To a small group of Indians who went to school in Libya,Muammar Gaddafis death has revived childhood memories of the country they once knew. They grew up in Tripoli,Misrata,Zawia,Sabrata,the cities now overrun by anti-Gaddafi fighters. For them,Gaddafi was the tough army colonel heading an empire that was full of opportunities when they were children. It was in search of these opportunities that their parents had travelled to Libya. Gaddafi had in 1976 opened the Indian Community School in Tripoli,the countrys only CBSE-affiliated school. Its Facebook community,which comprises 360 members,have flooded the page with posts since Gaddafis death,giving vent to emotions ranging from nostalgia to confusion to sorrow. Too many memories,too emotionally attached to think rationally and hate Gaddafi. Right now feeling bad about the way he died. A sense of nostalgia, writes Sini Anto. On one hand he killed so many people but on the other hand his memories are linked with our childhood. so shocking,sad news, says Shazia Iqbal,who now lives in Noida. Dr Inderjit Kochar,an eye specialist from Ludhiana who was on deputation to Libya in the 70s and 80s,says,Indian professionals,mainly engineers and doctors,went in droves,attracted by the dollars. The universities,hospitals,engineering wings were all being run by Indians and Pakistanis. There was a sense of awe around Gaddafi even then. A former student of ICS says,We would hear stories of how he had built tunnels from his palace to the deserts. We were told the whole city of Tripoli is under surveillance and anyone who took his name would be killed.
