Indira's birth throws the family into confusion

In the family of Jawaharlarl Nehru, everyone was waiting for a boy - the heir and continuer of his father’s political affairs. And a girl appeared... However, the grandfather of the newborn, Motilal Nehru, convinced the family: “This girl will be better than a thousand sons,” and the famous poetess sent a letter in which she wrote that “the child will become the soul of India.” And from an early age, the girl confirmed the correctness of these prophecies with her actions: while her peers played with dolls, Indira read the books that her father read. And when India, in response to the oppression of the British, refused to buy and use imported goods, Indira threw her favorite French doll into the fire with her own hands. Her parents taught her to be strong, and her father, with whom Indira became close during their frequent travels, became her spiritual mentor, influenced her choice of profession and instilled a love for her homeland.

Indira is the namesake of Mahatma Gandhi, who became her protector

Indira met Feroz Gandhi at Oxford University, and soon the friendship between them turned into something more. No one saw any particular passion in their relationship; Indira married Feroz, however, only a few years after the proposal. And although he was also a politician, he had nothing to do with the leader of the country and ideologist Mahatma Gandhi. However, the latter often visited Nehru’s house and was one of the first to predict a great future for Indira. And much later, he came to the defense of the marriage of Indira and Feroz, which caused massive protests and condemnations in the country - after all, the daughter of the first prime minister was from a high caste, and her fiancé was a low-caste infidel. Even the father, for the first time ever, would be against his daughter’s decision. However, the marriage still took place thanks to the intercession of the spiritual leader of India, Mahatma Gandhi, an ardent fighter against caste inequality.

The fight against poverty returned Indira Gandhi to the prime minister's chair

The unsuccessful program of family planning and population control, which involved forced sterilization of the poor, was the reason for Indira's loss in the parliamentary elections. The new program aimed at combating poverty strengthens the people's sympathy for her and makes Indira the Prime Minister of India. As a result, during the reign of India's first and only female leader, life expectancy in India rose from 32 to 55 years, and the proportion of the population living below the poverty line fell from 60% to 40%. Shortly before her death, Indira, despite all the warnings, opened her doors to all those in need: people came to “Mother India” to talk about their troubles and needs.

Indira was a good mother both for her sons and for her country

She was called “Indirama” (“Mother of India”), but, having devoted herself to politics, Indira still tried to pay due attention to her family and children. By the time they returned from school, she tried to finish all the work for the day so that she could devote herself to her sons. Interestingly, the youngest son Sanjay was always interested in political activities, supported his mother and wanted to continue her work. While the eldest, Rajeev, always refused to engage in political activities. However, Sanjay died in a plane crash, so when Indira died (she was shot by the Sikhs, who declared themselves an independent community), Rajiv headed the government. He died in the same way as his mother - he was shot by a terrorist in response to the entry of Indian troops into Sri Lanka. Now the leader of the Indian National Congress is his widow Sonia Gandhi. She led the party to victory in the 2004 parliamentary elections.

Name: Indiara Priyadarshiini Gandhi

State: India

Field of activity: Politician

Greatest Achievement: Prime Minister of India from 1966 to 1977 and from 1980 to 1984.

India is a mysterious country. Having a history of thousands of years, it still preserves old orders and traditions that would seem wild and barbaric to a European person. What can we say about famous figures? Of course, researchers and simply fans of the country know the culture - music, cinema. With politics things are a little different. Conservative India sacredly honors the customs of its ancestors, not allowing any changes in the political life of citizens. And all the more surprising was the victory of a woman in the next election: according to many patriarchs, representatives of the weaker sex are generally not intended for any work other than domestic work. But the first woman prime minister proved the opposite to everyone, forcing them to reckon with themselves and present their point of view, different from the opinions of others. It's all about her - Indira Gandhi.

The beginning of the way

To date, she is the only woman who has ever held such an honorable post in the country. Although, perhaps, it was destined for her to become a politician, because her father was not just someone, but Jawarharlal Nehru himself - the first Prime Minister of India after the country declared independence from the rule of the British. The girl was born on November 19, 1917. The whole family, including mother and grandmother, actively advocated for the independence of their homeland, for which they often ended up in prison. When she was 2 years old, in their house she saw a living legend - Mahatma Gandhi.

Indira (which means “land of the moon”) grew up as the only child in the Nehru family. Her parents paid all their attention only to her. She received her education primarily at home. She also often listened to various politicians who came to her father’s house. From an early age she participated in various demonstrations and strikes.

After completing the basic course of study, it was time to go to university. However, my mother became seriously ill, and I had to stop studying. Indira went to Britain with her mother and entered Oxford University. She liked to study, despite the fact that her mother was getting worse. In 1936, Kamala Nehru died. Indira was only 19. She herself was not in excellent health. Having left for Switzerland once again, she was unable to return to England - German military operations against the whole of Europe began. She had to return home to India via South Africa.

At that time, there were a lot of Indians living there, to whom Indira gave her first speech in her life. In addition, upon returning home, she married her longtime friend Feroz Gandhi. However, family life was unusual for these spouses. Instead of a honeymoon, there was a year's imprisonment for political activity. In 1944, the Gandhi couple had their first child, Rajiv, and two years later, Sanjay. In 1947, India finally gained freedom and Nehru became the country's prime minister.

Indira, who was 30 years old at that time, became his official assistant and secretary, traveling with him around the country and abroad. Feroz, who died after almost 20 years of marriage, remained the owner of the house. This was a real blow for Indira - despite all the difficulties, they truly loved each other. The pain of the loss was so strong that Gandhi left politics for a while, devoting herself to her sons. She was offered to marry a second time, but she refused, preferring to remain a widow.

Career in politics

In 1964, the father dies. Indira had already earned a reputation as an excellent diplomat and politician, so she almost immediately entered the Indian Parliament. In 1966, she became the country's prime minister. It was a kind of political revolution, a challenge to society - they say, we, women, are capable of governing the state.

During this period, large banks were nationalized and stronger ties were established with the Soviet Union (she visited there with her father on one of his foreign trips). Of course, many did not like her policies, they tried to push her out of politics, but Indira did not give up. Industry also developed and agriculture improved. However, there were also negative aspects - poor relations with Pakistan, with which India waged endless wars.

In 1971, another military conflict occurred, as a result of which a new country was formed on the world map - Bangladesh, and India was in a deep economic crisis. It was this circumstance that gave impetus to demonstrations demanding the removal of Gandhi from government and the re-election of the cabinet of ministers. In 1975, by court decision, Indira was prohibited from engaging in political activities for six years, but this did not stop her. After 2 years, Gandhi tried to break into the political Olympus again, but to no avail - her popularity fell. In addition, accusations of corruption rained down on her family.

Her reign was distinguished by extremely unpopular laws, one of which was the sterilization of the population. Indeed, there are almost one and a half billion people living in India, but forcing them to go through humiliating procedures was too much. At first, all this was on a voluntary basis, then a law was issued that families that already had three children were subject to mandatory sterilization. For this, Indira Gandhi was nicknamed the “Iron Lady of India.”

Gandhi did not sit in the shadows for long - already in 1980 she again ran for the second most important post in the country and won the elections. Of course, she also had to survive attempts on her life. In April 1980, one of the people threw a knife at her, hitting a security guard. Of course, Indira was afraid, she wore a bulletproof vest, but not so much as to close herself off from people. No wonder she grew up as a determined child. However, the main conflict was with the Sikhs. This tribe wanted to gain complete autonomy rather than submit to central authority. Demonstrating the determination of their intentions, they occupied their main shrine - the Golden Temple in the city of Armitsar. Indira responded by ordering the troops to liberate the temple from the terrorists.

As a result of the operation, more than five hundred people died. The Sikhs did not forget this humiliation and soon took revenge.

Death of Indira Gandhi

On October 31, 1984, Indira was heading for an interview, having previously taken off her bulletproof vest. When she entered the courtyard of the residence, two Sikh guards fired several shots. The mortally wounded Gandhi was taken to the hospital, but could not be saved. Without regaining consciousness, she died. Millions of people came to say goodbye to her. This once again proves that a person gains honor and respect from the majority after death. Although Indira Gandhi proved the opposite with her bright, eventful life.

The world knows several female political leaders who managed to change the worldview of a large number of people and truly change the course of history. One of the few who left an indelible mark on the life of India is the amazingly strong-willed, strong-willed Indira Gandhi.

The biography of this woman, and also an influential political figure, is amazing. Her life and career path cannot leave either supporters or opponents of her political views indifferent.

Let's figure out why she became famous throughout the world, what results her government managed to achieve, why she is compared to the “Iron Lady” Margaret Thatcher and what merits she was able to win among her people the unspoken status of “mother of all India”. We will find out all this in short biography of Indira Gandhi.

Indira Gandhi. Photo source: NewIndianExpress

Indira Gandhi's childhood

Years of Indira Gandhi's life: 1917-1984. First of all, she is known as the Prime Minister of India from 1966-1977 and 1980-1984.

Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi was born on November 19, 1917 in the city of Allahabad, which is located in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The family into which she was born consisted of famous politicians, so she was destined by fate to follow the same path as her influential relatives. Her grandfather was Gandhi Motilal Nehru, who is known as the veteran leader of the Indian National Congress. And Indira Gandhi's father himself Jawaharlal Nehru , which was first Prime Minister of India and previously engaged in legal practice. At the time when his daughter Indira was born, he had just set out on the ornate path of a political career.

Note that even Indira Swarip's grandmother Rani Nehru and mother Kamala are also known for being political figures. At one time they had to endure severe repressions.

Childhood little Indira was unusual for a child. From birth she was surrounded by a large number of people who were famous in one way or another in India. For example, at the age of 2, without even realizing it then, she met an amazing man who could either be extolled by his comrades or vehemently hated by his enemies - the “father of the nation” himself. By the way, to the question of whether Indira Gandhi and Mahatma Gandhi are relatives, the answer is short and simple - no. The subsequently famous Indian “Iron Lady” received her surname from a man who was also not a relative of the Mahatma. The Mahatma himself was called Mohandas Karamchanda in the world. He became an ideological leader for a huge number of followers thanks to his philosophy and inculcation of the policy of “non-violence” throughout the world. But you can learn about this great man in another article dedicated to his life and work.

Just on the advice of the “father of the nation”, eight-year-old ambitious Indira organizes a labor union, which managed to unite many colleagues as young as her. In their grandfather’s house (his mansion was called the “Abode of Joy”) they were engaged in weaving. At one time, the headquarters of Indian nationalists was located in this same place.

Well, even then it became clear to Indira’s family and those around her that this girl would not go unnoticed by the general public. And the future “Iron Lady” of the Indian people herself tried as best she could to imitate her famous grandfather and father. From a very young age, she practiced public speaking, delivering inspiring speeches to children and then to young people.

The parents tried to give the girl everything they considered necessary, since she was their only daughter. They never forbade her to listen to the political conversations of adults, and her father, after serving a long time in prison, sent letters to his daughter in which he described his emotional experiences, ideological views and sincere hopes for a bright future for the country. All this influenced Indira so much that she simply could not choose the path of a woman exclusively engaged in housekeeping and raising children.

Getting an education and difficult life trials

Indira Gandhi in her youth

Such an unusual woman as Indira had an amazing education. Entering the People's University in 1934, she studied a wide range of subjects. But the most important thing that she was able to learn for herself as a developing personality during this period of her life was long informal conversations with the Mentor himself, a famous Indian. On the right are photographs of Indira Gandhi in her youth, taken during that and later periods.

Unfortunately, after a short time, the girl was forced to leave school due to her mother’s worsening tuberculosis. They went to Switzerland together, but nothing helped: in 1935, Kamala dies.

Indira did not immediately return home, as circumstances related to the death of her grandparents, as well as her father’s imprisonment, forced her to remain in Europe. But at that moment not only sad events took place. During such a difficult period of her life, she became close to Feroz Gandhi.

Personal life of Indira Gandhi

Feroz Gandhi, who was a politician and journalist, was friends with Indira's father and helped care for her sick mother. By the way, he was not related to the great “father of the nation.” Feroz supported the girl so much during this very difficult period for her that she was imbued with gratitude and romantic feelings for him.

The father did not approve of their relationship and desire to get married, since Feroz belonged to the Parsi caste - religious fire worshipers, and Indira Gandhi's family, belonging to the Indian elite, disdainfully treated the Parsis. But since Jawaharlal Nehru, due to his political convictions and democratic views, could not openly express his negative opinion about their union, he could not do anything. In turn, Kamala strongly supported the union of young people and even before her death managed to bless them for a sacred marriage.

Indira Gandhi and her father Jawaharlal Nehru. Photo source: DELHI PRESS ARCHIVES

Feroz managed to enroll in Somerwell College, Oxford. Indira also arrived there a little later.

Despite the fact that Indira’s father was known as a politician who became the “engine of progress” in society, the Indian people still could not accept the unequal marriage of Indira and Feroz, throwing away thousands of years of tradition. And only thanks to Mahatma Gandhi and his all-encompassing authority, the wedding of young people took place in 1942. However, they were arrested that same year. After spending about eight months in prison, the great woman was released.

Indira Gandhi with family. Photo source: DELHI PRESS ARCHIVES

Political career and achievements of the Indian “Iron Lady”

Although Indira and Feroz had two sons in their marriage, when Jawaharlal Nehru became the first Prime Minister of India, his daughter began to integrally accompany him at all meetings, completely forgetting about her family. She even became her father's personal secretary.

In those difficult years, there were bloody feuds between representatives of different castes . It was not easy for Jawaharlal and Indira to overcome these proceedings, which led to thousands of victims. They say that Nehru's daughter could inexplicably stop a knife raised over a man thanks to her ability to persuade. For a long time he worked in zones of national conflicts. You can learn more about the caste system from the article ““.

Indira Gandhi signs the India-Bangladesh Treaty in 1972.

In 1960, Feroz Gandhi died, causing Indira to withdraw from politics for some time. Two years after the death of her father, in 1966, this strong and strong-willed woman became the Prime Minister of India. She held this high position only twice. She held this position for the second time before her death.

Indira Gandhi was able to do a lot for her state. The most significant achievements of her reign:

• Introduction of programs aimed at overcoming poverty.
• Active development of industrial sectors.
• Implementation of nationalization of banks.
• Reorganization of the health care system.
• Development of agriculture.
• Valuable contribution to the development of science and technology.

She managed to establish diplomatic relations with various countries, including the powerful state - the USSR. But there were also people dissatisfied with her rule.

Photo session with reporters. Photo source: Homai Vyarawalla Archive

Introduction of a nationwide family planning program in India

Since the birth rate in India was already too high, which led to an increase in poverty in the country, Indira Gandhi introduced forced sterilization of the population. It all started with the fact that spouses were asked to prevent pregnancy through the use of contraceptives, and volunteers were found among men who wanted to undergo sterilization, for which a bonus was paid or a transistor radio was given.

Further, the government decided that men who already have three children are subject to forced sterilization, and women who are pregnant with a fourth child are sent to have their pregnancies terminated. Because of such government actions, the number of people dissatisfied with Indira Gandhi's policies grew. Later, she somewhat softened her categorical views regarding birth control methods.

The tragic end of life and political journey

The life of the “Iron Lady” of India ended extremely tragically. The assassination of Indira Gandhi was carried out by the Sith, with whom the politician was in serious conflict. Moreover, she died at the hands of her own guards.

In what year was Indira Gandhi assassinated and where did it happen?? This terrible event happened in 1984, on October 31, in front of her house in Delhi. Her death was terrible. The Great Indira died from 31 bullets lodged in her body as a result of the shooting at her.

Today, the path where this woman took her last step is covered with a layer of crystal. This posthumous sign of respect was shown to her by the former Czechoslovakia, which admired the outstanding Indira Gandhi.

Indira Gandhi's legacy

And today the Indian “Iron Lady” has followers. There's even Indira Gandhi Square in Moscow . There are two monuments on it - one dedicated directly to Indira Gandhi, and the second to Mahatma Gandhi.

All over the world, including in India, the memory of this woman is still honored. Exists Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, which is the center of the country's civil aviation.

Indira Gandhi was born on November 19, 1917 in the Indian city of Allahabad. The girl, whose name translates as “Country of the Moon,” was born into a family of eminent political figures. Indira's father was the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, her grandfather was the head of the veterans of the Indian National Congress, Motilal Nehru, and her mother Kamala and grandmother Swarip Rani Nehru were famous politicians who survived brutal repressions.

Her family created an unusual contingent of people with whom little Indira interacted from childhood. At the age of two, she even managed to communicate with such a great man as, who is considered the real father of the Indian nation. On his advice, Indira, when she was eight years old, organized her own labor union. Together with her friends, the girl was engaged in weaving in her grandfather’s house. The future politician met with Gandhi later, as can be seen in numerous photos.

Indira was the only child in her family, and therefore her parents paid her a lot of attention. Since politics always played a big role for the Nehru family, the girl was not forbidden to listen to adults talk about the pressing problems of India. And when Indira’s father, by the will of fate, ended up in prison, he wrote numerous letters to his daughter, in which he shared his moral principles, experiences and views on what the future of their native country should be.

Education

As a child, Indira Gandhi was educated mainly at home. She then entered the university in Santiniketan, but was soon forced to quit her studies. The girl’s mother became seriously ill, and she had to follow her to Europe, where they tried to cure Kamala Nehru in the best clinics.

In order not to waste time, Indira decided to continue her studies at Oxford. Due to the fact that the girl did not know Latin well, she managed to enter a prestigious university only on her second attempt. But political science, history, political science and economics were given to her without much difficulty.

In 1935, Kamala died of tuberculosis. Indira herself could not boast of excellent health, which is why she often interrupted her studies and went to Switzerland for treatment. After one of these trips, the girl was no longer able to return to England, since, in fact, she was cut off from it by the Nazis. To return home, Indira had to travel a long way through South Africa.

Political career

In 1947, following the declaration of Indian independence, the formation of the first national government and the election of Jawaharlal Nehru as the first Prime Minister of India, his daughter became her father's personal secretary. Although Indira had her own family by that time, she paid great attention to her work and invariably accompanied the Prime Minister on all foreign business trips. Including, she visited the USSR when her father went there.

With Father

After Nehru's death in 1964, Gandhi became a member of the lower house of the Indian Parliament and then the Minister of Information and Broadcasting. Indira represented the Indian National Congress, the largest party in her country. In 1966, she became the leader of the INC party, and also received the post of prime minister of her native state. She became the second representative of the fairer sex in the world who managed to ascend to the post of prime minister.

Indira Gandhi advocated the nationalization of Indian banks, as well as improved relations with the USSR. However, a number of conservative representatives of the INC, who did not like either the idea of ​​nationalizing financial institutions or the country behind it, were dissatisfied with the work of the Indira government. As a result, the party split, but Gandhi still retained popular support. In 1971, the “Indian Iron Lady” again won the parliamentary elections, and in the same year the USSR supported the country in the Indo-Pakistani War.

Characteristics of the Board

During the reign of the first Indian woman prime minister, industry actively developed in the state, banks were nationalized, the first nuclear power plant was built and put into operation, and great successes were achieved in agriculture, allowing India to finally get rid of dependence on food imports.

The situation worsened significantly due to the war with Pakistan, which caused an increase in intranational conflicts and a decline in economic indicators. In 1975, the Supreme Court ordered Indira to resign, accusing her of electoral violations during the 1971 elections. However, Gandhi cleverly used Article 352 of the state constitution and declared a state of emergency in the country.

During the state of emergency, the Indian economy began to show more optimistic indicators, in addition, inter-religious conflicts were almost put to an end.

However, this came at a fairly high price: the political rights and freedoms of citizens were limited, all opposition publications ceased their work.

The most unpopular measure that Indira took during this time was sterilization. At first, people were asked to voluntarily perform this procedure, receiving a monetary bonus in return. But after some time, the government decreed that every man who already has three children must be forcibly sterilized, and a woman who becomes pregnant with her fourth child must be forced to have an abortion.

High birth rates have indeed always been one of the main causes of poverty in India, but such measures, degrading the honor and dignity of a person, were still extreme. Indira Gandhi received the nickname "Indian Iron Lady". Her quotes are still imbued with the spirit of determination. The politician often made tough decisions, favored centralized systems, and was distinguished by a fairly significant degree of ruthlessness. Therefore, in 1977, in the next parliamentary elections, Gandhi failed miserably.

Return to the political arena

Gradually, Gandhi managed to regain his former popularity. Although many of her previous decisions were too drastic, the interesting facts are that the nation again believed in its “iron lady”.

In 1978, Indira created a new party, the INC (I), and in 1980 she again became the country's prime minister. The politician spent the last years of her life mainly improving sayasats, that is, strengthening the country’s position in the international arena. Thus, through her efforts, India led the Non-Aligned Movement.

Personal life

Indira met her future husband Feroz Gandhi in England. She married him in 1942. This marriage did not correspond to the caste and religious traditions of India: Feroz came from Parsis, and Indira, despite numerous rumors that she was either a Jew or a Kazakh, was from another Indian caste. After the wedding, the politician took the surname that her husband bore, although he was not a relative of Mahatma Gandhi.

The couple had sons Rajiv and Sanjay, who spent most of their time at their grandfather's house. Feroz died in 1960, and in 1980, shortly before Indira herself was killed, her youngest son Sanjay died in a plane crash. He was, among other things, a key political adviser to his mother.

Murder

In the 1980s, the Indian government came into confrontation with the Sikhs, most of whom lived in the state of Punjab. The Sikhs wanted to become a self-governing community and not depend on centralized government authority. They occupied the Golden Temple, located in Amritsar and for a long time considered their main shrine. The response was an operation called “Blue Star”, during which the temple was taken and about five hundred people were killed.

The death of Indira Gandhi was the revenge of the Sikhs against the official government of the country. On October 31, 1984, the politician was killed by her own Sikh bodyguards. Eight bullets, leaving no hope of saving the Prime Minister, were fired at her as she walked to the reception for an interview with the English playwright Peter Ustinov.

Funeral of Indira Gandhi

Indira's funeral was held at the Teen Murti House palace, and millions of Indians came to the farewell ceremony. In 2011, a documentary film about an outstanding Indian woman politician was shot in the UK.

This year, the Indian statesman, Prime Minister of India from 1966-1977 and 1980-1984, Indira Gandhi, would have turned 99 years old.

For the common people, Indira Gandhi became a symbol of supreme power, “the mother of all India.” Skillfully and flexibly implementing her views, she achieved respect not only in her native country, but also far beyond its borders.

Path to Prime Minister

Indira Gandhi was born on November 19, 1917 in Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh state in northern India) into a family that actively participated in the struggle for Indian independence.

Indira Gandhi's father, Jawaharlal Nehru, who later became the first Prime Minister of India after the country's independence in 1947, was at that time taking his first steps in the political arena in the Indian National Congress (INC) party. Gandhi's grandfather Motilal Nehru, one of the veterans and leaders of the "old guard" of the INC, enjoyed great fame.

National Archives of Georgia

Since childhood, the child listened to conversations about colonialism, about acts of protest, about civil disobedience, and met Mahatma Gandhi with his own eyes. And when the girl turned 8 years old, she organized a children's union in Allahabad for the development of home weaving, whose members made handkerchiefs and national hats - topi. During her rest hours, she gave fiery speeches to boys and girls, imitating her great ancestors.

And when in her grandfather’s house the family carried out a “revenge” on the colonialist past, the girl put her favorite toy - a foreign doll - into the common fire. Since then, Indira wore only national dress and was a true patriot of her country.

The girl received an excellent education, which allowed her to enter the People's University, created by the famous writer Rabindranath Tagore, where, along with Indian philosophy and culture, the foundations of the European tradition were also taught. Students studied foreign languages, world history, national and world literature, and spent a lot of time having soul-saving conversations with the founder-patriarch.

In 1936, Indira was forced to interrupt her studies due to her mother's illness. My father was in prison, my grandparents were no longer alive. She went with her parent to Switzerland for treatment, but tuberculosis had already affected the entire body, and the mother soon died.

Indira was supported by a young man, the namesake of the great Gandhi, who belonged to another religious community, despised by the Indian elite, which was considered the Nehru family.

Jawarharlal did not approve of his daughter's choice, but the mother had long blessed the children.

© photo: Sputnik / RIA Novosti

Indira did not want to return to her homeland, where no one was particularly expecting her, and she stayed in Europe. She entered Oxford, the university where her fiancé Feroz studied. And soon the Second World War began. Young people returned to India via the Atlantic and South Africa.

Having landed in Cape Town, the daughter of a political leader found her supporters. It was there that she made her first political speech.

Upon her return to India, she did not receive such a warm welcome - Jawaharlal continued to oppose his daughter’s marriage. And only the intervention of the great Mahatma Gandhi, who spoke out in defense of the unequal marital union, softened the father’s heart.

The wedding was held according to ancient Indian customs, and the young people began to build a family nest. In 1944, the first child was born, and two years later the second boy.

After India achieved independence on August 15, 1947, the first national government was formed and Indira Gandhi's father became the first prime minister. His daughter became his personal secretary and accompanied him on all his trips abroad.

In 1959-1960, Gandhi was the chairman of the INC. In 1960, her husband died and she left politics for several months.

At the beginning of 1961, Gandhi became a member of the working committee of the INC and began to travel to hotbeds of national conflicts.

India's first female prime minister

After her father's death in 1964, Indira Gandhi did not seek the post of Prime Minister, but took the post of Minister of Information and Broadcasting in the government of Lal Bahadur Shastri.

In 1966, after the death of Shastri, Indira Gandhi became Prime Minister. In this position she faced strong opposition. In 1969, after her government nationalized 14 of India's largest banks, conservative INC leaders tried to expel her from the party. They failed to do this, and the right-wing faction left the INC, which led to a split in the party.

In 1971, war with Pakistan began. Under these conditions, Gandhi signed the Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation between India and the USSR.

© photo: Sputnik / M. Gankin

The consequences of the war caused a deterioration in the economic situation and increased internal tension, resulting in unrest in the country. In response, Gandhi declared a state of emergency in India in June 1975.

In 1978, having announced the creation of her party INC (I), Gandhi was again elected to parliament, and in the 1980 elections she returned to the post of prime minister.

Soon after returning to power, Gandhi suffered a severe personal loss - her youngest son and chief political adviser Sanjay died in a plane crash.

In the last years of her life, Gandhi paid great attention to activities on the world stage; in 1983, she was elected chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Indira Gandhi's second term was marked by conflict with Sikh separatists in the state of Punjab. The military operation "Blue Star" to neutralize Sikh extremists, carried out on the orders of the Indian government, led to the death of Indira Gandhi.

After the death of Indira Gandhi, the INC and the government were headed by her eldest son Rajiv. In 1991, he was killed by a female terrorist from the Sri Lankan Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in retaliation for sending Indian troops to Sri Lanka in the mid-1980s.

© photo: Sputnik / Yuri Abramochkin

Indira Gandhi in Georgia

Indira Gandhi visited Georgia twice. In 1955, she accompanied her father, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Then she and her father visited the Transcaucasian Metallurgical Plant named after Stalin in the city of Rustavi and the Digomi Viticulture State Farm in Tbilisi.

They also visited the Tbilisi State Opera and Ballet Theater. Zakaria Paliashvili, where we watched the ballet “Gorda” to the music of David Toradze and staged by Vakhtang Chabukiani.

National Archives of Georgia

21 years later, on June 14, 1976, Indira Gandhi again came to Georgia, but already with the rank of Prime Minister of India. Then Gandhi, together with the Indian delegation, attended a rehearsal of the amateur artistic group “Tsisartkela” in the concert hall of the Georgian Philharmonic and attended a gala dinner in her honor.

Great things

During the period when Indira Gandhi headed the government, all banks in India were nationalized, the first nuclear power plant was built, and industrial development was launched.

Under Gandhi, India overcame its dependence on imports, they began to pay great attention to the development of small and medium-sized farms, and proclaimed a program
"Family Planning" established a clear price policy and determined the maximum for real estate.

At the same time, social programs in the field of health and education were improved, ties with the USSR and other world powers were strengthened, and India took a dominant position in the South Asian region.

Quotes by Indira Gandhi

The true path of life is the path of Truth, Non-violence and Love

History is the best teacher who has the worst students

You cannot shake hands with clenched fists

I am like a bird in a cage that is too small: wherever I go, my wings beat against the bars... The world is a cruel place for the chosen ones, especially for those who know how to feel

My grandfather once told me that people are divided into those who work and those who take credit for the results of their work. He advised me to get into the first group - there is less competition there

The material was prepared based on open sources