JUNE 14

Forgetting the Differences

When Mikhail Gorbachev came to power in 1985 in the USSR, he began to reorganize the structure of the communist party in order to bring in people of his own persuasion. Gorbachev was particularly afraid of the imposing personality of Boris Yeltsin, a member of the Politburo. However, the latter finally resigned in 1987 from the top party post after a row with Gorbachev and other Politburo colleagues.

It was against this backdrop that, when Yeltsin stood for the presidentship of Russia in 1989, Gorbachev opposed him by proposing another candidate for the post. However, despite his opposition, Yeltsin won the elections, becoming the president of Russia.

Encouraged by the differences between the two leaders, the extremist group in the Russian communist party revolted against Gorbachev, managing to overthrow the government at the Kremlin on August 19, 1991. They believed that they could put an end to Gorbachev by exploiting the differences between the two leaders. But the very reverse happened as subsequent events showed. Yeltsin, having put aside all his differences with Gorbachev, exercised all his power and all his capabilities to organise the public against the coup leaders, putting even his own life at grave danger. Under his leadership, the Russian public gathered in such huge numbers in Moscow that the coup leaders were forced to flee. Gorbachev was brought back from Crimea and reinstated as President. It is generally recognised that the credit for Gorbachev remaining alive and returning to the office of president again goes to Yeltsin.

The greatest mark of a lofty nature is the ability to set aside the grievances and differences in order to support another, whereas a man of baser metal would do the very opposite.