Indira Gandhi: biography and political career

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:54

In 1984, all TV channels broadcast the news of the tragic death of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. She entered the history of world politics as one of the wisest, bravest and most courageous female politicians of the 20th century.

Indira Gandhi: biography (childhood and adolescence)

November 19, 1917 in the Indian city of Allahabad in a family belonging to the highest caste of the Brahmins, a girl was born, who was named Indira, which is translated from Indian as "Land of the Moon". Her grandfather, Motilal Nehru, and father, Jawaharlal Nehru, belonged to the Indian National Congress (INC), a party that advocated the self-government and independence of India. Both of them were respected people. When she was 2 years old, the "father" of the Indian people Mahatma Gandhi visited them. He caressed the beautiful baby and stroked her head. In a quarter of a century, she will become his namesake and will bear the name Indira Gandhi. Her biography tells that when she was eight years old, at the insistence of the same Mahatma Gandhi, in her native town she organized a children's circle (union) for the development of weaving. Since childhoodIndira was involved in public life, often taking part in demonstrations and rallies. She was a very smart and capable girl. At the age of 17, Indira entered the People's University of India, however, after studying there for two years, she interrupted her studies. The reason was the death of the mother. After some time, the girl left for Europe. Soon she entered one of the Oxford colleges and began to study anthropology, world history, and management. In Europe, she met her longtime friend Feroz Gandhi, and childhood sympathy grew into true love. During a tour of Paris, he, in the spirit of French novels, proposed to Indira a marriage proposal, and she could not resist. But first it was necessary to receive the blessing of the father, and for this you need to go to India.

Indira Gandhi's political career

With the outbreak of World War II, Indira decided to return home. Her path ran through South Africa. In Cape Town, she delivered a fiery speech to Indian emigrants. Everyone was amazed at the intelligence and strength of this fragile young girl. Returning to her homeland, she married Feroz, and from now on she became known as Indira Gandhi. From that moment on, her biography begins counting the achievements of the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru in the political field. Immediately after their marriage, Indira and her journalist husband Feroz Gandhi had to spend time in a prison cell instead of their honeymoon. She spent a whole year in prison for her political views. In 1944 Indira gave birth to a son, who was named Rajiv. Her second son, Sanjay, was born two years later. A year after that, Indira became an assistant andhis father's personal secretary, who by that time had been elected the first prime minister of independent India. She accompanied him on all foreign trips, and her husband was with the children, who was always in the shadow of his bright wife. After 18 years of marriage, Feroz died. Indira was barely able to cope with the loss. For some time she moved away from politics, but soon came to her senses, pulled herself together and got down to business again.

Indira Gandhi (photos in her youth and adulthood confirm this) was distinguished by her beauty and charm, but she never married a second time. From time to time she remembered the time when she was happy next to Feroz, and her heart was torn to pieces, but she had to work and help her father. In 1964, Jawaharlal Nehru died of a heart attack. After his death, the new prime minister offered Indira the post of minister of information, and two years later she herself headed the cabinet of ministers of India, becoming one of the first women heads of government in the whole world. She was then 47 years old. This beautiful, bright and intelligent woman led India for 12 years, until her tragic death.

The assassination of Indira Gandhi

It was 1984. In India, the political situation was not the best. Sikh extremists were causing unrest in the country, and in order to suppress their hooligan actions, Indira gave the order to carry out Operation Blue Star. As a result, many Sikhs died and they announced their intention to kill Indira Gandhi. Among her guards were severalSikhs, and her loved ones strongly advised to get rid of them. But she did not want to show that she was afraid of their threats. On this day, Indira was supposed to meet with the famous English writer and playwright Peter Ustinov. Their meeting came to film dozens of reporters from television and radio. She, dressed in a golden sari, was already entering the hall where Ustinov and journalists were waiting for her. At this time, one of her guards took aim and shot at her, and the other two guards also started shooting at her body. In the hospital, doctors fought for her life for four hours, but Indira Gandhi died without regaining consciousness. October 31st went down in the history of India as a black date as the day when the great daughter of the Indian people, Indira Gandhi, was killed. Her biography is interrupted at this point. In a few years, her son, Rajiv Gandhi, will also be killed.