Indira Gandhi
Who was Indira Gandhi?
Prime Minister of India who served two terms (1966-1977, 1980-1984) and was the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru. She was assassinated in 1984 following her controversial decision to order military action at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Indira Gandhi (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (née Nehru; 19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician who served as the prime minister of India from 1966 to 1977 and then again from 1980 until she was assassinated in 1984. She was born in Prayagraj to Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister, and became the country's first and only female prime minister. She played a central role in Indian politics as a leader of the Indian National Congress. Her total time in office of 15 years and 350 days makes her the second-longest-serving Indian prime minister, following her father.
Gandhi was educated at top schools such as Somerville College, Visva-Bharati University, Badminton School, and Patha Bhavana. She married Feroze Gandhi, and during her father's time as prime minister from 1947 to 1964, she acted as his hostess and joined him on many trips abroad. In 1959, as president of the Indian National Congress, she was involved in dissolving the communist-led Kerala state government. When Lal Bahadur Shastri became prime minister in 1964 after Nehru, he made Gandhi the minister of information and broadcasting, and she was elected to the Rajya Sabha in the same year.
After Shastri’s death in January 1966, Gandhi beat her rival Morarji Desai in the INC's parliamentary leadership election to become party leader and prime minister. She was the world's second female prime minister, following Sirimavo Bandaranaike. Gandhi led the Congress to victory in the 1967 general election, securing her first election to the Lok Sabha, and won by a large margin in 1971 with a campaign on reducing poverty. However, her decision to impose a nationwide emergency led to major controversy and a significant loss of support.
Throughout her career, Gandhi received many international honors, including the Bharat Ratna in 1971, honorary doctorates from places like Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and the Sorbonne Nouvelle University, the Lenin Peace Prize, and the Gold Olympic Order. Her tenure included important domestic and foreign policy actions, such as military operations at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, which were controversial and contributed to her assassination by her own bodyguards on 31 October 1984 in New Delhi. After her death, her son Rajiv Gandhi became prime minister.
Before Fame
Indira Gandhi grew up in a politically prominent family during India's fight for independence from British rule. As the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, a key leader in the Indian independence movement, she was involved in political discussions and national issues from a young age. Her education took her to various schools in India and abroad, including Somerville College and Badminton School in England, giving her a worldly perspective that later influenced her political career.
In the 1940s and 1950s, as India moved from colonial rule to independence and its early years as a republic, Gandhi gained political experience by serving as her father's hostess and close advisor. This time allowed her to observe governance at the highest levels and connect with international leaders, preparing her for her eventual rise in the Indian National Congress party.
Key Achievements
- First and only female Prime Minister of India, serving 15 years and 350 days total
- Led India to victory in the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, resulting in the creation of Bangladesh
- Implemented the Green Revolution policies that significantly increased India's agricultural productivity
- Conducted India's first successful nuclear test in 1974, establishing the country as a nuclear power
- Received the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor, in 1971
Did You Know?
- 01.She was awarded honorary citizenship of Kyiv and received the Order of José Martí from Cuba in 1985, a year after her death
- 02.Gandhi received her honorary doctorate from Waseda University in Japan, reflecting her international diplomatic connections
- 03.She was the mother of future Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, making the Nehru-Gandhi family a political dynasty spanning three generations of Indian leadership
- 04.Her surname Gandhi came from her marriage to Feroze Gandhi and was unrelated to Mahatma Gandhi
- 05.She received both the Lenin Peace Prize and the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding in 1984, the year of her assassination
Family & Personal Life
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| honorary doctorate of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv | — | — |
| honorary doctor of Waseda University | — | — |
| honorary citizen of Kyiv | — | — |
| Order of the Rose | — | — |
| Bharat Ratna | 1971 | — |
| honorary doctor of the Sorbonne Nouvelle University | 1981 | — |
| Gold Olympic Order | 1983 | — |
| Lenin Peace Prize | 1984 | — |
| Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding | 1984 | — |
| Order of José Martí | 1985 | — |