Indira Gandhi

Indira Gandhi was one of the most extraordinary women leaders India has ever seen. She was acknowledged throughout the world as not only the head of Government of India but also a world-ranking political leader. She had a charismatic personality and had tremendous influence over people of India.

She was born in Anand Bhawan in Allahabad on 19th November 1917. Her childhood name was priyadarshni. She was gifted with brilliance, courage and resolution from her ancestors. Her grandfather Moti Lal Nehru was a very famous and successful lawyer of his times, who later on left his well-paid legal practice and became a national public figure. Indira’s father, Jawahar Lal Nehru was a great freedom fighter who later on as Prime Minister of Indian was recognized as a world political leader.

As a child, Indira Gandhi was very much influenced by Gandhiji. Once she went to Sabarmati Ashram also. The simple and hard life of the Ashram left deep impression on her life and she was instilled with patriotic feelings. She received her education at different places. She matriculated form Pune and then she was enrolled in Shantiniketan, which was established by Rabindra Nath Tagore. There the students were expected to lead a life of very strict discipline. Later on, she studied at Switzerland and England.

Indira gained a lot of experience and knowledge from her father Jawahar Lal Nehru. She was associated with the Congress party right from her birth. She was declared the President of the Congress Party, in which she worked very hard and rose to the expectations of people as a leader in her own right.

After the death of her father in 1964, Lal Bahadur Shastri succeeded him and Indira Gandhi became Information and Broadcasting Minister in his cabinet. In January 1966, after the sudden death of Shastriji in Tashkent, Indira was elected as the leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party.

With the passage oftime, her firm determination, her hardworking nature and her foresight brought her praise from all directions. She started meeting common people every day and tried to solve their complaints. It brought her great popularity.

In December 1971, Pakistan launched an attack on India. A fierce war lasted for two weeks that resulted in the creation of Bangladesh. Indira Gandhi solved this tricky problem successfully and won wide approval for her qualities of leadership.

With the passage of time, the political atmosphere underwent a change and Indira Gandhi had to declare emergency in the country on 26th June 1975. When General elections were held in March 1977, she was badly defeated. In General elections of 1980, she was again elected to power. At that time, the country was facing many problems including the Punjab problem, regarding which she had to take some hard measures. Unfortunately, she faced sudden and tragic end on 31st October 1984 when she suffered an attack of bullets. This plunged the country in a depth of sorrow and mourning.

Indira Gandhi is one of those leaders who will be always remembered for her courage, determination and remarkable qualities of leadership.