Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (; née Nehru; 19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician and a central figure of the Indian National Congress.
In 2020, Gandhi was named by Time magazine among the world's 100 powerful women who defined the last century. ==Early life and career== Indira Gandhi was born Indira Nehru into a Kashmiri Pandit family on 19 November 1917 in Allahabad.
As one writer said: "The Indian people were her children; members of her family were the only people capable of leading them." Gandhi had been swept up in the call for Indian independence since she was born in 1917.
She had limited contact with her father, mostly through letters. Indira was taught mostly at home by tutors and attended school intermittently until matriculation in 1934.
After her mother died, she attended the Badminton School for a brief period before enrolling at Somerville College in 1937 to study history.
She was being treated there in 1940, when Germany rapidly conquered Europe.
She managed to enter England in early 1941, and from there returned to India without completing her studies at Oxford.
Gandhi directed a letter to Bhutto, and later to the world, claiming the test was for peaceful purposes and part of India's commitment to develop its programme for industrial and scientific use. ==Family, personal life and outlook== She married Feroze Gandhi at the age of 25, in 1942.
The couple had two sons, Rajiv Gandhi (born 1944) and Sanjay Gandhi (born 1946). In the 1950s, Indira, now Mrs.
The couple had two sons, Rajiv Gandhi (born 1944) and Sanjay Gandhi (born 1946). In the 1950s, Indira, now Mrs.
She served as prime minister from January 1966 to March 1977 and again from January 1980 until her assassination in October 1984, making her the second longest-serving Indian prime minister after her father. During Nehru's time as Prime Minister of India from 1947 to 1964, Gandhi was considered a key assistant and accompanied him on his numerous foreign trips.
Thus by 1947, she was already well immersed in politics, and by 1966, when she first assumed the position of prime minister, she had held several cabinet positions in her father's office. Gandhi's advocacy for women's rights began with her help in establishing the Congress Party's Women's Section.
The couple had two sons, Rajiv Gandhi (born 1944) and Sanjay Gandhi (born 1946). In the 1950s, Indira, now Mrs.
Towards the end of the 1950s, Gandhi served as the President of the Congress.
Gandhi was known for her anti-communist stance in the 1950s, with Meghnad Desai even describing her as "the scourge of [India's] Communist Party." Yet, she later forged close relations with Indian communists even while using the army to break the Naxalites.
On average, inflation in India had remained below 7% through the 1950s and 1960s.
The rise of these newly empowered social classes challenged the political establishment of the Hindi Belt in the years to come. ===Language policy=== Under the 1950 Constitution of India, Hindi was to have become the official national language by 1965.
I have to do a great deal of touring in order to set up the Congress Party Women's Section, and am on numerous important committees." Gandhi spent a great deal of time throughout the 1950s helping to organise women.
She went on to study at the Vishwa Bharati in Santiniketan, which became Visva-Bharati University in 1951.
In her own accounts through her letters, she wrote to her friend Dorothy Norman, in 1952 she wrote: "At about eight or nine I was taken to France; Jeanne d'Arc became a great heroine of mine.
In 1956, Gandhi had an active role in setting up the Congress Party's Women's Section.
In 1956, she wrote in a letter: "It is because of this that I am taking a much more active part in politics.
She was elected President of the Indian National Congress in 1959.
In that capacity, she was instrumental in getting the Communist led Kerala State Government dismissed in 1959.
She wrote to Norman in 1959, irritable that women had organised around the communist cause but had not mobilised for the Indian cause: "The women, whom I have been trying to organize for years, had always refused to come into politics.
Now they are out in the field." Once appointed president in 1959, she "travelled relentlessly, visiting remote parts of the country that had never before received a VIP ...
Nevertheless, Gandhi authorised the development of a secret channel of contact and security assistance with Israel in the late 1960s.
She was seemingly against the rich and big business while preserving the status quo to manipulate the support of the left in times of political insecurity, such as the late 1960s.
By the end of the 1960s, the reversal of the liberalisation process was complete, and India's policies were characterised as "protectionist as ever." To deal with India's food problems, Gandhi expanded the emphasis on production of inputs to agriculture that had already been initiated by her father, Jawaharlal Nehru.
On average, inflation in India had remained below 7% through the 1950s and 1960s.
General economic recovery under Gandhi led to an average inflation rate of 6.5% from 1981–82 to 1985–86—the lowest since the beginning of India's inflation problems in the 1960s. The unemployment rate remained constant at 9% over a nine-year period (1971–80) before declining to 8.3% in 1983. ==Domestic policy== ===Nationalisation=== Despite the provisions, control and regulations of the Reserve Bank of India, most banks in India had continued to be owned and operated by private persons.
Gandhi came out of the language conflicts with the strong support of the south Indian populace. ===National security=== In the late 1960s and 1970s, Gandhi had the Indian army crush militant Communist uprisings in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Their marriage lasted 18 years until he died of a heart attack in 1960.
After reaching a high diplomatic point in the aftermath of Nehru's role in the Suez Crisis, India's isolation from Africa was complete when only four nations—Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and Libya—supported her during the Sino-Indian War in 1962.
She served as prime minister from January 1966 to March 1977 and again from January 1980 until her assassination in October 1984, making her the second longest-serving Indian prime minister after her father. During Nehru's time as Prime Minister of India from 1947 to 1964, Gandhi was considered a key assistant and accompanied him on his numerous foreign trips.
Upon her father's death in 1964, she was appointed as a member of the Rajya Sabha (upper house) and became a member of Lal Bahadur Shastri's cabinet as Minister of Information and Broadcasting.
After her father's death in 1964 she was appointed a member of the Rajya Sabha (upper house) and served in Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri's cabinet as Minister of Information and Broadcasting.
Although Iran had earlier characterized the Indo-Pakistani war in 1965 as Indian aggression, the Shah had launched an effort at rapprochement with India in 1969 as part of his effort to secure support for a larger Iranian role in the Persian Gulf.
Fiscal problems associated with the war with Pakistan in 1965, along with a drought-induced food crisis that spawned famines, had plunged India into the sharpest recession since independence.
The rise of these newly empowered social classes challenged the political establishment of the Hindi Belt in the years to come. ===Language policy=== Under the 1950 Constitution of India, Hindi was to have become the official national language by 1965.
She served as prime minister from January 1966 to March 1977 and again from January 1980 until her assassination in October 1984, making her the second longest-serving Indian prime minister after her father. During Nehru's time as Prime Minister of India from 1947 to 1964, Gandhi was considered a key assistant and accompanied him on his numerous foreign trips.
In the Congress Party's parliamentary leadership election held in early 1966 (upon the death of Shastri), she defeated her rival Morarji Desai to become leader, and thus succeeded Shastri as Prime Minister of India. As prime minister, Gandhi was known for her political intransigency and unprecedented centralisation of power.
In January 1966, after Shastri's death, the Congress legislative party elected her over Morarji Desai as their leader.
a woman would be an ideal tool for the Syndicate. ==First term as Prime Minister between 1966 and 1977== Her first eleven years serving as Prime Minister saw Gandhi evolve from the perception of Congress party leaders as their puppet, to a strong leader with the iron resolve to split the party over her policy positions, or to go to war with Pakistan to liberate Bangladesh.
Under Gandhi, by the early 1980s, the Soviets had become India's largest trading partner. ===United States=== When Gandhi came to power in 1966, Lyndon Johnson was the US president.
The economy managed to recover in 1966 and ended up growing at 4.1% over 1966–1969.
After nationalisation, the oil majors such as the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) and the Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) had to keep a minimum stock level of oil, to be supplied to the military when needed. ===Administration=== In 1966, Gandhi accepted the demands of the Akalis to reorganise Punjab on linguistic lines.
In 1966, the Mizo uprising took place against the government of India and overran almost the whole of the Mizoram region.
Thus by 1947, she was already well immersed in politics, and by 1966, when she first assumed the position of prime minister, she had held several cabinet positions in her father's office. Gandhi's advocacy for women's rights began with her help in establishing the Congress Party's Women's Section.
At the beginning of her first term as prime minister, she was widely criticised by the media and the opposition as a "Goongi goodiya" (Hindi for a "dumb doll" or "puppet") of the Congress party bosses who had orchestrated her election and then tried to constrain her. ===1967–1971=== The first electoral test for Gandhi was the 1967 general elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
Following the 1967 elections, Gandhi gradually began to move towards socialist policies.
Gandhi appreciated the Shah's disregard of Pan-Islamism in diplomacy. ===Asia-Pacific=== One of the major developments in Southeast Asia during Gandhi's premiership was the formation of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1967.
When food stocks slumped after poor harvests in 1972, the government made it a point to use foreign exchange to buy US wheat commercially rather than seek resumption of food aid. The period of 1967–75 was characterised by socialist ascendency in India, which culminated in 1976 with the official declaration of state socialism.
The government targeted growth at 5.7% while stating as its goals, "growth with stability and progressive achievement of self-reliance." The rationale behind the overall plan was Gandhi's Ten-Point Programme of 1967.
for shipments of grains humiliating. The economic period of 1967–75 became significant for its major wave of nationalisation amidst increased regulation of the private sector. Some other objectives of the economic plan for the period were to provide for the minimum needs of the community through a rural works program and the removal of the privy purses of the nobility.
Both these, and many other goals of the 1967 programme, were accomplished by 1974–75.
In 1967, Gandhi introduced a constitutional amendment that guaranteed the de facto use of both Hindi and English as official languages.
Gandhi authorised the development of nuclear weapons in 1967, in response to Test No.
Efforts to rope in the Asian community to join Indian diplomacy, however, came to naught, in part because of the unwillingness of Indians to remain in politically insecure surroundings, and because of the exodus of African Indians to Britain with the passing of the Commonwealth Immigrants Act in 1968.
In 1969, she fell out with senior Congress party leaders over several issues.
The policies of the Congress under Gandhi, before the 1971 elections, also included proposals for the abolition of the Privy Purse to former rulers of the princely states and the 1969 nationalization of the fourteen largest banks in India. ===1971–1977=== Garibi Hatao (Eradicate Poverty) was the resonant theme for Gandhi's 1971 political bid.
Although Iran had earlier characterized the Indo-Pakistani war in 1965 as Indian aggression, the Shah had launched an effort at rapprochement with India in 1969 as part of his effort to secure support for a larger Iranian role in the Persian Gulf.
As early as 1969, critics had begun accusing her of insincerity and machiavellianism.
She began a new course by launching the Fourth Five-Year Plan in 1969.
Nevertheless, the success of the overall economic plan was tempered by the fact that annual growth at 3.3–3.4% over 1969–74 fell short of the targeted figure. ===The Fifth Five-Year Plan=== The Fifth Five-Year Plan (1974–79) was enacted against the backdrop of the state of emergency and the Twenty Point Program of 1975.
In 1969, Gandhi moved to nationalise fourteen major commercial banks.
But, the death of Nasser in 1970 and Sadat's growing friendship with Riyadh, and his mounting differences with Moscow, constrained Egypt to a policy of neutrality.
There was an increase in Indian economic and military co-operation with Iran during the 1970s.
In Uganda, the African Indian community suffered persecution and eventually expulsion under the government of Idi Amin. Foreign and domestic policy successes in the 1970s enabled Gandhi to rebuild India's image in the eyes of African states.
The Green Revolution in India subsequently culminated under her government in the 1970s.
It then accelerated sharply in the 1970s, from 5.5% in 1970–71 to over 20% by 1973–74, due to the international oil crisis.
The government was successful in bringing down inflation during the emergency; achieving negative figures of −1.1% by the end of 1975–76. Gandhi inherited a tattered economy in her second term; harvest failures and a second oil shock in the late 1970s had caused inflation to rise again.
Jayaprakash Narayan, who became famous for leading the opposition to Gandhi in the 1970s, solidly praised her nationalisation of banks. Having been re-elected in 1971 on a nationalisation platform, Gandhi proceeded to nationalise the coal, steel, copper, refining, cotton textiles, and insurance industries.
The motion to abolish privy purses, and the official recognition of the titles, was originally brought before the Parliament in 1970.
Gandhi came out of the language conflicts with the strong support of the south Indian populace. ===National security=== In the late 1960s and 1970s, Gandhi had the Indian army crush militant Communist uprisings in the Indian state of West Bengal.
A small-scale insurgency by some militants continued into the late 1970s, but it was successfully dealt with by the government.
Today, Mizoram is considered one of the most peaceful states in the north-east. Responding to the insurgency in Nagaland, Gandhi "unleashed a powerful military offensive" in the 1970s.
The policies of the Congress under Gandhi, before the 1971 elections, also included proposals for the abolition of the Privy Purse to former rulers of the princely states and the 1969 nationalization of the fourteen largest banks in India. ===1971–1977=== Garibi Hatao (Eradicate Poverty) was the resonant theme for Gandhi's 1971 political bid.
throughout the country." Gandhi's biggest achievement following the 1971 election came in December 1971 with India's decisive victory over Pakistan in the Indo-Pakistani War that occurred in the last two weeks of the Bangladesh Liberation War, which led to the formation of independent Bangladesh.
In Bihar, Jayaprakash Narayan, the veteran leader came out of retirement to lead the protest movement there. ====Verdict on electoral malpractice==== On 12 June 1975, the Allahabad High Court declared Indira Gandhi's election to the Lok Sabha in 1971 void on the grounds of electoral malpractice.
In an election petition filed by her 1971 opponent, Raj Narain (who later defeated her in the 1977 parliamentary election running in the Raebareli constituency), alleged several major as well as minor instances of the use of government resources for campaigning.
Assembly President Paul Lusaka of Zambia postponed a scheduled debate and hastily organized a memorial meeting. ==Foreign relations== Gandhi is remembered for her ability to effectively promote Indian foreign policy measures. ===South Asia=== In early 1971, disputed elections in Pakistan led then East Pakistan to declare independence as Bangladesh.
Finally, in December 1971, Gandhi intervened directly in the conflict to liberate Bangladesh.
However, the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 presented a dilemma for the Arab and Muslim states of the Middle East as the war was fought by two states both friendly to the Arabs.
Libya agreed with the Arab monarchies in believing that Gandhi's intervention in East Pakistan was an attack against Islam. The 1971 war became a temporary stumbling block in growing Indo-Iranian ties.
Furthermore, they were also apprehensions in the region about Gandhi's plans, particularly after India played a big role in breaking up Pakistan and facilitating the emergence of Bangladesh as a sovereign country in 1971.
Furthermore, the conclusion of the Indo-Soviet treaty in 1971, and threatening gestures by the United States, to send its nuclear armed Task Force 74 into the Bay of Bengal at the height of the East Pakistan crisis had enabled India to regain its anti-imperialist image.
The support of the Soviets with arms supplies and the casting of a veto at the United Nations helped in winning and consolidating the victory over Pakistan in the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war.
Jayaprakash Narayan, who became famous for leading the opposition to Gandhi in the 1970s, solidly praised her nationalisation of banks. Having been re-elected in 1971 on a nationalisation platform, Gandhi proceeded to nationalise the coal, steel, copper, refining, cotton textiles, and insurance industries.
The remaining private sector industries were placed under strict regulatory control. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, foreign-owned private oil companies had refused to supply fuel to the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force.
However, a contentious issue that was considered unresolved by the Akalis was the status of Chandigarh, a prosperous city on the Punjab-Haryana border, which Gandhi declared a union territory to be shared as a capital by both the states. Victory over Pakistan in 1971 consolidated Indian power in Kashmir.
In 1971, Gandhi again motioned to abolish the privy purse.
The defeat of Pakistan in 1971 and the secession of East Pakistan as pro-India Bangladesh led to the collapse of the Mizo separatist movement.
Yet despite this, many women saw Gandhi as a symbol for feminism and an image of women's power. ==Legacy== After leading India to victory against Pakistan in the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971, President V.
In the elections held for State assemblies across India in March 1972, the Congress (R) swept to power in most states riding on the post-war "Indira wave". Despite the victory against Pakistan, the Congress government faced numerous problems during this term.
Gandhi made a statement emphasising that she stood for the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka, although she also stated that India cannot "remain a silent spectator to any injustice done to the Tamil community." India's relationship with Pakistan remained strained following the Shimla Accord in 1972.
When food stocks slumped after poor harvests in 1972, the government made it a point to use foreign exchange to buy US wheat commercially rather than seek resumption of food aid. The period of 1967–75 was characterised by socialist ascendency in India, which culminated in 1976 with the official declaration of state socialism.
The Kashmir conflict remained largely peaceful if frozen under Gandhi's premiership. In 1972, Gandhi granted statehood to Meghalaya, Manipur and Tripura, while the North-East Frontier Agency was declared a union territory and renamed Arunachal Pradesh.
In 1972, after the less extremist Mizo leaders came to the negotiating table, Gandhi upgraded Mizoram to the status of a union territory.
Some of these were due to high inflation which in turn was caused by wartime expenses, drought in some parts of the country and, more importantly, the 1973 oil crisis.
Opposition to her in the 1973–75 period, after the Gandhi wave had receded, was strongest in the states of Bihar and Gujarat.
The resulting turbulence in the foreign exchange markets was accentuated further by the oil shock of 1973.
It then accelerated sharply in the 1970s, from 5.5% in 1970–71 to over 20% by 1973–74, due to the international oil crisis.
In response, Gandhi nationalised oil companies in 1973.
In 1974, India ceded the tiny islet of Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka to save Bandaranaike's socialist government from a political disaster.
Gandhi's authorisation of the detonation of a nuclear device at Pokhran in 1974 was viewed by Pakistani leader Zulfikar Ali Bhutto as an attempt to intimidate Pakistan into accepting India's hegemony in the subcontinent.
The 1974 India-Iranian agreement led to Iran supplying nearly 75 percent of India's crude oil demands.
India's entry into the nuclear weapons club in 1974 also contributed to tensions in Southeast Asia.
They were unhappy with the 1974 nuclear test conducted by India but did not support further action because of the ensuing Cold War with the United States.
Both these, and many other goals of the 1967 programme, were accomplished by 1974–75.
Gandhi declared inflation the gravest of problems in 1974 (at 25.2%) and devised a severe anti-inflation program.
Gandhi saw this test as Chinese nuclear intimidation and promoted Nehru's views to establish India's stability and security interests independent from those of the nuclear superpowers. The programme became fully mature in 1974, when Dr.
In 1974, India successfully conducted an underground nuclear test, unofficially code named "Smiling Buddha", near the desert village of Pokhran in Rajasthan.
Citing separatist tendencies, and in response to a call for revolution, Gandhi instituted a state of emergency from 1975 to 1977 where basic civil liberties were suspended and the press was censored.
In Bihar, Jayaprakash Narayan, the veteran leader came out of retirement to lead the protest movement there. ====Verdict on electoral malpractice==== On 12 June 1975, the Allahabad High Court declared Indira Gandhi's election to the Lok Sabha in 1971 void on the grounds of electoral malpractice.
Accordingly, Ahmed declared a State of Emergency caused by internal disorder, based on the provisions of Article 352(1) of the Constitution, on 25 June 1975. ====Rule by decree==== Within a few months, President's rule was imposed on the two opposition party ruled states of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu thereby bringing the entire country under direct Central rule or by governments led by the ruling Congress party.
Nepal and Bhutan remained aligned with India, while in 1975, after years of building up support, Gandhi incorporated Sikkim into India, after a referendum in which a majority of Sikkimese voted to join India.
The Assassination of Mujibur Rahman in 1975 led to the establishment of Islamist military regimes that sought to distance the country from India.
wrote that "some have even seen the declaration of emergency rule in 1975 as a move to suppress [leftist] dissent against Gandhi's policy shift to the right." In the 1980s, Gandhi was accused of "betraying socialism" after the beginning of Operation Forward, an attempt at economic reform.
Nevertheless, the success of the overall economic plan was tempered by the fact that annual growth at 3.3–3.4% over 1969–74 fell short of the targeted figure. ===The Fifth Five-Year Plan=== The Fifth Five-Year Plan (1974–79) was enacted against the backdrop of the state of emergency and the Twenty Point Program of 1975.
The economy grew at the rate of 9% in 1975–76 alone, and the Fifth Plan, became the first plan during which the per capita income of the economy grew by over 5%. ===Operation Forward and the Sixth Five-Year Plan=== Gandhi inherited a weak economy when she became prime minister again in 1980.
The government was successful in bringing down inflation during the emergency; achieving negative figures of −1.1% by the end of 1975–76. Gandhi inherited a tattered economy in her second term; harvest failures and a second oil shock in the late 1970s had caused inflation to rise again.
In 1975, Gandhi declared the state of Jammu and Kashmir as a constituent unit of India.
This was followed by the annexation of Sikkim in 1975. ===Social reform=== The principle of equal pay for equal work for both men and women was enshrined in the Indian Constitution under the Gandhi administration. Gandhi questioned the continued existence of a privy purse for former rulers of princely states.
She justified the imposition of the state of emergency in 1975 in the name of the socialist mission of the Congress.
The government was also successful in procuring houses for landless labourers; According to Francine Frankel, three-fourths of the targeted four million houses was achieved in 1975 alone.
wrote that "some have even seen the declaration of emergency rule in 1975 as a move to suppress dissent against Gandhi's policy shift to the right." Regardless of the controversy over the nature of the reforms, the long-term effects of the social changes gave rise to the prominence of middle-ranking farmers from intermediate and lower castes in North India.
The insurgents soon agreed to surrender and signed the Shillong Accord in 1975.
However, in May 1976, Gandhi and Bhutto both agreed to reopen diplomatic establishments and normalise relations.
When food stocks slumped after poor harvests in 1972, the government made it a point to use foreign exchange to buy US wheat commercially rather than seek resumption of food aid. The period of 1967–75 was characterised by socialist ascendency in India, which culminated in 1976 with the official declaration of state socialism.
She served as prime minister from January 1966 to March 1977 and again from January 1980 until her assassination in October 1984, making her the second longest-serving Indian prime minister after her father. During Nehru's time as Prime Minister of India from 1947 to 1964, Gandhi was considered a key assistant and accompanied him on his numerous foreign trips.
Citing separatist tendencies, and in response to a call for revolution, Gandhi instituted a state of emergency from 1975 to 1977 where basic civil liberties were suspended and the press was censored.
a woman would be an ideal tool for the Syndicate. ==First term as Prime Minister between 1966 and 1977== Her first eleven years serving as Prime Minister saw Gandhi evolve from the perception of Congress party leaders as their puppet, to a strong leader with the iron resolve to split the party over her policy positions, or to go to war with Pakistan to liberate Bangladesh.
At the end of 1977, she was such a dominating figure in Indian politics that Congress party president D.
In an election petition filed by her 1971 opponent, Raj Narain (who later defeated her in the 1977 parliamentary election running in the Raebareli constituency), alleged several major as well as minor instances of the use of government resources for campaigning.
It was also quipped that Sanjay Gandhi had total control over his mother and that the government was run by the PMH (Prime Minister House) rather than the PMO (Prime Minister Office). ==1977 election and opposition years== In 1977, after extending the state of emergency twice, Gandhi called elections to give the electorate a chance to vindicate her rule.
The Congress Party split during the election campaign of 1977: veteran Gandhi supporters like Jagjivan Ram, Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna and Nandini Satpathy were compelled to part ways and form a new political entity, the CFD (Congress for Democracy), due primarily to intra-party politicking and the circumstances created by Sanjay Gandhi.
The company launched its first Indian manufactured car in 1984. By the time of Sanjay's death, Gandhi trusted only family members, and therefore persuaded her reluctant son, Rajiv, to enter politics. Her PMO office staff included H.Y.Sharada Prasad as her information adviser and speechwriter. === Operation Blue Star === Following the 1977 elections, a coalition led by the Sikh-majority Akali Dal came to power in the northern Indian state of Punjab.
She won a by-election in the Chikmagalur Constituency and took a seat in the Lok Sabha in November 1978 after the Janata Party's attempts to have Kannada matinee idol Rajkumar run against her failed when he refused to contest the election saying he wanted to remain apolitical.
Following the rise to power of General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq in Pakistan in 1978, India's relations with its neighbour reached a nadir.
In 1979, the government began to unravel over the issue of the dual loyalties of some members to Janata and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)—the Hindu nationalist, paramilitary organisation.
After a significant exodus from the party to Singh's faction, Desai resigned in July 1979.
Since Singh refused to drop them, Congress withdrew its support and President Reddy dissolved Parliament in August 1979. Before the 1980 elections Gandhi approached the then Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid, Syed Abdullah Bukhari and entered into an agreement with him on the basis of 10-point programme to secure the support of the Muslim votes.
By appealing to the economic grievances of developing countries, Gandhi and her successors exercised a moderating influence on the Non-aligned movement, diverting it from some of the Cold War issues that marred the controversial 1979 Havana meeting where Cuban leader Fidel Castro attempted to steer the movement towards the Soviet Union.
During Charan Singh's short time in office in the second half of 1979, inflation averaged 18.2%, compared to 6.5% during Gandhi's last year in office (1984).
She served as prime minister from January 1966 to March 1977 and again from January 1980 until her assassination in October 1984, making her the second longest-serving Indian prime minister after her father. During Nehru's time as Prime Minister of India from 1947 to 1964, Gandhi was considered a key assistant and accompanied him on his numerous foreign trips.
In 1980, she returned to power after free and fair elections.
Since Singh refused to drop them, Congress withdrew its support and President Reddy dissolved Parliament in August 1979. Before the 1980 elections Gandhi approached the then Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid, Syed Abdullah Bukhari and entered into an agreement with him on the basis of 10-point programme to secure the support of the Muslim votes.
In the elections held in January, Congress returned to power with a landslide majority. ==1980 elections and third term== The Congress Party under Gandhi swept back into power in January 1980.
In 1980, as a tribute to her son's dream of launching an indigenously manufactured car, Gandhi nationalized Sanjay's debt ridden company, Maruti Udyog, for Rs.
India under Gandhi was alleged to have supported the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) militants in the 1980s to put pressure on Jayewardene to abide by Indian interests.
In the 1980s, she, along with Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau, Zambia's president Kenneth Kaunda, Australian prime minister Malcolm Fraser and Singapore prime minister Lee Kuan Yew was regarded as one of the pillars of the Commonwealth.
Gandhi used these meetings as a forum to put pressure on member countries to cut economic, sports, and cultural ties with Apartheid South Africa. ===The Non-aligned Movement=== In the early 1980s under Gandhi, India attempted to reassert its prominent role in the Non-Aligned Movement by focusing on the relationship between disarmament and economic development.
Under Gandhi, by the early 1980s, the Soviets had become India's largest trading partner. ===United States=== When Gandhi came to power in 1966, Lyndon Johnson was the US president.
She had been described to him as an 'Ogre', but he found her charming and easy to work with and they formed a close working relationship during her premiership in the 1980s. ==Economic policy== Gandhi presided over three Five-Year Plans as prime minister, two of which succeeded in meeting their targeted growth. There is considerable debate whether Gandhi was a socialist on principle or out of political expediency.
wrote that "some have even seen the declaration of emergency rule in 1975 as a move to suppress [leftist] dissent against Gandhi's policy shift to the right." In the 1980s, Gandhi was accused of "betraying socialism" after the beginning of Operation Forward, an attempt at economic reform.
The economy grew at the rate of 9% in 1975–76 alone, and the Fifth Plan, became the first plan during which the per capita income of the economy grew by over 5%. ===Operation Forward and the Sixth Five-Year Plan=== Gandhi inherited a weak economy when she became prime minister again in 1980.
Gandhi proceeded to abrogate the Janata Party government's Five-Year Plan in 1980 and launched the Sixth Five-Year Plan (1980–85).
Measures to check inflation were also taken; by the early 1980s it was under control at an annual rate of about 5%. Although Gandhi continued professing socialist beliefs, the Sixth Five-Year Plan was markedly different from the years of Garibi Hatao.
The Sixth Plan went on to become the most successful of the Five-Year Plans yet; showing an average growth rate of 5.7% over 1980–85. ===Inflation and unemployment=== During Lal Bahadur Shastri's last full year in office (1965), inflation averaged 7.7%, compared to 5.2% at the end of Gandhi's first term in office (1977).
Initially, her younger son Sanjay had been her chosen heir, but after his death in a flying accident in June 1980, Gandhi persuaded her reluctant elder son Rajiv to quit his job as a pilot and enter politics in February 1981.
In 1981, Gandhi met President Ronald Reagan for the first time at the North–South Summit held to discuss global poverty.
General economic recovery under Gandhi led to an average inflation rate of 6.5% from 1981–82 to 1985–86—the lowest since the beginning of India's inflation problems in the 1960s. The unemployment rate remained constant at 9% over a nine-year period (1971–80) before declining to 8.3% in 1983. ==Domestic policy== ===Nationalisation=== Despite the provisions, control and regulations of the Reserve Bank of India, most banks in India had continued to be owned and operated by private persons.
Initially, her younger son Sanjay had been her chosen heir, but after his death in a flying accident in June 1980, Gandhi persuaded her reluctant elder son Rajiv to quit his job as a pilot and enter politics in February 1981.
In July 1982, he led the campaign for the implementation of the Anandpur Resolution, which demanded greater autonomy for the Sikh-majority state.
In 1982, Bhindranwale and approximately 200 armed followers moved into a guest house called the Guru Nanak Niwas near the Golden Temple. By 1983, the Temple complex had become a fort for many militants.
The government subsequently launched Operation Forward in 1982, the first cautious attempt at reform.
In 1982, Bhindranwale and approximately 200 armed followers moved into a guest house called the Guru Nanak Niwas near the Golden Temple. By 1983, the Temple complex had become a fort for many militants.
On 23 April 1983, the Punjab Police Deputy Inspector General A.
Nevertheless, Gandhi rejected demands to invade Sri Lanka in the aftermath of Black July 1983, an anti-Tamil pogrom carried out by Sinhalese mobs.
India was victorious in the resulting Siachen conflict against Pakistan. In order to keep the Soviet Union and the United States out of South Asia, Gandhi was instrumental in establishing the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in 1983 ===Middle East=== Gandhi remained a staunch supporter of the Palestinians in the Arab–Israeli conflict and was critical of the Middle East diplomacy sponsored by the United States.
India under Gandhi also hosted the 1983 Commonwealth Heads of Government summit in New Delhi.
Although hosting the 1983 summit at Delhi boosted Indian prestige within the movement, its close relations with the Soviet Union and its pro-Soviet positions on Afghanistan and Cambodia limited its influence. ===Western Europe=== Gandhi spent a number of years in Europe during her youth and had formed many friendships there.
General economic recovery under Gandhi led to an average inflation rate of 6.5% from 1981–82 to 1985–86—the lowest since the beginning of India's inflation problems in the 1960s. The unemployment rate remained constant at 9% over a nine-year period (1971–80) before declining to 8.3% in 1983. ==Domestic policy== ===Nationalisation=== Despite the provisions, control and regulations of the Reserve Bank of India, most banks in India had continued to be owned and operated by private persons.
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (; née Nehru; 19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician and a central figure of the Indian National Congress.
She served as prime minister from January 1966 to March 1977 and again from January 1980 until her assassination in October 1984, making her the second longest-serving Indian prime minister after her father. During Nehru's time as Prime Minister of India from 1947 to 1964, Gandhi was considered a key assistant and accompanied him on his numerous foreign trips.
After Gandhi ordered military action in the Golden Temple in Operation Blue Star, her own bodyguards and Sikh nationalists assassinated her on 31 October 1984. In 1999, Indira Gandhi was named "Woman of the Millennium" in an online poll organised by the BBC.
The company launched its first Indian manufactured car in 1984. By the time of Sanjay's death, Gandhi trusted only family members, and therefore persuaded her reluctant son, Rajiv, to enter politics. Her PMO office staff included H.Y.Sharada Prasad as her information adviser and speechwriter. === Operation Blue Star === Following the 1977 elections, a coalition led by the Sikh-majority Akali Dal came to power in the northern Indian state of Punjab.
The following day, Harchand Singh Longowal (then president of Shiromani Akali Dal) confirmed the involvement of Bhindranwale in the murder. After several futile negotiations, in June 1984, Gandhi ordered the Indian army to enter the Golden Temple to remove Bhindranwale and his supporters from the complex.
Harjinder Singh Dilgeer stated that she attacked the temple complex to present herself as a great hero in order to win the general elections planned towards the end of 1984.
There were also incidents of mutiny by Sikh soldiers in the aftermath of the attack. ==Assassination== On 31 October 1984, two of Gandhi's Sikh bodyguards, Satwant Singh and Beant Singh, shot her with their service weapons in the garden of the prime minister's residence at 1 Safdarjung Road, New Delhi, allegedly in revenge for Operation Blue Star.
Salma Sultan provided the first news of her assassination on Doordarshan's evening news on 31 October 1984, more than 10 hours after she was shot. Gandhi was cremated in accordance with Hindu tradition on 3 November near Raj Ghat.
Military hostilities recommenced in 1984 following Gandhi's authorisation of Operation Meghdoot.
Rajiv took office as prime minister following his mother's assassination in 1984; he served until December 1989.
General economic recovery under Gandhi led to an average inflation rate of 6.5% from 1981–82 to 1985–86—the lowest since the beginning of India's inflation problems in the 1960s. The unemployment rate remained constant at 9% over a nine-year period (1971–80) before declining to 8.3% in 1983. ==Domestic policy== ===Nationalisation=== Despite the provisions, control and regulations of the Reserve Bank of India, most banks in India had continued to be owned and operated by private persons.
Rajiv took office as prime minister following his mother's assassination in 1984; he served until December 1989.
Narasimha Rao, later became prime minister and approved full diplomatic ties with Israel in 1992. India's pro-Arab policy had mixed success.
After Gandhi ordered military action in the Golden Temple in Operation Blue Star, her own bodyguards and Sikh nationalists assassinated her on 31 October 1984. In 1999, Indira Gandhi was named "Woman of the Millennium" in an online poll organised by the BBC.
Despite India being officially part of the Non-Aligned Movement, she gave Indian foreign policy a tilt towards the Soviet bloc. In 1999, Gandhi was named "Woman of the Millennium" in an online poll organised by the BBC.
In 2010, Oxford honoured her further by selecting her as one of the ten Oxasians, illustrious Asian graduates from the University of Oxford.
In 2011, the Government of Bangladesh conferred its highest state award for non-nationals, the Bangladesh Freedom Honour posthumously on Gandhi for her "outstanding contribution" to the country's independence. Gandhi's approach to dealing with Sri Lanka's ethnic problems was initially accommodating.
Giri awarded Gandhi with India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna. In 2011, the Bangladesh Freedom Honour (Bangladesh Swadhinata Sammanona), Bangladesh's highest civilian award, was posthumously conferred on Gandhi for her "outstanding contributions" to Bangladesh's Liberation War. Gandhi's main legacy was standing firm in the face of American pressure to defeat Pakistan and turn East Pakistan into independent Bangladesh.
In 2012, she was ranked number seven on Outlook India's poll of the Greatest Indian. Being at the forefront of Indian politics for decades, Gandhi left a powerful but controversial legacy on Indian politics.
In 2020, Gandhi was named by Time magazine among the world's 100 powerful women who defined the last century. ==Early life and career== Indira Gandhi was born Indira Nehru into a Kashmiri Pandit family on 19 November 1917 in Allahabad.
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