History
Shrimati Indira Gandhi (Mrs. Indira Gandhi ) was born on November 19th, 1917, in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, to Jawaharlal and Kamla Nehru. Her father, Jawaharlal Nehru, was the first prime minister of Independent India. From a very young age Indira Gandhi was involved in politics, as members of her family were involved in the stuggle for independent India. Gandhi's grandparents uncles, and parents were regually stopped for crimes against the British Empire. By the time she was about twelve years old, she headed what came to be known as the Monkey Brigade. The Monkey Brigade consisted of children who warned the independence movement leaders of their arrest. Being the leader, she delivered speeches while other children actually warned the people who were going to be arrested. The Congress figured that the British would not suspect children of participating in such involvement. Indira Gandhi soon attended Santiniketan University in India and, then Oxford University in England. In 1938, Indira returned to India and joined the Indian National Congress Party. Then in 1942, she married journalist Feroze Gandhi. After they were married, they were sent to prison on charges of subversion by the British. Her only imprisonment lasted from September 11, 1942 until May 13, 1943 at the Naini Central Jail in Allahabad. Indira and Feroze had two sons, Rajiv and Sanjay. Feroze Gandhi died in 1960. After the death of her father in 1964, she was appointed a minister in the cabinet of Congress Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. When Shastri died in office in 1966, and Indira successfully ran to succeed him as party leader, and then became Prime Minister of India. In the 1970's, Sanjay Gandhi became his mother's chief political adviser and gained much power in Indian politics. He was killed in an airplane crash in 1980. Rajiv Gandhi then became a big influence to his mother. When Gandhi was re-elected in 1980 she organized the Congress-I Party. The I in the party's name stands for Indira. Thereafter winning a seat in Parliament, and then her party gained control of Parliament. When Indira Gandhi was assassinated, the Congress-I Party chose Rajiv as its head. As party head, Rajiv succeeded his mother as prime minister. He held that office until 1989. Rajiv was assassinated while campaigning in parliamentary elections in 1991. Indira Gandhi was the first woman ever elected to lead a democracy, and well as being the first woman prime minister in India. Gandhi was the Prime Minister of India from 1966-77, she was not elected again right away, because of the emergencies declared in her first term (sterilization and Operation Bluestar) Indira Gandhi won elections again between 1980-84 untill she was assassinated by two of her own Sikh bodyguards, who claimed to be avenging the insult heaped upon the Sikh nation in 1984. Indira Gandhi was a role model to all, she was known as a dictator as well as one of the most charismatic leaders of India. Indira Gandhi is an inspiration for all, despite all hardships she went through while in office, she made the best of it. Indira Gandhi showed the world that she could be a great politician, despite her gender.
Shrimati Indira Gandhi (Mrs. Indira Gandhi ) was born on November 19th, 1917, in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, to Jawaharlal and Kamla Nehru. Her father, Jawaharlal Nehru, was the first prime minister of Independent India. From a very young age Indira Gandhi was involved in politics, as members of her family were involved in the stuggle for independent India. Gandhi's grandparents uncles, and parents were regually stopped for crimes against the British Empire. By the time she was about twelve years old, she headed what came to be known as the Monkey Brigade. The Monkey Brigade consisted of children who warned the independence movement leaders of their arrest. Being the leader, she delivered speeches while other children actually warned the people who were going to be arrested. The Congress figured that the British would not suspect children of participating in such involvement.
Indira Gandhi soon attended Santiniketan University in India and, then Oxford University in England. In 1938, Indira returned to India and joined the Indian National Congress Party. Then in 1942, she married journalist Feroze Gandhi. After they were married, they were sent to prison on charges of subversion by the British. Her only imprisonment lasted from September 11, 1942 until May 13, 1943 at the Naini Central Jail in Allahabad. Indira and Feroze had two sons, Rajiv and Sanjay. Feroze Gandhi died in 1960. After the death of her father in 1964, she was appointed a minister in the cabinet of Congress Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. When Shastri died in office in 1966, and Indira successfully ran to succeed him as party leader, and then became Prime Minister of India. In the 1970's, Sanjay Gandhi became his mother's chief political adviser and gained much power in Indian politics. He was killed in an airplane crash in 1980. Rajiv Gandhi then became a big influence to his mother. When Gandhi was re-elected in 1980 she organized the Congress-I Party. The I in the party's name stands for Indira. Thereafter winning a seat in Parliament, and then her party gained control of Parliament. When Indira Gandhi was assassinated, the Congress-I Party chose Rajiv as its head. As party head, Rajiv succeeded his mother as prime minister. He held that office until 1989. Rajiv was assassinated while campaigning in parliamentary elections in 1991.
Indira Gandhi was the first woman ever elected to lead a democracy, and well as being the first woman prime minister in India. Gandhi was the Prime Minister of India from 1966-77, she was not elected again right away, because of the emergencies declared in her first term (sterilization and Operation Bluestar) Indira Gandhi won elections again between 1980-84 untill she was assassinated by two of her own Sikh bodyguards, who claimed to be avenging the insult heaped upon the Sikh nation in 1984. Indira Gandhi was a role model to all, she was known as a dictator as well as one of the most charismatic leaders of India. Indira Gandhi is an inspiration for all, despite all hardships she went through while in office, she made the best of it. Indira Gandhi showed the world that she could be a great politician, despite her gender.
