Indira Gandhi

Indira Gandhi was the first woman Prime Minister of India. She was appointed as Prime Minister from 1966-77 and then again between 1980-84. She was known as a dictator as well as one of the most fascinating leaders of India. Indira Gandhi was born on November 19, 1917 and was the only child of Jawaharlal Nehru and Kamla Nehru. The vigorous involvement of her parents in India's independence struggle from the British drew her towards politics at an early age. She was sent to England for her studies where she joined the Somerville College, Oxford. She also spent time in Switzerland primarily because her mother was ill. In 1938, Indira came back to India and joined the Indian National Congress. In 1942, she married a journalist named Feroze Gandhi with whom she eventually had two sons named Sanjay and Rajiv Gandhi. India won its independence from Britain in 1947. In that same year, her father Jawaharlal Nehru became India's first Prime Minister. After her mother's death, she remained with her father and traveled with him wherever he went. At the same time, she was making her way into the political field. She began to associate herself with numerous organizations. From 1953-57, she became the chairman of the Central Social Welfare Board. In 1955, she became a member of the Working Committee and Central Election Committee. She became the President of the All India Youth Congress from 1956 to 1960. After the death of her father, Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri appointed her as the Minister of Information and Broadcasting. This position was the fourth highest-ranking position in the Cabinet as radio and television were an important source to spread information to the illiterate population of India. As a minister, she encouraged the making of inexpensive radios and started a family planning program.

When Lal Bahadur Shastri suddenly died of a heart attack in 1966, Indira Gandhi was appointed as the Prime Minister of India. Hence, she became the Prime Minister in 1966 till India held the next elections in 1967. She won the election in 1967 and became the first woman Prime Minister of India. In 1971, she was re-elected by campaigning with the slogan 'Garibi Hatao (Abolish Poverty).

She was again successful in 1971, with India's victory in the Indo-Pak war, and in the same year launched India's first satellite into space. She tested a nuclear device in 1974 that gave her the status of a strong and clever politician. Indira Gandhi came to power again as the Prime Minister in 1980. The same year, however, her son Sanjay was killed in a plane crash. In the post-emergency period, she was preoccupied with efforts to solve the political problems in the state of Punjab.

In 1984, Mrs. Gandhi was assassinated, at her own residence, by two of her own Sikh bodyguards. Her death led to violence all across the country during which over 10000 people died. Indira Gandhi got an international reputation as a 'Statesman' and there is no doubt that she was extremely trained in politics. She was a forceful spokeswoman for the rights of poorer nations. On the domestic front, however, her oppressive methods often clashed with her democratic principles. After her death, her second son, Rajiv Gandhi, was sworn in as head of the Congress Party and Prime Minister of India.