When Thatcher travelled by bus

KK Paul

Yes, there was an occasion, though a sad one, when not only the then British PM Margaret Thatcher but also a host of other foreign dignitaries travelled in buses provided by the Haryana Roadways. They were in Delhi to attend the cremation of Indira Gandhi on November 3, 1984. Most of them were very high-risk personages, with Margaret Thatcher having escaped a bomb attack by the IRA just a few days earlier.

Having faced extensive rioting during the last three days, the situation in Delhi was far from normal. Several areas of the city being under curfew, making arrangements and organising logistics at the site of the cremation was becoming extremely difficult. As DCP (Traffic), several vital aspects of the arrangements fell in my domain.

The well-laid-out Shakti Sthal, as it appears today, was just an open ground between Rajghat and Shantivan. It was a low-lying area, with a lot of bushes, shrubs and slush. It was a major handicap for parking and other arrangements. This was projected to the CPWD, which within a short time, and with inadequate manpower, was able to create a smooth passage for entry, alighting and parking. Considering the expected number of dignitaries, the space was inadequate, as some dignitaries had special security and protocol requirements.

While the arrangements on ground had been worked out, some vital decisions were still awaited. Time was running out, as we were already in the evening of November 2. Finally, word came that a high-level meeting had been convened at 10 pm to finalise all details. The meeting started late, and it was already around 11.30 pm when the problem posed by the arrivals and reception of foreign dignitaries came up for discussion. In view of the space constraints, a park-and-ride plan was suggested, with the MEA providing vans that could be shared by the dignitaries. However, it was informed that no mode of transportation, including vans, was available anywhere in Delhi.

It was a desperate situation. The telephone network being down, I gave a message from my official staff car to the Chief Secretary, Haryana, with copies to other relevant officers for a provision of 15 AC and deluxe coaches by 11 am the next day. It was already past midnight, and we continued to wait anxiously for a favourable response from Haryana.

Finally, we heaved a sigh of relief when it was reported around 11 am that the buses had, indeed, reached the rendezvous point at the IGI indoor stadium parking. It was in these buses that all foreign dignitaries, including Margaret Thatcher, Nakasone of Japan, Fabius of France, Jayewardene of Sri Lanka and Zia-ul-Haq of Pakistan, in addition to almost a hundred top dignitaries, were ferried to and from the site of the cremation.