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Birth
On 8th February 1916 Indira’s parents got married. Her father, Jawaharlal Nehru was 26 and her mother, Kamala Nehru was 17. In the following year, on 19th November, 1917 Kamala gave birth. She was named after her great grandmother, Indrani, as desired by her grandfather. Indira’s birth was not a celebration in the beginning. Her grandmother preferred a grandson to a granddaughter. Allthough, her grandfather even declared that she had the potential of being “better than a thousand sons”. -
Early Life
Indira grew up as the only child with her mother.She got a baby brother in November 1924 who unfortunately died after two days of birth. When Indira was two years old, her parents joined the Indian Independence Movement with Mohandas Gandhi. Indira was four years old when her grandfather and father were jailed for the first time.She was twelve years old when she created the Army of Monkeys movement for young people.The group played a small but notable role in the Indian Independence Movement. -
Growing up years
Indira was moved to Poona,in 1931, to become a day boarder at the People’s Own School. Indira had an opportunity to get closer to Mahatma Gandhi. This had a great impact on her as she learned the power of passive resistance. After her mother’s death in 1936, Indira joined Somerville College, Oxford. She was the most famous student and she was heavily involved in many political activities. She returned to India without completing her studies at Oxford due to World War II. -
Marriage and children
On March 1942, Indira married Feroze Gandhi, one of her fellow students.Their marriage lasted for 18 years, until Feroze died of a heart attack in 1960. In 1944, Indira and Feroze had their first son, Rajiv. In December 1946, they had their second son, Sanjay.Indira’s younger son had initially been her chosen heir, but after his death in a flying accident , Gandhi persuaded her reluctant elder son Rajiv to quit his job as a pilot and enter politics. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated. -
Time spent in jail
Indira was 25 when she first experienced imprisonment. Both Indira and Feroze, who she later married, were jailed the same day in 1942. This was right after the Quit India Movement. She was imprisoned for 8 months from September 1942 to 13 May 1943 for 243 days .Indira’s claim about what she gained from Naini Prison was quite modest. It enabled her to better understand her father. She said, “perhaps it strengthened my character- strengthened me as a person." -
As prime minister of India
In 1958, she was appointed as a member of the Central Parliamentary Board of Congress. She became the President, Indian National Congress in 1959. On January 19 1966,she elected as the country’s leader.The election of a woman as Prime Minister of India caught the attention of the world. In America, Indira appeared on the cover of Time magazine under the heading: ’Troubled India in a Woman’s Hands.’ Indira Gandhi became the first woman Prime Minister of India. -
Her achievements
The achievements under Indira Gandhi’s leadership have been truly outstanding with respect to achieving self-reliance and ensuring social justice. She was committed to achieving self-reliance in crucial sectors like food grains, defence and technology. Due to her handling, India occupies a leading position in the developing countries with respect to scientific manpower and know-how. -
Her assassination
During the early 1980s, Gandhi faced increasing pressure from Sikhs In 1984, she ordered the Indian army to confront Sikh at their sacred Golden Temple in Amritsar, resulting in several hundred reported casualties. On October 31 1984, Gandhi was shot and killed by two of her bodyguards, both Sikhs, in retribution for the attack at the Golden Temple.Her body was cremated three days later in a Hindu ritual.
