Indira Gandhi
4th Prime Minister of India
In office 15 January 1980 – 31 October 1984
President	Neelam Sanjiva Reddy Giani Zail Singh
Preceded by	Choudhary Charan Singh
Succeeded by	Rajiv Gandhi
In office 19 January 1966 – 24 March 1977
President	Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Zakir Hussain, Varahagiri Venkata Giri, Muhammad Hidayatullah, Varahagiri Venkata Giri, and Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
Preceded by	Gulzarilal Nanda
Succeeded by	Morarji Desai
Minister for External Affairs of India
In office 9 March 1984 – 31 October 1984
Preceded by	P. V. Narasimha Rao
Succeeded by	Rajiv Gandhi
In office 21 August 1967 – 14 March 1969
Preceded by	Mahommedali Currim Chagla
Succeeded by	Dinesh Singh
Finance Minister of India
In office 26 June 1970 – 29 April 1971
Preceded by	Morarji Desai
Succeeded by	Yashwantrao Chavan
President of the Indian National Congress
In office 1959 – 1959 1978 – 1984
Preceded by	U N Dhebar Dev Kant Baruah
Succeeded by	Neelam Sanjiva Reddy Rajiv Gandhi
Born	19 November 1917(1917-11-19) Allahabad, United Provinces, British India
Died	October 31, 1984 (aged 66) New Delhi, India
Political party	Indian National Congress
Spouse	Feroze Gandhi
Children	Rajiv Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi
Religion	Hindu

A young Indira Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi, during one of his fasts

Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (Hindi: इंदिरा प्रियदर्शिनी गांधी Indirā Priyadarśinī Gāndhī) (19 November 1917 - October 31, 1984) was the Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms from 1966 to 1977 and for a fourth term from 1980 until her assassination in 1984. The Prime Minister of India is head of the Council of Ministers, appointed by the President to assist the latter in the administration of the affairs of the executive Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) Neelam Sanjiva Reddy (నీలం సంజీవ రెడ్డి) ( May 19 1913 - June 1 1996) was an Indian statesman  Giani Zail Singh (ਜ਼ੈਲ ਸਿੰਘ May 5 1916 – December 25 1994) was an Indian politician and member of the Chaudhary Charan Singh (23 December 1902 &ndash 29 May 1987 was the seventh Prime Minister of the Republic of India serving from 28 July 1979 until 14 January 1980 Rajiv Gandhi राजीव गांधी (raːdʒiːv gaːnd̪ʰiː born in Bombay, (20 August 1944 – 21 May 1991 the elder son of Indira and Feroze Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. Events 1401 - Mongol emperor Timur sacks Damascus. 1603 - James VI of Scotland Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays Sir Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, OM ( Telugu:సర్వేపల్లి రాధాకృష్ణ Tamil:சர்வேபள்ளி Dr Zakir Hussain ( February 8, 1897 - May 3, 1969) ( Urdu: زاکِر حسین was the third President of India from Varahagiri Venkata Giri (వరాహగిరి వేంకట గిరి (10 August 1894 – 23 June 1980 commonly known as V Muhammad Hidayatullah ( 17 December, 1905 - 18 September, 1992) was the first Muslim Chief Justice of India. Varahagiri Venkata Giri (వరాహగిరి వేంకట గిరి (10 August 1894 – 23 June 1980 commonly known as V Gulzārilāl Nandā (गुलजारीलाल नन्दा (4 July 1898 - 15 January 1998 was an Indian politician and an economist with specialization in labor problems Morarji Ranchhodji Desai ( मोरारजी देसाई) (29 February 1896 &ndash 10 The External Affairs Minister or the Indian Foreign Minister is a position of office at cabinet level within the Government of India. Events 590 - Bahram Chobin is crowned as king Barham VI of Persia. Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao (పాములపర్తి వెంకట నరసింహారావు (28 June 1921 &ndash 23 December 2004 was the 12th Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi राजीव गांधी (raːdʒiːv gaːnd̪ʰiː born in Bombay, (20 August 1944 – 21 May 1991 the elder son of Indira and Feroze Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Events 1489 - The Queen of Cyprus, Catherine Cornaro, sells her kingdom to Venice. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Mahommedali Currim Chagla ( MCChagla ( 30 September 1900 - 9 February 1981) was a renowned Indian Jurist, Diplomat, and Dinesh Singh(19 July 1925 - 30 November 1995 was an Indian politician The Finance Minister of India is a Cabinet position in the Government of India. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1429 - Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orleans. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Morarji Ranchhodji Desai ( मोरारजी देसाई) (29 February 1896 &ndash 10 Yashwantrao Balwantrao Chavan ( 12 March 1913 - 25 November 1984) was the first Chief Minister of Maharashtra after the Indian National Congress-I (also known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) is a major Political party in India. The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) Uchharangrai Navalshankar Dhebar (1905-1977 was active in India 's struggle for Independence, and later served as Chief Minister of Saurashtra and President of the Dev Kant Baruah was president of Indian National Congress party at the time of Indian Emergency (1975-1977. Neelam Sanjiva Reddy (నీలం సంజీవ రెడ్డి) ( May 19 1913 - June 1 1996) was an Indian statesman Rajiv Gandhi राजीव गांधी (raːdʒiːv gaːnd̪ʰiː born in Bombay, (20 August 1944 – 21 May 1991 the elder son of Indira and Feroze Events 1095 - The Council of Clermont, called by Pope Urban II to discuss sending the First Crusade to the Holy Land Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Allahabad ( Hindi: इलाहाबाद Urdu: الہ آباد Ilāhābād) is a city in the north Indian state of Uttar The United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, more commonly the United Provinces, was a Province of British India, which existed from 1902 to 1947 For usage see British rule in India British Raj ( rāj, lit "reign" in Hindustani) primarily refers to the British Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) New Delhi (नई दिल्ली ਨਵੀਂ ਦਿੱਲੀ نئی دلی is the Capital city of India. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Indian National Congress-I (also known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) is a major Political party in India. Feroze Gandhi ( 12 August 1912 - 8 September 1960) was an Indian politician and journalist Rajiv Gandhi राजीव गांधी (raːdʒiːv gaːnd̪ʰiː born in Bombay, (20 August 1944 – 21 May 1991 the elder son of Indira and Feroze Sanjay Gandhi ( December 14, 1946 –- June 23, 1980) was an Indian politician the younger son of Prime Minister Indira A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ( Gujarati: મોહનદાસ કરમચંદ ગાંધી moɦən̪d̪äs kəɾəmʧən̪d̪ gän̪d̪ʱi (2 October 1869 – 30 January Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is Events 1095 - The Council of Clermont, called by Pope Urban II to discuss sending the First Crusade to the Holy Land Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) The Prime Minister of India is head of the Council of Ministers, appointed by the President to assist the latter in the administration of the affairs of the executive AssassiNation is the sixth album by Krisiun, released in 2006 on Century Media. She was India's first and to date only female prime minister. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country

Born in the politically influential Nehru dynasty, she grew up in an intensely political atmosphere. The Nehru-Gandhi family (which is not in fact descended from Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi) is an Indian Political family which has been Her grandfather, Motilal Nehru, was a prominent Indian nationalist leader. Motilal Nehru ( May 6, 1861 – February 6, 1931) was an early Indian independence activist and leader of the Indian National Congress Her father, Jawaharlal Nehru was a pivotal figure in the Indian independence movement and the first Prime Minister of Independent India. Jawaharlal Nehru (जवाहरलाल नेहरू ʤəʋäɦəɾläl nɛɦɾu (14 November 1889 27 May 1964 was a major political leader of the Congress Party Returning to India from Oxford in 1941, she became involved in the Indian Independence movement. The University of Oxford (informally "Oxford University" or simply "Oxford" located in the city of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England is the The term " Indian independence movement " is diffuse incorporating various national and regional campaigns agitations and efforts of both Nonviolent and Militant

In the 1950s, she served her father unofficially as a personal assistant during his tenure as India's first Prime Minister. This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. After her father's death in 1964, she was appointed as a member of the Rajya Sabha by the President of India and became a member of Lal Bahadur Shastri's cabinet as Minister of Information and Broadcasting. The Rajya Sabha (meaning the "Council of States" is the Upper house of the Parliament of India. The President of India or Rashtrapati ( Hindi: राष्ट्रपति a Sanskrit Neologism, lit Lal Bahadur Shastri ( Hindi लालबहादुर शास्त्री (2 October 1904 - 11 January 1966 was the third (second and acting being Gulzarilal Nanda ^[1]

The then Congress Party President K. Kamaraj was instrumental in making Indira Gandhi the Prime Minister after the sudden demise of Shastri. Indian National Congress-I (also known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) is a major Political party in India. Kamaraj Kumarasami, ( Tamil: காமராஜ் better known as K Gandhi soon showed an ability to win elections and outmaneuver opponents through populism. Populism is a discourse which supports "the people" versus "the Elites " Populism may involve either a political philosophy urging social and political She introduced more left-wing economic policies and promoted agricultural productivity. A crushing victory in the 1971 war with Pakistan was followed by a period of instability that led her to impose a state of emergency in 1975; she paid for the authoritarian excesses of the period with three years in opposition. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Returned to office in 1980, she became increasingly involved in an escalating conflict with separatists in Punjab that eventually led to her assassination by her own bodyguards in 1984. Separatism refers to the advocacy of a state of cultural ethnic tribal religious racial or gender separation from the larger group often with demands for greater political autonomy Punjab (ਪੰਜਾਬ पंजाब pəɲdʒaːb is a state in northwest India.

Early life

The Nehru family - Motilal Nehru is seated in the center, and standing (L to R) are Jawaharlal Nehru, Vijayalakshmi Pandit, Krishna Hutheesing, Indira, and Ranjit Pandit; Seated: Swaroop Rani, Motilal Nehru and Kamala Nehru (circa 1927). Motilal Nehru ( May 6, 1861 – February 6, 1931) was an early Indian independence activist and leader of the Indian National Congress Jawaharlal Nehru (जवाहरलाल नेहरू ʤəʋäɦəɾläl nɛɦɾu (14 November 1889 27 May 1964 was a major political leader of the Congress Party Vijaya Lakshmi Nehru Pandit (विजयलक्ष्मी नेहरू पंडित (1900 - 1990 was an Indian Diplomat and Politician, sister Krishna Nehru Hutheesing (1907-1967 was the youngest sister of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India and Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, one of the Kamala Kaul Nehru (1899&ndash1936 was the wife of Jawaharlal Nehru, leader of the Indian National Congress and first Prime Minister of India.

Indira Priyadarshini, was born on November 19, 1917 to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and his young wife Kamala Nehru. Events 1095 - The Council of Clermont, called by Pope Urban II to discuss sending the First Crusade to the Holy Land Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Kamala Kaul Nehru (1899&ndash1936 was the wife of Jawaharlal Nehru, leader of the Indian National Congress and first Prime Minister of India. She was their only child. The Nehru family can trace their ancestry to the Brahmins of Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi. Jawaharlal Nehru (जवाहरलाल नेहरू ʤəʋäɦəɾläl nɛɦɾu (14 November 1889 27 May 1964 was a major political leader of the Congress Party Brahmin ( Brāhmaṇa, sa ब्राह्मणः is the class of educators scholars and preachers in Brahminical Hinduism. ( Dogri: जम्मू और कश्मीर Urdu: جموں و کشمیر is the northernmost state of India. Delhi (दिल्ली ਦਿੱਲੀ دلی d̪ɪlːiː sometimes referred to as Dilli) is the second largest metropolis of India, with a population Indira's grandfather Motilal Nehru was a wealthy barrister of Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh. Motilal Nehru ( May 6, 1861 – February 6, 1931) was an early Indian independence activist and leader of the Indian National Congress Allahabad ( Hindi: इलाहाबाद Urdu: الہ آباد Ilāhābād) is a city in the north Indian state of Uttar Uttar Pradesh (उत्तर प्रदेश اتر پردیش pronounced, Translation: Northern Province) referred to as '''U Nehru was one of the most prominent members of the Indian National Congress in pre-Gandhi times and would go on to author the Nehru Report, the people's choice for a future Indian system of government as opposed to the British system. Indian National Congress-I (also known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) is a major Political party in India. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ( Gujarati: મોહનદાસ કરમચંદ ગાંધી moɦən̪d̪äs kəɾəmʧən̪d̪ gän̪d̪ʱi (2 October 1869 – 30 January The "Nehru Report" (1928 was a memorandum outlining a proposed new Dominion (see Dominion status) constitution for India Her father Nehru was a well-educated lawyer and was a popular leader of the Indian Independence Movement. The term " Indian independence movement " is diffuse incorporating various national and regional campaigns agitations and efforts of both Nonviolent and Militant At the time of Indira's birth, Nehru entered the independence movement under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ( Gujarati: મોહનદાસ કરમચંદ ગાંધી moɦən̪d̪äs kəɾəmʧən̪d̪ gän̪d̪ʱi (2 October 1869 – 30 January

Growing up in the sole care of her mother, who was sick and alienated from the Nehru household, Indira developed strong protective instincts and a loner personality. Her grandfather and father continually being enmeshed in national politics also made mixing with her peers difficult. She had conflicts with her father's sisters, including Vijayalakshmi Pandit, and these continued into the political world. Vijaya Lakshmi Nehru Pandit (विजयलक्ष्मी नेहरू पंडित (1900 - 1990 was an Indian Diplomat and Politician, sister

Indira created the Vanara Sena movement for young girls and boys which played a small but notable role in the Indian Independence Movement, conducting protests and flag marches, as well as helping Congress politicians circulate sensitive publications and banned materials. According to Hindu beliefs the Army of Monkeys or vanaras, helped Lord Rama fight the armies of Ravana of Lanka in the epic Ramayana The term " Indian independence movement " is diffuse incorporating various national and regional campaigns agitations and efforts of both Nonviolent and Militant In an often-told story, she smuggled out from her father's police-watched house an important document in her schoolbag that outlined plans for a major revolutionary initiative in the early 1930s.

In 1936, her mother, Kamala Nehru, finally succumbed to tuberculosis after a long struggle. Tuberculosis (abbreviated as TB for tubercle bacillus or T u' b' erculosis Bacillus --> is a common Indira was 18 at the time and thus never experienced a stable family life during her childhood. She attended prominent Indian, European and British schools like Santiniketan, Badminton School and Oxford, but she showed no incandescence for academics, and was detained from obtaining a degree. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Santiniketan ( Bangla: শান্তিনিকেতন Shantiniketôn) is a small town Badminton School is an independent, day and Boarding school for girls aged 4 to 18 years situated in Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol Oxford is currently bidding for the 2010 Wikimania Conference Oxford () is a city, and the County town of Oxfordshire,

While studying at Somerville College, University of Oxford, England, during the late 1930s, she became a member of the radical pro-independence London based India League. Somerville College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, and was one of the first Women's colleges to The University of Oxford (informally "Oxford University" or simply "Oxford" located in the city of Oxford, Oxfordshire, England is the England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland ^[2]

In her years in continental Europe and the UK, she met a Parsi, Feroze Gandhi, a Congress activist, and eventually married him on 16 March 1942 at Anand Bhawan Allahabad in a private Adi Dharm Brahmo Vedic ceremony still noted for its unconventionality and illegality^[3]. Feroze Gandhi ( 12 August 1912 - 8 September 1960) was an Indian politician and journalist Allahabad ( Hindi: इलाहाबाद Urdu: الہ آباد Ilāhābād) is a city in the north Indian state of Uttar Adi Dharm refers to the religion of Adi Brahmo Samaj the first development of Brahmoism and includes those Sadharan Brahmo Samajists who were reintegrated into Brahmoism A Brahmo is either an adherent of Brahmoism to the exclusion of all other religions or a person with at least one Brahmo parent or guardian and who has never denied his Just before the beginning of the Quit India Movement - the final, all-out national revolt launched by Mahatma Gandhi and the Congress Party. The Quit India Movement (Bharat Chhodo Andolan or the August Movement) was a Civil disobedience movement launched in India in August 1942 in Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ( Gujarati: મોહનદાસ કરમચંદ ગાંધી moɦən̪d̪äs kəɾəmʧən̪d̪ gän̪d̪ʱi (2 October 1869 – 30 January In September 1942 they were arrested by the British authorities and detained without charge. She was ultimately released on 13 May 1943 having spent over 243 days in jail. Events 1497 - Pope Alexander VI excommunicates Girolamo Savonarola. Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[4] In 1944, she gave birth to Rajiv Gandhi with Feroze Gandhi, followed two years later by Sanjay Gandhi. Rajiv Gandhi राजीव गांधी (raːdʒiːv gaːnd̪ʰiː born in Bombay, (20 August 1944 – 21 May 1991 the elder son of Indira and Feroze Sanjay Gandhi ( December 14, 1946 –- June 23, 1980) was an Indian politician the younger son of Prime Minister Indira

During the chaotic Partition of India in 1947, she helped organize refugee camps and provide medical care for the millions of refugees from Pakistan. The Partition of India was the partition of the British Indian Empire which led to the creation on August 14, 1947 and August 15, Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and This was her first exercise in major public service, and a valuable experience for the tumult of the coming years.

The Gandhis later settled in Allahabad where Feroze worked with a Congress Party newspaper and an insurance company. Allahabad ( Hindi: इलाहाबाद Urdu: الہ آباد Ilāhābād) is a city in the north Indian state of Uttar Their marriage started out well, but deteriorated later as she moved to New Delhi to be at the side of her father, the Prime Minister at the time, who was living alone in a high-pressure environment at Teen Murti Bhavan. New Delhi (नई दिल्ली ਨਵੀਂ ਦਿੱਲੀ نئی دلی is the Capital city of India. She became his confidante, secretary and nurse. Her sons lived with her, but she eventually became permanently separated from Feroze, though they remained married.

When India's first general election approached in 1951, Gandhi managed the campaigns of both Nehru and her husband, who was contesting the constituency of Rae Bareilly. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Raebareli ( Hindi: रायबरेली Urdu: رائے بریلی, also Feroze had not consulted Nehru on his choice to run, and even though he was elected, he opted to live in a separate house in Delhi. Feroze quickly developed a reputation for being a fighter against corruption by exposing a major scandal in the nationalized insurance industry, resulting in the resignation of the Finance Minister, a Nehru aide. Political corruption is the use of governmental powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain

At the height of the tension, Gandhi and her husband separated. However, in 1958, shortly after re-election, Feroze suffered a heart attack, which dramatically healed their broken marriage. At his side to help him recuperate in Kashmir, their family grew closer. This article is about the geographical region of greater Kashmir But Feroze died on September 8, 1960, while Gandhi was abroad with Nehru on a foreign visit. Events 70 - Roman forces under Titus sack Jerusalem. 1264 - The Statute of Kalisz Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

President of the Indian National Congress

Indira and Mahatma Gandhi circa the 1930s

During 1959 and 1960, Gandhi ran for and was elected the President of the Indian National Congress. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ( Gujarati: મોહનદાસ કરમચંદ ગાંધી moɦən̪d̪äs kəɾəmʧən̪d̪ gän̪d̪ʱi (2 October 1869 – 30 January Indian National Congress-I (also known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) is a major Political party in India. Her term of office was uneventful. She also acted as her father's chief of staff. Nehru was known as a vocal opponent of nepotism, and she did not contest a seat in the 1962 elections. Nepotism is the showing of favoritism toward relatives and friends based upon that relationship rather than on an objective evaluation of ability Meritocracy or suitability

Nehru died on May 27, 1964, and Gandhi, at the urgings of the new Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, contested elections and joined the Government, being immediately appointed Minister for Information and Broadcasting. Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. Lal Bahadur Shastri ( Hindi लालबहादुर शास्त्री (2 October 1904 - 11 January 1966 was the third (second and acting being Gulzarilal Nanda She went to Madras when the riots over Hindi becoming the national language broke out in non-Hindi speaking states of the south. There she spoke to government officials, soothed the anger of community leaders and supervised reconstruction efforts for the affected areas. Shastri and senior Ministers were embarrassed, owing to their lack of such initiative. Minister Gandhi's actions were probably not directly aimed at Shastri or her own political elevation. She reportedly lacked interest in the day-to-day functioning of her Ministry, but was media-savvy and adept at the art of politics and image-making.

"During the succession struggles after 1965 between Mrs. Gandhi and her rivals, the central Congress [party] leadership in several states moved to displace upper caste leaders from state Congress [party] organizations and replace them with backward caste persons and to mobilize the votes of the latter castes to defeat its rivals in the state Congress [party] and in the opposition. The consequences of these interventions, some of which may justly be perceived as socially progressive, have nevertheless often had the consequences of intensifying inter-ethnic regional conflicts. . . ^[5]

When the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 broke out, Gandhi was vacationing in the border region of Srinagar. The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of Skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between India and Pakistan. Srinagar ( Dogri: श्रीनगर Urdu: سرینگر Kashmiri: سِرېنَگَر श्रीनगर is the capital of the disputed state Although warned by the Army that Pakistani insurgents had penetrated very close to the city, she refused to relocate to Jammu or Delhi. Pakistan 's estimated population was 172800000 in July 2008 During 1950-2008 Pakistan's urban population expanded over sevenfold while the total population increased by over fourfold An insurgency is a violent internal uprising against a sovereign government that lacks the organization of a revolution History of Jammu Many historians and locals believe that Jammu was founded by Raja Jamboolochan in 14th century BC. Delhi (दिल्ली ਦਿੱਲੀ دلی d̪ɪlːiː sometimes referred to as Dilli) is the second largest metropolis of India, with a population She rallied local government and welcomed media attention, in effect reassuring the nation. Shastri died in Tashkent, hours after signing the peace agreement with Pakistan's Ayub Khan, mediated by the Soviets. Field Marshal Muhammad Ayub Khan ( Urdu / Pashto: محمد ايوب خان GCMG, MBE, HJ, NPk, ( May 14 A soviet (сове́т, "council" originally was a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia.

The then Congress Party President K. Kamaraj was instrumental and supportive in making Indira Gandhi as Prime Minister,despite the oppostion from Morarji Desai who was later defeated by the members of the Congress Parliamentary Party,where Indira Gandhi beat Morarji Desai by 355 votes to 169 to become the fourth Prime Minister of India and the first woman to hold that position. Indian National Congress-I (also known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) is a major Political party in India. Kamaraj Kumarasami, ( Tamil: காமராஜ் better known as K Morarji Ranchhodji Desai ( मोरारजी देसाई) (29 February 1896 &ndash 10 Indian National Congress-I (also known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) is a major Political party in India.

Prime Minister

Foreign and Domestic Policy and National Security

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the second President of India, administering the oath of office to Indira Gandhi on 24 January 1966. Sir Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, OM ( Telugu:సర్వేపల్లి రాధాకృష్ణ Tamil:சர்வேபள்ளி The President of India or Rashtrapati ( Hindi: राष्ट्रपति a Sanskrit Neologism, lit

When Mrs. Gandhi became Prime Minister in 1966 there was no unity in the Congress. Her main party rival, Morarji Desai called her 'Gungi Gudiya' which means 'Dumb Doll'. Morarji Ranchhodji Desai ( मोरारजी देसाई) (29 February 1896 &ndash 10 The internal problems showed in the 1967 election where the Congress lost nearly 60 seats winning 297 seats in the 545 seat Lok Sabha. The Lok Sabha (also titled the House of the People, by the Constitution) is the directly elected Lower house of the Parliament of India She had to accommodate Desai as Deputy Prime Minister of India and Finance Minister of India. The Deputy Prime Minister of India is a member of the Indian cabinet in the Indian government. The Finance Minister of India is a Cabinet position in the Government of India. In 1969 after a lot of disagreements with Desai, the Indian National Congress split. Indian National Congress-I (also known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) is a major Political party in India. She ruled with support from Socialist Parties for the next two years. In the same year, she nationalised banks. During the 1971 War, the US had sent its Seventh Fleet to the Bay of Bengal as a warning to India keep away from East Pakistan as a pretext to launch a wider attack against West Pakistan, especially over the territory of Kashmir. The Seventh Fleet is the United States Navy's permanent forward projection force based in Yokosuka, Japan, with units positioned near South Korea The Bay of Bengal is a bay that forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. This article is about the geographical region of greater Kashmir This move had further alienated India from the First World, and Prime Minister Gandhi now accelerated a previously cautious new direction in national security and foreign policy. India and the USSR had earlier signed the Treaty of Friendship and Mutual Cooperation, resulting in political and military support contributing substantially to India's victory in the 1971 war.

Nuclear Programme

But Gandhi now had a national nuclear programme, as it was felt that the nuclear threat from the People's Republic of China and the intrusive interest of the two major superpowers were not conducive to India's stability and security. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES She also invited the new Pakistani President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to Shimla for a week-long summit. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto ( Urdu: ur '''ذوالفقار علی بھٹو''' Sindhi: ذوالفقار علي ڀُٽو, zʊlfɪqɑːɾ ɑli bɦʊʈːoː Shimla [ʃɪmla] ( Hindi: शिमला originally called Simla, is a city in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh After the near-failure of the talks, the two heads of state eventually signed the Shimla Agreement, which bound the two countries to resolve the Kashmir dispute by negotiations and peaceful means. The Simla Agreement was signed between India and Pakistan at 1240am on July 3, 1972. This article is about the geographical region of greater Kashmir It was Gandhi's stubbornness which made even the visiting Pakistani Prime Minister sign the accord according to India's terms in which Zulfikar Bhutto had to write the last few terms in the agreement in his own handwriting. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto ( Urdu: ur '''ذوالفقار علی بھٹو''' Sindhi: ذوالفقار علي ڀُٽو, zʊlfɪqɑːɾ ɑli bɦʊʈːoː

Indira Gandhi was criticized by some for not making the Line of Control a permanent border while a few critics even believed that Pakistan-administered Kashmir should have been extracted from Pakistan, whose 93,000 prisoners of war were under Indian control. The Azad State of Jammu and Kashmir, usually shortened to Azad Jammu and Kashmir ( AJK) or simply Azad Kashmir (literally "free Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and But the agreement did remove immediate United Nations and third party interference, and greatly reduced the likelihood of Pakistan launching a major attack in the near future. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and By not demanding total capitulation on a sensitive issue from Bhutto, she had allowed Pakistan to stabilize and normalize. Trade relations were also normalized, though much contact remained frozen for years.

In 1974, India successfully conducted an underground nuclear test, unofficially code named as smiling Buddha, near the desert village of Pokhran in Rajasthan. The Smiling Buddha was the first nuclear test explosion by India on May 18, 1974 at Pokhran. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Pokhran (also spelled Pokaran) is a city and a Municipality located in Jaisalmer district Rājasthān ( Devanāgarī: राजस्थान raːdʒəst̪ʰaːn is the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area Describing the test as for peaceful purposes, India nevertheless became the world's youngest nuclear power.

Green Revolution

Main article: Green Revolution in India

Richard Nixon and Indira Gandhi in 1971. The introduction of high-yielding varieties of seeds after 1965 and the increased use of Fertilizers and Irrigation are known collectively as the Green Revolution They had a deep personal antipathy that coloured bilateral relations.

Special agricultural innovation programs and extra government support launched in the 1960s finally transformed India's chronic food shortages into surplus production of wheat, rice, cotton and milk. Rather than relying on food aid from the United States - headed by a President whom Mrs. Gandhi disliked considerably (the feeling was mutual: to Nixon, Indira was "the old witch"^[6]), the country became a food exporter. That achievement, along with the diversification of its commercial crop production, has become known as the Green Revolution. The introduction of high-yielding varieties of seeds after 1965 and the increased use of Fertilizers and Irrigation are known collectively as the Green Revolution At the same time, the White Revolution was an expansion in milk production which helped to combat malnutrition, especially amidst young children. 'Food security', as the programme was called, was another source of support for Mrs. Gandhi in the years leading up to 1975. [1]

Established in the early 1960s, the Green Revolution was the unofficial name given to the Intense Agricultural District Programme (IADP) which sought to insure abundant, inexpensive grain for urban dwellers upon whose support Gandhi -- as indeed all Indian politicians -- heavily depended. The Green Revolution refers to the transformation of Agriculture that began in 1945 at the request of the Mexican government to establish an agricultural research station to ^[7] The program was based on four premises: 1) New varieties of seed(s), 2) Acceptance of the necessity of the chemicalization of Indian agriculture, i. e. fertilizers, pesticides, weed killers, etc. , 3) A commitment to national and international cooperative research to develop new and improved existing seed varieties, 4) The concept of developing a scientific, agricultural institutions in the form of land grant colleges. ^[8] Lasting about ten years, the program was ultimately to bring about a tripling of wheat production, a lower but still impressive increase of rice; while there was little to no increase (depending on area, and adjusted for population growth) of such cereals as millet, gram and coarse grain, though these did, in fact, retain a relatively stable yield. The millets are a group of small- Seeded Species of Cereal crops or grains widely grown around the world for Food and Fodder For other uses of the words gram or gramme see Gram (disambiguation.

1971 Poll Victory , and second term (1971-1975)

Gandhi's government faced major problems after her tremendous mandate of 1971. The internal structure of the Congress Party had withered following its numerous splits, leaving it entirely dependent on her leadership for its election fortunes. Garibi Hatao (Abolish Poverty) was the theme for Gandhi's 1971 bid. Garibi Hatao (Meaning "Abolish Poverty" in Hindi was the theme and slogan of Indira Gandhi 's 1971 election bid and later also used by her son Rajiv Gandhi The slogan and the proposed anti-poverty programs that came with it were designed to give Gandhi an independent national support, based on rural and urban poor. This would allow her to bypass the dominant rural castes both in and of state and local government; likewise the urban commercial class. And, for their part, the previously voiceless poor would at last gain both political worth and political weight.

The programs created through Garibi Hatao, though carried out locally, were funded, developed, supervised, and staffed by New Delhi and the Indian National Congress party. Garibi Hatao (Meaning "Abolish Poverty" in Hindi was the theme and slogan of Indira Gandhi 's 1971 election bid and later also used by her son Rajiv Gandhi Indian National Congress-I (also known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) is a major Political party in India. "These programs also provided the central political leadership with new and vast patronage resources to be disbursed. . . throughout the country. "^[9] All and all, garibi hatao did little and accomplished a bit less: Only about 4% of all funds allocated for economic development went to the three main anti-poverty programs, and precious few of these ever reached the 'poorest of the poor'. But it did help secure Gandhi's election.

Changing Domestic Policy

Gandhi had already been accused of tendencies towards authoritarianism. Using their strong parliamentary majority, her ruling Congress party had amended the Constitution, altering the balance of power between the Centre and the States established under the federal system. The central government had twice imposed President's Rule under Article 356 of the Constitution by deeming states ruled by opposition parties as "lawless and chaotic", thus winning administrative control of those states. President's rule (or Central Rule) is the term used in India when a state government is dissolved and is placed under direct federal rule President's rule (or Central Rule) is the term used in India when a state government is dissolved and is placed under direct federal rule Elected officials and the administrative services resented the growing influence of Sanjay Gandhi, who had become Gandhi's close political advisor at the expense of men like P. N. Haksar, Gandhi's chosen strategist during her rise to power. Sanjay Gandhi ( December 14, 1946 –- June 23, 1980) was an Indian politician the younger son of Prime Minister Indira Purshottam Narayan Haksar (1913-1998 was one of the earliest and most important political strategists in the political democracy of independent India. Renowned public figures and former freedom-fighters like Jaya Prakash Narayan, Satyendra Narayan Sinha and Acharya Jivatram Kripalani now toured the North, speaking actively against her Government. Jayaprakash Narayan ( Devanāgarī: जयप्रकाश नारायण October 11, 1902 - October 8, 1979) widely known Satyendra Narayan Sinha (also transliterated as Satyendra Narayan Singh (born July 12 1917) was an Indian politician participant in the Indian independence Acharya (scholar Jivatram Bhagwandas Kripalani ( 1888 - 1982) was an Indian politician noted particularly for holding the presidency of the Indian National

Charges

On June 12, 1975 the High Court of Allahabad declared Gandhi's election invalid on grounds of alleged malpractices in an election petition filed by Raj Narain (who had repeatedly contested her Parliamentary constituency of Rae Bareli without success). Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. India 's judicial system is made up of the Supreme Court of India at the apex of the hierarchy for the entire country and twenty-one High Courts at the Raj Narain (1917 &ndash December 31, 1986) was an Indian politician who as a candidate of Janata Party in 1977 defeated Indira Gandhi - then The court thus ordered her to be removed from her seat in Parliament and blamed the running in elections for six years because of this. Since the Prime Minister must be a member of either the Lok Sabha (lower house in the Parliament of India) or the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of the Parliament), this decision had the effect of removing her from office. The Lok Sabha (also titled the House of the People, by the Constitution) is the directly elected Lower house of the Parliament of India The Parliament of India (or Sansad) is the federal and supreme Legislative body of India. The Rajya Sabha (meaning the "Council of States" is the Upper house of the Parliament of India.

Gandhi appealed the decision; the opposition parties rallied en masse, calling for her resignation. Strikes by unions and protest rallies paralyzed life in many states. J. P. Narayan even called upon the police to disobey orders if asked to fire on an unarmed public. Jayaprakash Narayan ( Devanāgarī: जयप्रकाश नारायण October 11, 1902 - October 8, 1979) widely known Public disenchantment combined with hard economic times and an unresponsive government. A huge rally surrounded the Parliament building and Gandhi's residence in Delhi, demanding her to behave responsibly and resign.

A still from Anand Patwardhan's first documentary Waves of Revolution, about the unrest in Bihar, distributed clandestinely within India and smuggled out in sections to create awareness abroad. '''Anand Patwardhan''' (b 1950 is an Indian documentary filmmaker most known for his activism through social action documentaries on topics ranging from corruption slums dwellers nuclear arms

State of Emergency (1975-1977)

Main article: Indian Emergency (1975-1977)

Gandhi advised President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed to declare a state of emergency, claiming that the strikes and rallies were creating a state of 'internal disturbance'. See also State of Emergency in India The Indian Emergency of June 1975–21st March 1977 was a 21-month period when President A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend certain normal functions of government alert citizens to alter their normal behaviors or order government agencies Ahmed was a longtime political ally, and it is a strong convention in India that the president acts on the advice of the prime minister. Alternative meaning Constitutional convention (political meeting A constitutional convention is an informal and uncodified procedural agreement that is Accordingly, Ahmed declared a State of Emergency caused by internal disorder, based on the provisions of Article 352 of the Constitution, on June 26, 1975. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Even before the Emergency Proclamation was ratified by Parliament, Gandhi on the night of June 26, 1975 moved to put an end to any and all opposition to order the arrest of all her principal opposition, including those within the Congress Parliamentary Party. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Indian National Congress-I (also known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) is a major Political party in India. Many of these were men who had first been jailed by the British in the 1930s and 1940s.

Rule by Decree

Within a few months, President's Rule was imposed on the two non-Congress (party)-ruled states of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu thereby bringing the entire country under direct dictatorial rule from Delhi. President's rule (or Central Rule) is the term used in India when a state government is dissolved and is placed under direct federal rule Gujarat (ગુજરાત Gujǎrāt, pronounced) is a state in western India. Tamil Nadu ( Tamil:, Country of the Tamils, t̪ɐmɨɻ n̪aːɽɯ is one of the 28 states of India. ^[10] Police were granted powers to impose curfews and indefinitely detain citizens, while all publications were subjected to substantial censorship by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Finally, impending legislative assembly elections were indefinitely postponed, with all opposition-controlled state governments being removed by virtue of the constitutional provision allowing for a dismissal of a state government on recommendation of the state's governor.

Gandhi used the emergency provisions to grant herself extraordinary powers.

"Unlike her father [Nehru], who preferred to deal with strong chief ministers in control of their legislative parties and state party organizations, Mrs. Gandhi set out to remove every Congress chief minister who had an independent base and to replace each of them with ministers personally loyal to her. . . Even so, stability could not be maintained in the states. . . "^[11]

She further utilized President Ahmed, to issue ordinances that did not need to be debated in Parliament, allowing her to effectively rule by decree. A decree is an order made by a Head of state or government and having the force of Law. The Parliament of India (or Sansad) is the federal and supreme Legislative body of India. Rule by decree is a style of governance allowing quick unchallenged creation of law by a single person or group and is used primarily by Dictators and Absolute monarchs Inder Kumar Gujral, a future prime minister himself, resigned as Minister for Information and Broadcasting to protest Sanjay Gandhi's interference in his work of the ministry. Inder Kumar Gujral (इन्द्र कुमार गुजराल (born 4 December 1919 was the 13th Prime Minister of the Republic of India.

The prime minister's emergency rule lasted nineteen months.

Simultaneously, a draconian campaign to stamp out dissent included the arrest and torture of thousands of political activists; the ruthless clearing of slums around Delhi's Jama Masjid ordered by Sanjay and carried out by Jagmohan, which left hundreds of thousands of people homeless and thousands killed, and led to the permanent ghettoization of the nation's capital; and the family planning program which forcibly imposed vasectomy on thousands of fathers and was often poorly administered, nurturing a public anger against family planning that persists into the 21st century. The Masjid-i-Jahan Numa ( Urdu: مسجد جھان نمہ) commonly known as the Jama Masjid of Delhi is the principal Mosque of Old Jag Mohan Malhotra (born 25 September 1927) is a former governor of Jammu and Kashmir in India Vasectomy is a surgical procedure in which the vasa deferentia of a man are cut for the purpose of sterilization.

Elections

In 1977, Gandhi called elections. One factor was the economic gains, though there may have been political considerations at play. Gandhi may have grossly misjudged her popularity by reading what the heavily censored press wrote about her, or may have feared a military coup had she attempted to rule by decree any longer (There were reports that the Armed Forces would forcibly remove her from power and hold elections. See Tapishwar Narain Raina). Tapishwar Narain Raina ( 1921 Ludhiana - May 19, 1980 Ottawa) was the Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army In any case, she was roundly defeated by the Janata Party. The Janata Party (जनता पार्टी People's Party in Hindi) was an Indian Political party that contested the Indian Emergency Janata, led by her long-time rival, Desai and with Jai Prakash Narayan as its spiritual guide, claimed the elections were the last chance for India to choose between "democracy and dictatorship. " Indira and Sanjay Gandhi both lost their seats, and Congress was cut down to 153 seats (compared with 350 in the previous Lok Sabha), 92 of which were in the south.

Removal, Arrest, and Return

Mrs. Gandhi with M.G. Ramachandran, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Maruthur Gopala Ramachandran Menon ( Tamil: மருதூர் கோபால இராமச்சந்திரன் Malayalam:മരുതൂര് A Chief Minister is the elected Head of government of a sub-national (e Tamil Nadu ( Tamil:, Country of the Tamils, t̪ɐmɨɻ n̪aːɽɯ is one of the 28 states of India. In the post-emergency elections in 1977, only the Southern states returned Congress majorities.

Desai became Prime Minister and Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, the establishment choice of 1969, became President of the Republic. Neelam Sanjiva Reddy (నీలం సంజీవ రెడ్డి) ( May 19 1913 - June 1 1996) was an Indian statesman Gandhi found herself without work, income or residence until winning a by-election in 1978. A by-election or bye-election (called special election in the United States) is an Election held to fill a political office that has become vacant The Congress Party split during the election campaign of 1977 with veteran Gandhi supporters like Jagjivan Ram abandoning her for Janata. Early life Jagjivan Ram was born at Chandwa near Arrah in Bihar. The Congress (Gandhi) Party was now a much smaller group in Parliament, although the official opposition.

Unable to govern owing to fractious coalition warfare, the Janata government's Home Minister, Choudhary Charan Singh, ordered the arrest of Indira and Sanjay Gandhi on several charges, none of which would be easy to prove in an Indian court. Chaudhary Charan Singh (23 December 1902 &ndash 29 May 1987 was the seventh Prime Minister of the Republic of India serving from 28 July 1979 until 14 January 1980 The arrest meant that Indira was automatically expelled from Parliament. However, this strategy backfired disastrously. Her arrest and long-running trial, however, gained her great sympathy from many people who had feared her as a tyrant just two years earlier.

The Janata coalition was only united by its hatred of Mrs. Gandhi (or "that woman" as some called her); the government was so bogged down by infighting. She was able to use the situation to her advantage. She began giving speeches again, tacitly apologizing for "mistakes" made during the Emergency. Desai resigned in June 1979, and Charan Singh was appointed Prime Minister by Reddy after Mrs. Gandhi promised that Congress would support his government from outside.

After a short interval, she withdrew her initial support and President Reddy dissolved Parliament in the winter of 1979. In elections held the following January, Congress was returned to power with a landslide majority.

Indira Gandhi was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize (for 1983-84). The International Stalin Prize or the International Stalin Prize for Strengthening Peace Among Peoples (renamed Международная Ленинская премия «За

1984 USSR commemorative stamp

Operation Blue Star and assassination

Main articles: Operation Blue Star, 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots, and Indira Gandhi assassination

Gandhi's later years were bedeviled with problems in Punjab. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Operation Blue Star ( ਬਿਲਯੂ ਸਟਾਰ, बिल्यू स्टार) ( June 3 to June 6, 1984) was an Indian military operation The 1984 Anti-Sikh massacre took place in India after the assassination of Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984. Indira Gandhi, then Prime Minister of India, was assassinated on October 31 1984 by two of her body guards with machine guns in the garden of the Prime Minister's Punjab (ਪੰਜਾਬ पंजाब pəɲdʒaːb is a state in northwest India. In September 1981, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale 's separatist Sikh militant group took up positions within the precincts of the Golden Temple, Sikhism's holiest shrine. Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale (ਜਰਨੈਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਭਿੰਡਰਾਂਵਾਲੇ ʤəɾnɛl sɪ́ŋg pɪ̀ɳɖɾɑnʋɑɺ̡e (February 12 1947 &ndash June 6 1984 was Khālistān (ਖਾਲਿਸਤਾਨ official title Sikh Republic of Khalistan or the Holy Sikh Kingdom of Khalistan, was the name given by Jagjit Singh ^[12] Despite the presence of thousands of civilians in the Golden Temple complex at the time Gandhi ordered the Army into the shrine in an attempt to clear it of the militants. Accounts differ in the number of military and civilian casualties. Government estimates include four officers, seventy-nine soldiers, and 492 militants; other accounts are much higher, perhaps 500 or more troops and 3,000 others, including many pilgrims caught in the crossfire. ^[13]. While the exact figures related to civilian casualties are disputed, the timing and method of the attack remain controversial.

Indira Gandhi had numerous bodyguards, two of whom were Satwant Singh and Beant Singh, both Sikhs. Satwant Singh Agwaan (1962-1989 was a Sikh bodyguard to the Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi, who on October 31 1984 was assassinated On October 31, 1984 they assassinated Indira Gandhi with machine guns in the garden of the Prime Minister's Residence at No. Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) 1, Safdarjung Road in New Delhi. As she was walking to be interviewed by the British actor Peter Ustinov filming a documentary for Irish television, she passed a wicket gate, guarded by Satwant and Beant. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (ˈjuːstɪnɒf or /ˈuːstɪnɒf/ 16 April 1921 – 28 March 2004) born Peter Alexander Baron von Ustinow They then opened fire with machine guns, after which one shot himself and the other was arrested by her other bodyguards.

Gandhi died on her way to the hospital, in her official car, but she was not declared dead until many hours later. She was taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, where doctors operated on her and reportedly removed 31 bullets from her body. All India Institute of Medical Sciences ( AIIMS) (created 1956 is a Medical college and hospital in India, and is an autonomous institution She was cremated on November 3, near Raj Ghat and the place was called Shakti Sthal. Events 644 - Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Muslim Caliph, is killed by a Persian slave in Medina. Raj Ghat, a Memorial to Mahatma Gandhi is a simple black marble platform that marks the spot of his Cremation on 31 January, 1948 Raj Ghat, a Memorial to Mahatma Gandhi is a simple black marble platform that marks the spot of his Cremation on 31 January, 1948

After her death, sectarian unrest engulfed New Delhi and several other cities in India, including Kanpur, Asansol and Indore, leading to the death of thousands of Sikhs and leaving many homeless. New Delhi (नई दिल्ली ਨਵੀਂ ਦਿੱਲੀ نئی دلی is the Capital city of India. Sikh (English or; ਸਿੱਖ sikkh, IPA) is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism. At that time many Gurudwaras were burnt. Some members of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee, long accused by independent human rights organizations of a hand in the violence, were tried for incitement to murder and arson many years later - none were found guilty. Delhi (दिल्ली ਦਿੱਲੀ دلی d̪ɪlːiː sometimes referred to as Dilli) is the second largest metropolis of India, with a population The elected committee that directs the Congress Party in an Indian state is known as a PCC or Pradesh Congress Committee Three prominent Congress politicians - HKL Bhagat, Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar - were implicated on numerous occasions but were never brought to trial. The present Indian Commerce and Industry Minister, Mr. Kamal Nath, has repeatedly been accused of ordering a mob to fire at a Gurdwara [deposition to Justice Nanavati Commission] during the riots, but he denies this. Numerous inquiries, themselves dragging on for several years during which time witnesses often died, revealed that little or no action was taken to protect the people by either the Indian police or the Army. In many instances, eye witnesses reported collusion with the mob by the police. Indira's son, Rajiv, when asked to comment on what became known as the Delhi Pogrom, simply stated "when a large tree falls, the earth is bound to shake". This was taken as tacit approval of the anti-Sikh riots. To date not a single person has been found guilty of the estimated 20,000 Sikhs that lost their lives in the anti-Sikh Delhi riots. Sikh (English or; ਸਿੱਖ sikkh, IPA) is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism.

Gandhi's friend and biographer Pupul Jayakar would later reveal Indira's tension, and her premonition about what might happen in the wake of Operation Blue Star. Pupul Jayakar was an Indian cultural activist and writer (1916-1997 who was a close friend and Biographer to both the Nehru-Gandhi family and philosopher J

Personal life

Nehru-Gandhi family

Main article: Nehru-Gandhi Family

Initially Sanjay had been her chosen heir; but after his death in a flying accident, his mother persuaded a reluctant Rajiv Gandhi to quit his job as a pilot and enter politics in February 1981. The Nehru-Gandhi family (which is not in fact descended from Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi) is an Indian Political family which has been Sanjay Gandhi ( December 14, 1946 –- June 23, 1980) was an Indian politician the younger son of Prime Minister Indira Rajiv Gandhi राजीव गांधी (raːdʒiːv gaːnd̪ʰiː born in Bombay, (20 August 1944 – 21 May 1991 the elder son of Indira and Feroze

After Indira Gandhi's death, Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister. In May 1991, he too was assassinated, this time at the hands of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam militants. "LTTE" redirects here For the Led Zeppelin bootleg see Listen to This Eddie. Rajiv's widow, Sonia Gandhi, led the United Progressive Alliance to a surprise electoral victory in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. Sonia Gandhi, born Edvige Antonia Albina Maino on 9 December 1946 is an Indian politician the President of the Indian National Congress and United Progressive Alliance ( UPA) is the present ruling coalition of political parties heading the Government of India. The Lok Sabha (also titled the House of the People, by the Constitution) is the directly elected Lower house of the Parliament of India

Sonia Gandhi declined the opportunity to assume the office of Prime Minister but remains in control of the Congress' political apparatus; Prime Minister Dr. Sonia Gandhi, born Edvige Antonia Albina Maino on 9 December 1946 is an Indian politician the President of the Indian National Congress and Manmohan Singh, formerly finance minister, now heads the nation. Manmohan Singh (ਮਨਮੋਹਨ ਸਿੰਘ (born 26 September 1932 is the 17th Rajiv's children, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, have also entered politics. Rahul Gandhi (born 19 June 1970) is an Indian politician and member of the Parliament of India, representing the Amethi constituency Sanjay Gandhi's widow, Maneka Gandhi - who fell out with Indira after Sanjay's death and was famously thrown out of the Prime Minister's house^[14] - as well as Sanjay's son, Varun Gandhi, are active in politics as members of the main opposition BJP party. Feroze Varun Gandhi (born March 13, 1980) is the only son of the late Sanjay Gandhi and Indian Politician Maneka Gandhi. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP (भारतीय जनता पार्टी, Translation: Indian People's Party) founded in 1980 is a major Political

Indira Gandhi in popular culture

• Her assassination is mentioned by Tom Clancy in his novel Executive Orders. Thomas Leo Clancy Jr (born April 12 1947) is an American author best known for his technically detailed espionage and Military science storylines Executive Orders is a political and military thriller novel by Tom Clancy.
• Although never mentioned by name, Indira Gandhi is clearly the prime minister in A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. A Fine Balance is the third book by Rohinton Mistry. Set in Mumbai, India between 1975 and 1977 during the turmoil of The Emergency Rohinton Mistry (born 3 July, 1952) is considered to be one of the foremost authors of Indian heritage writing in English
• In Salman Rushdie's novel Midnight's Children, Indira is responsible for the eponymous characters' downfall, referred to throughout the novel as "The Widow. Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie Kt (born 19 June 1947 is an Indian - British novelist and essayist Midnight's Children is a 1981 Novel by Salman Rushdie. It centres on the author's native India and was acclaimed as a major milestone in " This portrayal of Indira Gandhi raised controversy in some circles for its harsh depiction both of her and of her policies.
• In Shashi Tharoor's The Great Indian Novel, the character of Priya Duryodhani clearly refers to Indira Gandhi. Shashi Tharoor ( Malayalam: ശശി തരൂര്‍ born 9 March 1956 in London) was an Indian Diplomat at the United The Great Indian Novel is a satirical novel by Shashi Tharoor. In the Hindu epic the Mahābhārata, Duryodhana (दुर्योधन is the eldest son of the blind king Dhritarashtra by Queen Gandhari
• "Aandhi," a Hindi movie(feature film) directed by Gulzar, is a partly fictionalized adaptation of some events in Indira's life, particularly her (played by Suchitra Sen) difficult relationship with her husband (played by Sanjeev Kumar). Aandhi is a 1975 Indian movie allegedly based on then Prime minister Indira Gandhi 's life Suchitra Sen ( April 6 1929) or April 6, 1931[http //wwwtripurainfo Sanjeev Kumar ( Hindi: संजीव कुमार ( July 9, 1938 &ndash November 6, 1985) was one of the most prominent

External links

• Obituary, NY Times, November 1, 1984 Assassination in India: A Leader of Will and Force; Indira Gandhi, Born to Politics, Left Her Own Imprint on India
• A view of Indira
• A Cosmological Look at the Life and Assassination of Indira Gandhi

References

Further reading

• Ved Mehta, A Family Affair: India Under Three Prime Ministers (1982) ISBN 0-19-503118-0
• Pupul Jayakar, Indira Gandhi: An Intimate Biography (1992) ISBN 9780679424796
• Katherine Frank, Indira: the life of Indira Nehru Gandhi (2002) ISBN 0-395-73097-X