2. Mohammed Gaddafi: A Popular Leader of the Arab World

Libya, a tribal country situated in Africa close to the Arab world, was where Muammar Gaddafi was born in 1942 in Sirte. His parents belonged to a nomadic tribal community. Gaddafi did not face difficulties in receiving an education. Although he enrolled in Benghazi University to study geography, he didn’t complete his degree due to his deep political sensitivities. Influenced by Egyptian statesman Gamal Abdel Nasser's Arab socialism, Gaddafi played a significant role in anti-Israel movements during the Suez Crisis in 1956. His political ambitions led him to join the military.

While studying at the Hellenic Military Academy in Greece, Gaddafi planned to overthrow Libya’s monarchy, but he couldn’t execute it at that time. Later, after receiving military training in Britain, he returned to Libya and brought his plan to fruition. Historically, Libya lacked a significant monarchical legacy, with only a single monarch, King Idris. In 1969, while King Idris was in Turkey for medical treatment, a group of junior military officers led by Gaddafi placed the crown prince under house arrest. Through this bloodless coup, Libya transitioned from monarchy to independence under the control of another leader who didn’t call himself a king. Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, who became Libya’s supreme leader in 1969, ruled the country effectively for 42 years. Rising to power at a young age, Gaddafi became a figure of both hope and expectation for the people of Libya and the world. During a time of significant change across Asia and Africa, the young leader was seen by many as the Che Guevara of Africa and the Arab world. In line with these expectations, Gaddafi refrained from declaring himself the head of the military or taking other grand titles, instead remaining content with the rank of "Colonel," which inspired trust in many.

Muammar Gaddafi was not only politically sensitive but also played a highly strategic role in the economic development of his country. Until 1969, Libya relied heavily on Western nations for the technology to extract oil from its oil fields. Foreign companies took advantage of this dependency by setting oil prices according to their needs and benefiting immensely from the oil trade. Libya was struggling as it sold its oil without reaping substantial profits. However, as soon as Gaddafi came to power in 1969, he re-evaluated the contracts with foreign companies and took control. He threatened to stop oil production for companies that did not agree with his decisions. He also advised other oil-producing nations to adopt the same policy. As a result, these nations quickly became wealthy. Libya had abundant oil resources but a small population. Gaddafi used the profits from oil to uplift the country. As a result, Libya quickly became recognized on the world map and earned the title of "King of Kings" of Africa. Whether you believe it or not, under Gaddafi’s rule, Libya made enormous progress. In human resource development, education, healthcare, agriculture, and industry, Libya ranked first across all of Africa. Additionally, Libya's national per capita income placed it among the countries with the highest per capita income in the world. During his rule, Libya never took a single penny in loans from any country. There was no beggar in the country (and if there was one, they were not Libyan beggars; they were from Egypt, Niger, or Nigeria). Gaddafi also followed progressive policies regarding women. He had immense faith in their capabilities and demonstrated that women were no less than men by appointing them as his bodyguards. He provided equal opportunities for women in all fields. Unlike some other Muslim countries that imposed restrictions on women, he did not impose any such restrictions in Libya.

Although Gaddafi was an authoritarian leader, he was politically very shrewd. He kept Libya at the forefront of the African continent, far ahead of many other African nations. While governments in neighboring countries like Tunisia and Egypt were falling and people were taking to the streets, we all sat from a distance thinking the same would happen in Libya. However, having lived there for three and a half years (before the revolution), I observed that Libya was never as bad as those two countries. It always worked towards being at the forefront of progress. This was because, in terms of development, Gaddafi’s leadership was proactive. He succeeded in providing essential infrastructure, such as hospitals, schools, colleges, banks, post offices, and good roads, to every village and town. He also helped build hospitals and schools in other poor African nations. Gaddafi provided so many facilities to the Libyans that they continue to remember him for them, and often express doubts about whether they will ever receive such benefits again. He wanted every family in his country to own a house. To this end, he gave $50,000 to newly married couples to build a home, and no interest was charged on any loan they took. He provided free education, healthcare, Wi-Fi internet, and electricity to the people. Before Gaddafi, only about 25% of Libyan citizens were literate. However, after he came to power, that number rose to 83%. Additionally, most of the country's citizens were employed by the government. If a person couldn't find work immediately after completing their education, Gaddafi would ensure that they received a salary equal to the assigned wage for the position until they found a job. He also provided scholarships to young educated Libyans to study in countries like the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom, covering their living expenses and car costs until they finished their studies. Additionally, he gave $3,000 per month to the families of these students to cover their living expenses. While studying abroad in London or the United States might have been a dream for us, for them it was very easy to achieve. Although most areas of Libya were desert, Gaddafi devised one of the largest irrigation projects to help the people farm. This project became the world’s largest human-made irrigation system and is recognized as the eighth wonder of the world. He provided farmers with free land, seeds, fertilizers, and agricultural equipment. Soon, he planned to introduce train services across the country. He also planned to transform cities like Tripoli, Benghazi, Misrata, Sabratha, and Al Khums into smart cities.

Soon, a plan was set to increase the amount of petrol available from 6 liters (which cost around 36-37 rupees in India at the time) to 10 liters. He also ordered a stipend of about 75 dinars (equivalent to around 3500 rupees in India at the time) per month for college students. Car factories were set to sell cars at a fixed price. When women gave birth, they were given $5,000 USD for the care of their child. From 1986 to 1998, Libya was subjected to economic sanctions for 12 years due to accusations that Gaddafi was supporting extremist activities in various parts of the world. During this period, Libya suffered immense losses. In such times, Gaddafi sought help from neighboring countries like Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria. These nations, which had friendly relations with Libya, agreed to help and provided the necessary resources, which Gaddafi exchanged at favorable rates to ensure the happiness of the Libyan people. Despite this, he never took loans from the IMF or the World Bank. He kept Libya economically independent without taking any loans. Recently, he advised oil-producing nations not to accept payments for oil in dollars or euros, but to instead accept gold. However, including the United States, many Western countries did not have enough gold to buy oil. If these nations had followed Gaddafi’s suggestion and bought oil with gold, it was likely that these countries would have faced bankruptcy. As a result, a revolution in Libya became inevitable, culminating in Gaddafi’s assassination. Photos: Courtesy of the Internet Kannada Original: Uday Itagi English Translation: Uday Itagi