The law will undoubtedly take its own course in connection with Monday’s incident involving the Prime Minister. On the face of it, the matter is fairly simple. A young man threw a spring knife towards Mrs. Gandhi when she was walking to her car at the end of a public function in New Delhi and he was arrested on the spot. The knife did not hit her or anyone else accompanying her. She was aware that something had been thrown but paid no attention to it. Indeed, hours after the incident her staff denied that it had taken place. But since these simple facts cannot help establish either Ram Bulchand Lalwani’s intentions or motives, the country will need to wait for completion of the police inquiry. Meanwhile a word of caution may be in order. It may perhaps be rash to conclude that there has been an attempt on the Prime Minister’s life. For while it is premature to say that in throwing a knife in the direction of the Prime Minister Lalwani was only drawing attention to himself and giving expression to his frustration, that possibility should not be ruled out at this stage. If it is possible that he wanted to hit and injure Mrs. Gandhi, if is equally feasible that he had no such intention.
It is obvious that nothing involving the Prime Minister’s security in any way can be treated light-heartedly. But over-reaction in such matters can be as wrong as complacency. And since the chances of over-reaction are greater than that of complacency in our set-up, it is necessary to be extremely careful. At stake is not only a fair trial for the accused but the preservation of a proper political atmosphere in the country. Like elsewhere, India has its share of cranks and desperadoes. But our experience so far has generally been that attempts on the lives of our political figures take place in a highly surcharged atmosphere. Gandhiji was assassinated in a wildly violent political climate. There is no such atmosphere in the land right now. Mrs. Gandhi has her critics and opponents. But there is no intense hatred of her anywhere in the country and among any section of the community. She has to be protected but not imprisoned by unduly elaborate security arrangements. This has happened to her in the past and can happen to her again if there is a panicky reaction to an isolated incident. Security arrangements can of course be efficient without being unnecessarily cumbersome and crippling. Ours tend to be that way.