India, Nov. 10 -- Steering a nation through turbulence

When turbulent times descend, destiny entrusts leadership to those who can navigate with quiet fortitude-revealing their true resilience. It was a moment of profound political upheaval, 35 years ago today, when Chandra Shekhar took the oath of office on November 10, 1990, stepping forward to steer a nation besieged by crisis. These included the Mandal Commission's reservation upheaval, the economic aftershocks of the Gulf crisis following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, a perilous depletion of foreign reserves and escalating tensions surrounding the Ram Temple dispute, among others.

The Chandra Shekhar Government, brief though it was, served as a bandage on a wounded nation - a swift yet...