJP-RSS ever done for the nation? They did not even participate in the National Movement.
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) April 24, 2024
For elections, Modi ji is lying to the people that their Mangalsutra shall not be safe.
Congress governed this country for 55 years. Has that even… pic.twitter.com/gSX1AMzTZy
Priyanka and Kharge’s remarks came in response to PM Modi ’s previous statement that the “Congress manifesto promises that if they come to power, everyone’s property will be surveyed, it will calculate gold belonging to mothers and sisters and then redistribute it”.
“They won’t even spare your mangalsutra,” he had added.
Indira’s golden aid
So, is there any truth to what Priyanka said? For that, we need to turn back time to 1962.
On 8 September 1962, Chinese troops attempted an incursion into Indian territory by surrounding Dhola post. This prompted Indian soldiers to launch an operation, named Leghorn, to evict their Chinese counterparts.
Two months later, the Chinese military attacked India with full force in what would become the 1962 war. This war prompted Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to turn to Indians for help — asking women to give their jewellery to the cause. He also asked people to donate money and wollens.
And India heeded the PM’s call. Women and men from all over the country donated to the National Defence Fund (NDF), a body set up in the same year to take charge of voluntary donations in cash and kind received for promotion of the national defence effort, and to decide on their utilisation.
It is estimated that the NDF received a total of Rs 22 crore in donations from the people in cash and kind. One among the many who donated to the cause was Nehru’s daughter, Indira Gandhi. In fact, according to an essay by Dr Shashi Kumar Singh on the Indian National Congress website, the former PM had dedicated all her jewellery to the country.
Unfortunately for India, despite the donations, India was unable to secure a win in the war.
Interestingly, Observer Research Foundation Distinguished Fellow Manoj Joshi says that many gold ornaments and jewellery donated then to Defence of India Fund still lie forgotten in the vaults of the Reserve Bank of India today.
With inputs from agencies
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
