An interview with Maharani Gayatri Devi

Sify is carrying a fascinating interview with Maharani Gayatri Devi - the 85 year old (former) Queen of Jaipur and former Member of Parliament. An interesting read, complete with anecdotal references & reminiscences; On her time in Tihar during the emergency:

I remember, after dinner every night, we would hear slogans being raised from the male wards. One of them I recall distinctly. It went something like this: 'Desh ki billi/ Chhodo Dilli', 'Jaao Italy/ Hotel chalao!' (Bursts into long giggles). Don't ask me why Italy and why hotel chalao. They would raise the slogan and we in the female ward would join the chorus. Then, I remember, Holi arrived. I invited Rajmata to join some of us to celebrate. We made a cloth doll that was supposed to resemble Indira Gandhi. We set in on fire as Holika the night before Holi.

For some unfathomable reason, Sify have stripped the interviewer's name from the text :S This interview originally appeared in Calcutta's Daily Pioneer.. An Amazon link to Maharani Gayatri Devi's memoirs.. highly likely to be cheaper at your local bookstore :)