The news sites flashed stories after stories of Margaret Thatcher's death, the former PM of Britain. At 87, meeting her death through a stroke, seemed too simple a way to go down in history for this enigmatic woman; there was no drama this time around!
What piqued me more was the extremes of reaction following her death. The social media was flooded with reactions from her political colleagues who expressed their "guarded and dignified" sympathies to the family of the deceased.
On the other hand were the people of Britain, donning the streets to celebrate her death. Songs of "Maggie-Maggie-Maggie, Die-Die-Die" and even hate letters against her, was a full blown "mob-o-cracy" in play. An irrelevant website - IsThatcherDeadYet.co.uk, founded in 2010, updated its home page with the following message :
Looking back at the larger picture called Life, Thatcher's was no less than a high-defination action packed movie- there's intrigue, strategy, war and full blown politics.
Like many of this generation, I have grown up only hearing about her and her trademark politics- Thatcherism. Although what that really meant in totality is hard to say. You love her, hate her, disagree with her politics; but the name has a resonant aura of awe and respect attached to it.
But politics is the not the only mask she adorned, there are lesser known aspects of her that people carefully choose to forget.
I. Family Lady
Blessed with a supportive husband, Margaret Thatcher's career plummeted with Sir Denis Thatcher on her side as a cohort. Seen as the stern politico and hard bargainer, Thatcher raised two kids and was a proud grandmother. After leaving office, the death of her husband and her son- Sir Mark's extra-political activities were a cause for distress. But she continued to live out her days with the same dignity as the Dowager Baronessess
II. Orator
Her political acumen combined with a informed oratory skill, made her the patriot par excellence. Despite the ladylike upbringing, her steely grit could never have her give up in any situation.
She was an ingrained British to the toes, wearing home-made clothes wherever she went. A vehement anti-EU lobbyist, she toured globally to deliver speeches and lectures. In an interesting event, she fainted during a speech in Santiago in 1994 but dismissed medical help. In another case, she denied the British Airways to "introduce modern art on its tail-fans" where the Union Flag was. By 1998, long after her political retirement, she steadfastly campaigned for the release of ex-Chilean President Pinochet, a good friend.
III. Statesman
Despite not having the accolade being the first women to lead a nation, Margaret Thatcher did not earn the title of "Iron Lady" just for nothing.
Entering the office of P.M thrice, she single-handedly transformed a strike-torn Britian from 1979 to 1990, setting a stage for financial boom and bust to happen until her resignation. The then-business fraternity hated her for the austerity drive and increased interest rates. A staunch Conservative, "tax cuts had to be paid for by reductions in public expenditure as well as economic growth."
Known for her "heedless free-market deregulator" policies, the present-day British problems have their roots in her era. David Conn, a columnist at the Guardian tweets rightly "one major legacy was a divided country, divisions being furiously reinforced today."
Her political acumen combined with a informed oratory skill, made her the patriot par excellence. Despite the ladylike upbringing, her steely grit could never have her give up in any situation.
She was an ingrained British to the toes, wearing home-made clothes wherever she went. A vehement anti-EU lobbyist, she toured globally to deliver speeches and lectures. In an interesting event, she fainted during a speech in Santiago in 1994 but dismissed medical help. In another case, she denied the British Airways to "introduce modern art on its tail-fans" where the Union Flag was. By 1998, long after her political retirement, she steadfastly campaigned for the release of ex-Chilean President Pinochet, a good friend.
III. Statesman
Despite not having the accolade being the first women to lead a nation, Margaret Thatcher did not earn the title of "Iron Lady" just for nothing.
Entering the office of P.M thrice, she single-handedly transformed a strike-torn Britian from 1979 to 1990, setting a stage for financial boom and bust to happen until her resignation. The then-business fraternity hated her for the austerity drive and increased interest rates. A staunch Conservative, "tax cuts had to be paid for by reductions in public expenditure as well as economic growth."
Known for her "heedless free-market deregulator" policies, the present-day British problems have their roots in her era. David Conn, a columnist at the Guardian tweets rightly "one major legacy was a divided country, divisions being furiously reinforced today."
#Thatcher calling miners "the enemy within:" you realise one major legacy was a divided country, divisions being furiously reinforced today.
— David Conn (@david_conn) April 8, 2013
But mind you it is not a story of unilinear success or failure. In her 11 years in office, she boldly stepped into an incomparable military operation during the Falklands War by despatching her forces and crippled the trade union movement in the country
Often called upon as having used sexism to rise in the Party heirarchy, her determination, made her a worthy opponent to Moscow and Washington. Nearing 1990, with the in-fighting in Party, she took a dignified exit to make way for the young blood to take over. Her historic expression "It's a funny old world" points at the leader that she was.
Keeping a close watch on her protégé- John Major, she remained on the fringes of politics at Downing Street. In fact, the future Labor PMs including Tony Blair and Gordon Brown invited her to visit, after assuming power. Such was her political stature.
Today, Mikhail Gorbachev wrote a piece in the Guardian, sharing his memories of the woman who earned Kremlin's epithet- The Iron Lady. At the height of Cold War, she put Britian on the map of the world and global economy.
The shadows of her political philosophy molded her public persona. But the steel in her character is what made her the leader of a nation first and the Party later. With her death today, ends an era. Her experiences leave behind a rich legacy for Cameroon's Britain, to be learn and unlearn. People may rejoice her death but let's give her due credit for what she was worth - The Iron Lady. R.I.P!
Catch photographs of Margaret Thatcher with all the important political leaders of her times, here.
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