Indira Gandhi

Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (Hindi: इंदिरा प्रियदर्शिनी गांधी), birth name Indira Nehru (Allahabad, 19 November 1917 - New Delhi, 31 October 1984) was the third and sixth Prime Minister of India. She reigned from 1966 until she was murdered in 1984, with a break between 1977 and 1980. Indira was the only child of Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister. Her successor was her son Rajiv Gandhi.

During her almost eleven-year government, she developed an economic policy aimed at industrializing the country. She maintained good relations with the Soviet Union and supported the independence of Bangladesh in order to weaken Pakistan, its neighboring country and geopolitical rival. Its foreign policy also included a substantial distancing from the United States. In 1975 she declared the country in a state of emergency, censored criticism in the media, suspended the right to defense in courts of justice in the country, ordered mandatory sterilization and ruled by decree until 1977, at which time she called for new elections, which she lost against the Indian People's Party. In this way, the leader of this political formation, Morarji Desai (and one of her main opponents) became prime minister.

After her exit from power, she faced accusations of corruption, violations of the electoral law and having executed a policy of repression against her political opponents. However, the division among the members of the government that had happened in 1977 led to a vote of censure against Morarji Desai. President Neelam Reddy tried to save the legislature by pointing to Charan Singh as the new prime minister, but her government collapsed after a few months and new elections were held in 1980, in which Indira Gandhi and the CNI were victors.

During this new period in government, Indira focused on suppressing Sikh nationalism in the Panyab. This movement wanted a Sikh confessional state and sought to free the Panyab to achieve it. The Indira government repressed attempts to carry out the separation of the Panyab, leaving a balance of hundreds of civilian deaths and ordered the execution of Operation Blue Star, which resulted in the death of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a Sikh leader who had been one of the central figures of the separatist movement. These actions generated great discontent among the Sikh minority in India but strengthened its popularity among various segments of the country's society, which allowed it to win the 1984 elections. Three months later, when she was on her way to an interview with actor Peter Ustinov, she was killed by two of her trusted bodyguards, who had 31 bullet wounds. The bodyguards were part of the Sikh minority and were killed shortly thereafter.

In 1999, she was voted "Woman of the Millennium" in an online poll from the BBC.

Youth and personal life

Indira Gandhi was born as the only child of Jawaharlal Nehru and Kamala Kaul. Both were from the Brahmin caste. The marriage was arranged by Nehru’s parents. She studied at Somerville College, Oxford. She was politically active for the Congress Party at a young age. During the campaign for an independent India, she was even imprisoned for a short time. She married Feroze Gandhi (not related to Mahatma Gandhi) and had 2 children: Rajiv Gandhi and Sanjay. After India's independence, her father became Prime Minister and Indira his assistant. She arranged state visits and the entire household of her father including her agenda. She was also elected president of the Congress Party. During this time, Indira Gandhi and her husband grew apart and went to live separately. They did, however, maintain good relations. In 1960 Feroze Gandhi died of a heart attack.

Rise

After the death of Nehru, she was admitted to her cabinet by her successor Shastri. During her short-lived leadership from 1964 to 1966, the 2nd Indian-Pakistani war (for Kashmir), which was won by India, fell. During the negotiation of the truce in Tashkent, Shastri died unexpectedly. This time Indira was a candidate for the leadership of the Congress party. She won the election thanks to an alliance with a few party bonzen, and since the Congress party was the governing party, Indira Gandhi became prime minister.

Premier

At the start of her career, Gandhi was dependent on the powerful in her party. Later, she increasingly started her own course. This led to a split in 1969 in the Congress Party. In the ensuing elections, Gandhi managed to beat her opponents.

Important events during her reign were the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971 for the independence of Bangladesh and the successful nuclear test in 1974. From 1975, Gandhi increasingly lost support. She was charged and convicted of a violation of election legislation. In response, she proclaimed Emergency. During the Emergency thousands of people were arrested and parliament was sidelined. In 1977, the state of emergency was lifted, some say under pressure from the Indian army, and it was defeated in the same year's elections. India received a government consisting of very different groups and movements. Their main agreement was their common aversion to Indira Gandhi. Because of their differences, the government was not very stable. They did not achieve much in the eyes of the Indian population who became disappointed in them. In the 1980 elections, Indira managed to regain power. A personal tragedy for her was the plane crash of her youngest son Sanjay Gandhi, who was also her adviser and confidant. At her request, her other son, Rajiv Gandhi, his job as a pilot to succeed his younger brother.

Death

In the state of Punjab, the Congress Party had been struggling for years with competition from the Sikh Party of the Akali Valley. In the early 1980s, the Congress Party had started to support a small group of opponents from this party. The group felt that the Akali Valley was too moderate and was led by Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.

Bhindranwale was suspected of being involved in the murders of Sikh leader Baba Gurbachan Singh in 1980 and journalist Jagat Narain in 1981. However, both times she was released for lack of evidence.

From 1982 Bhindranwale and his supporters stayed in the temple complex of Amritsar. In May 1984, Indira Gandhi ordered the army to attack the temple. During the conquest by the army, 4800-5300 people were killed, of which 800 to 1000 rebels, including Bhindranwale, and 200 to 300 soldiers. The temple was badly damaged.

The outcome of the events caused a lot of commotion. Since the order to intervene came from Indira Gandhi, she was held responsible. In response, she was murdered in New Delhi in 1984 at the age of 66 by her own bodyguards Satwant Singh and Beant Singh who were of Sikh descent. She was succeeded by her son Rajiv Gandhi.

Tribute

The government of India has honored Indira Gandhi with a prize named after her for promoting peace, development and a new economic order. The prize has been awarded to Hamid Karzai, Jimmy Carter, Médecins Sans Frontières and Bill Gates, among others.