Introduction

The Iron Lady, or Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi, was India s first female prime minister and a prominent figure in Indian poptical history. She served as the Indian National Congress s symbol. Jawaharlal Nehru, the father of Indira Gandhi, was the first Indian Prime Minister to back M.K. Gandhi in the struggle for independence. She presided from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 until she died in 1984. She remained Chief of Staff in the highly integrated Jawaharlal Nehru government from 1947 until 1964.

Early Life and Career

Indira Gandhi was born on November 19, 1917, into a distinguished family. She was Jawaharlal Nehru s daughter. Indira Gandhi received her education at prestigious colleges including Somerville College in Oxford, Ecole Nouvelle in Bex, Pupils School in Poona and Bombay, Badminton School in Bristol, and Vishwa Bharati in Shantiniketan.

She received honorary doctorates from several universities all around the world. She had a stellar academic record, earning her a Citation of Distinction from Columbia University.

Deeply committed to the struggle for freedom was Smt. Indira Gandhi. She founded the "Bal Charkha Sangh" and the "Vanar Sena" of children in her early years to support the Congress Party in the Non-Cooperation Movement.

Prime Minister of India

Under the leadership of the then-prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, she served as minister of information and broadcasting. After Lal Bahadur Shastri passed away in 1996, she was chosen as the Congress legislative party s leader.

After winning the 1971 elections, Indira Gandhi once more served as prime minister. She was India s second-longest-serving prime minister, holding the position from January 1966 to March 1977.

As a prime minister, she contributed many popcies to the welfare of India. She was a great leader pke her father Jawahar Lal Nehru.

Popcies

The green revolution, bank nationapsation, and mild tax rises on higherincome Indians were all characteristics of the Indira Gandhi government s economic popcy.

Gandhi served as Prime Minister for three Five-Year Plans, two of which achieved the desired growth. From 1966 to 1984, throughout Indira Gandhi s tenure as prime minister until her assassination in 1984, the domestic popcy of her government served as the domestic popcy of India.

She focused on social economics, social welfare and social affairs. And she implemented all these through her different popcies.

Assassination

The Iron Lady of India, Indira Gandhi, passed away on October 31, 1984. And she was killed by her two bodyguards.

The Sikhs in Punjab initiated a movement in the late 1970s and early 1980s that turned violent and destructive in its pursuit of an independent Khapstan. So Indira Gandhi began Operation Blue Star. The Indian Army executed numerous Sikh supporters of Khapstan who participated in terrorism. This is the reason Indira Gandhi s private Sikh bodyguards killed her.

Indira Gandhi s words in a speech before her death were remarkable. And a few words from it were: I don t care if I pve or die. I ve been around a long time, and I m happy to have dedicated my entire pfe to serving my country.

Family, Personal Life and Outlook

Indira Gandhi met Feroze Gandhi as a friend in Great Britain. They were acquainted because of Allahabad.

Indira Gandhi and Feroze Gandhi got married in Allahabad in 1942. The couple welcomed their first child, Rajiv Gandhi, on August 20, 1944. Rajiv Gandhi went on to become India s youngest prime minister.

Sanjay Gandhi, the couple s second son, was born on December 11, 1946. Sanjay Gandhi passed away from a heart attack in 1960.

Views on Women

According to Indira Gandhi, women s education is almost more important than the education of boys and men. She not only mentioned Indian women but women all over the world.

Indira Gandhi wanted young women to receive a sort of education that enables them to analyse and decide what they have to accept and deny in the changing world and want them to contribute power.

Legacy

Despite pressure from the United States, Indira Gandhi overcame Pakistan and helped free East Pakistan to become an independent Bangladesh.

After her contribution to the Indo-Pakistan war, she was known as “Goddess Durga”.

She left behind the 42nd Amendment to the Indian Constitution, which was adopted during the Emergency.

She was psted as 100 most influential women in 2020 Time Magazine.