Indira Gandhi
- Birth: 19 Nov 1917
- Death: 31 Oct 1984
- Age: 66 years (at death)
- Net Worth: $0 USD
- Income Source: Salary as Prime Minister of India, family inheritance (Nehru estate, modest)
Biography
Born on November 19, 1917, in Allahabad, Indira Priyadarshana Nehru was the only child of Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister. Raised in the epicenter of the independence movement, she grew up amidst leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, who gave her the name “Indira.” Educated at Somerville College, Oxford, she returned to India in 1941 and married Feroze Gandhi in 1942. The couple had two sons, Rajiv and Sanjay.
Indira entered politics formally in 1955, joining the Congress Working Committee. After her father’s death in 1964, she served as Information Minister under Lal Bahadur Shastri. In 1966, she became India’s first—and to date, only—female Prime Minister. Her early tenure saw bold moves: the 1971 war that birthed Bangladesh, nationalization of banks, and the abolition of privy purses. Her “Garibi Hatao” (Eradicate Poverty) slogan won her a landslide in 1971.
Yet, controversy shadowed her. The 1975–1977 Emergency—imposed amid political unrest—suspended civil liberties, censored the press, and led to forced sterilizations under Sanjay’s influence. Defeated in 1977, she roared back in 1980. Her decision to storm the Golden Temple in 1984 (Operation Blue Star) to flush out Sikh militants inflamed tensions. On October 31, 1984, she was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards in New Delhi—a tragic end to a polarizing legacy.
Indira Gandhi was neither saint nor tyrant. She modernized India, strengthened its global standing, and expanded welfare, but at the cost of democratic norms during the Emergency. Her life reflects the tightrope of power: decisive, flawed, unforgettable.
Indira entered politics formally in 1955, joining the Congress Working Committee. After her father’s death in 1964, she served as Information Minister under Lal Bahadur Shastri. In 1966, she became India’s first—and to date, only—female Prime Minister. Her early tenure saw bold moves: the 1971 war that birthed Bangladesh, nationalization of banks, and the abolition of privy purses. Her “Garibi Hatao” (Eradicate Poverty) slogan won her a landslide in 1971.
Yet, controversy shadowed her. The 1975–1977 Emergency—imposed amid political unrest—suspended civil liberties, censored the press, and led to forced sterilizations under Sanjay’s influence. Defeated in 1977, she roared back in 1980. Her decision to storm the Golden Temple in 1984 (Operation Blue Star) to flush out Sikh militants inflamed tensions. On October 31, 1984, she was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards in New Delhi—a tragic end to a polarizing legacy.
Indira Gandhi was neither saint nor tyrant. She modernized India, strengthened its global standing, and expanded welfare, but at the cost of democratic norms during the Emergency. Her life reflects the tightrope of power: decisive, flawed, unforgettable.