Primera ministro de la India. Nacida el 19 de noviembre de 1917 en Allahabad.
Fue la única hija de Jawaharlal Nehru, quien se convertiría más tarde en primer ministro de la India independiente. Luego de estudiar en la Universidad de Visva Bharati en Bengala y en la Universidad de Oxford en Inglaterra, en el año 1938 se afilió al Partido del Congreso involucrándose en el movimiento por la independencia de la India. En 1942 se casó con Feroze Gandhi, abogado parsi miembro del mismo partido. Ambos fueron arrestados por los ingleses acusados de subversión y pasaron trece meses en prisión... Cinco años después, en 1947, su padre Nehru se convirtió en Primer Ministro e Indira Gandhi se convirtió en asesora sobre problemas nacionales y le acompañó en algunos viajes al extranjero.
Indira Gandhi se unió al comité ejecutivo del Partido Congresista en el 1955 y fue electa presidente del partido en el 1959. En 1962, durante la guerra de fronteras chino-india, coordinó las actividades de defensa civil. Al fallecer su padre en mayo de 1964, fue nombrada ministra de Información y Radiodifusión en el gobierno de Lal Bahadur Shastri.
Al fallecer Shastri de forma inesperada dos años después, Gandhi se convierte en la cabeza del Partido Congresista y en Primera Ministro. Tras enfrentarse a un sinnúmero de retos por parte de la rama derechista del partido, encabezada por Morari Desai, Gandhi ganó la reelección en el 1967 por un margen mínimo de votos y se vio forzada a nombrar Primer Ministro Diputado a Desai. Durante los próximos cuatro años, consolidó su apoyo electoral y consiguió una victoria decisiva en el 1971, superando a una coalición conservadora monolítica. Más tarde en ese mismo año, Gandhi le prestó la fuerza militar de India a Bengala Oriental en su intento de liberarse de las atrocidades que el dominio de Pakistan ejercía sobre este territorio, y que resultó en la creación del estado independiente de Bangladesh.
En las elecciones nacionales de 1972, Gandhi y su partido vuelven a ganar. Pero poco después, su oponente socialista, la acusó de violar las leyes electorales y la corte superior de Allahabad sentenció en su contra en 1975, amenazando con prohibir su participación política por los próximos seis años. A modo de respuesta, Gandhi declara a la nación en estado de emergencia, encarcelando a varios de sus oponentes y promulgando una buena cantidad de leyes que realmente no tuvieron muy buena acogida entre la población, como la esterilización en gran escala, como medio para el control de la natalidad nacional. El Tribunal Supremo retiró los cargos que pesaban en su contra, pero el estado de emergencia continuó. En el 1977, al celebrarse las elecciones nacionales, Gandhi y el Partido Congresista fueron vencidos y ello la llevó a ser encarcelada por poco tiempo bajo cargos de corrupción oficial.
Durante los próximos tres años, Gandhi construyó su base de apoyo con una fracción del Partido Congresista que llamó Partido Congresista lo que le facilitó el recobrar su puesto en el Parlamento en 1978. Luego de la disolución del partido en poder, el Partido Janata, Indira y el Partido Congresista ganan las elecciones del 1980 por un margen bastante amplio. Gandhi se convierte de nuevo en Primera Ministro mientras que su hijo mayor, Sanjay, a quien ella quería como su sucesor, gana un escaño en el Lok Sabha. Ese mismo año, Sanjay Gandhi muere en un accidente de aviación. Indira entonces prepara a su hijo menor, Rajiv como futuro líder del partido. En 1983 es nombrada presidenta de los países no alineados.
En los años 80, se empezaron a suscitar nuevos problemas en India ya que varios estados comenzaron a reclamar autonomía respecto al gobierno central del país. En junio de 1984, en respuesta a las actuaciones de los extremistas Sikh en el Punjab, Gandhi ordena al ejército a atacar el Templo Dorado de Amritsar, el santuario sagrado de los Sikh, y mueren más de 450 personas. El 31 de octubre de 1984, Gandhi es asesinada por los disparos de dos de sus miembros de seguridad personal, también sikhs, en su jardín de Nueva Delhi, en represalia por la masacre de Amristar. Tras de su muerte, su hijo Rajiv fue nombrado Primer Ministro y líder del Partido del Congreso, desempeñando este cargo hasta que su partido perdió las elecciones nacionales en el 1989. Fue asesinado 18 meses después en el sur de la India.
Prime minister of India. Born on November 19, 1917 in Allahabad. It was the only child of Jawaharlal Nehru, who later became prime minister of independent India. After studying at Visva Bharati University in Bengal and the University of Oxford in England, in 1938 joined the Congress Party involved in the movement for independence from India. In 1942 she married Feroze Gandhi, lawyer Parsi member of the same party. Both were arrested by the British on charges of subversion and spent thirteen months in prison ... Five years later, in 1947, his father Nehru became Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and became adviser on national issues and accompanied him on some trips abroad.
Indira Gandhi joined the executive committee of the Congress Party in 1955 and was elected party chairman in 1959. In 1962, during the war of Sino-Indian border, coordinated the activities of civil defense. Upon the death of his father in May 1964, was appointed minister of Information and Broadcasting in the government of Lal Bahadur Shastri. Upon the death of Shastri unexpectedly two years later, Gandhi becomes head of the Congress Party and First Minister.
After facing a myriad of challenges from the right wing of the party branch, headed by Morari Desai, Gandhi won reelection in 1967 by a minimum margin of votes and was forced to appoint a deputy prime minister Desai. During the next four years, consolidated its electoral support and won a decisive victory in 1971, beating out a monolithic conservative coalition. Later that same year, Gandhi gave him military force from India to East Bengal in their attempt to rid itself of the atrocities that the dominance exercised by Pakistan on this territory, and that resulted in the creation of the independent state of Bangladesh.
In national elections in 1972, Gandhi and her party back to win. But soon after, her Socialist opponent, accused her of violating election laws and the court sentenced top of Allahabad against him in 1975, threatening to ban their participation in politics for the next six years. In response, Gandhi declared a nationwide state of emergency, jailing several of his opponents and enacting a fair amount of laws that really were not very well received among the population, as large-scale sterilization as a means for birth control nationally. The Supreme Court dropped the charges weighing against her, but the state of emergency continued. In the 1977 national elections to take place, Gandhi and the Congress Party were defeated and it took her to be jailed briefly on charges of official corruption.
During the next three years, Gandhi built her base of support with a fraction of the Congress Party who called Congress Party which provided her regain her seat in the Parliament in 1978. Following the dissolution of the party in power, the Janata Party, Indira and the Congress Party won the elections of 1980 by a fairly wide margin. Gandhi became Prime Minister again while her eldest son, Sanjay, whom she wanted as her successor, won a seat in the Lok Sabha. That same year, Sanjay Gandhi died in a plane crash. Indira then prepares her younger son, Rajiv as a future party leader. In 1983 she was named president of the non-aligned countries.
In the 80s, began to raise new problems in India since several states began to demand autonomy to the central government of the country. In June 1984, in response to actions by Sikh extremists in Punjab, Gandhi ordered the army to attack the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the holiest of Sikh shrine, and killed over 450 people. On October 31st 1984, Gandhi was killed by gunfire from two members of security personnel, including Sikhs, in her garden in New Delhi in retaliation for the slaughter of Amristar. After her death, her son Rajiv was appointed Prime Minister and leader of the Congress Party, playing that position until his party lost national elections in 1989. He was killed 18 months later in southern India.
Indira Gandhi joined the executive committee of the Congress Party in 1955 and was elected party chairman in 1959. In 1962, during the war of Sino-Indian border, coordinated the activities of civil defense. Upon the death of his father in May 1964, was appointed minister of Information and Broadcasting in the government of Lal Bahadur Shastri. Upon the death of Shastri unexpectedly two years later, Gandhi becomes head of the Congress Party and First Minister.
After facing a myriad of challenges from the right wing of the party branch, headed by Morari Desai, Gandhi won reelection in 1967 by a minimum margin of votes and was forced to appoint a deputy prime minister Desai. During the next four years, consolidated its electoral support and won a decisive victory in 1971, beating out a monolithic conservative coalition. Later that same year, Gandhi gave him military force from India to East Bengal in their attempt to rid itself of the atrocities that the dominance exercised by Pakistan on this territory, and that resulted in the creation of the independent state of Bangladesh.
In national elections in 1972, Gandhi and her party back to win. But soon after, her Socialist opponent, accused her of violating election laws and the court sentenced top of Allahabad against him in 1975, threatening to ban their participation in politics for the next six years. In response, Gandhi declared a nationwide state of emergency, jailing several of his opponents and enacting a fair amount of laws that really were not very well received among the population, as large-scale sterilization as a means for birth control nationally. The Supreme Court dropped the charges weighing against her, but the state of emergency continued. In the 1977 national elections to take place, Gandhi and the Congress Party were defeated and it took her to be jailed briefly on charges of official corruption.
During the next three years, Gandhi built her base of support with a fraction of the Congress Party who called Congress Party which provided her regain her seat in the Parliament in 1978. Following the dissolution of the party in power, the Janata Party, Indira and the Congress Party won the elections of 1980 by a fairly wide margin. Gandhi became Prime Minister again while her eldest son, Sanjay, whom she wanted as her successor, won a seat in the Lok Sabha. That same year, Sanjay Gandhi died in a plane crash. Indira then prepares her younger son, Rajiv as a future party leader. In 1983 she was named president of the non-aligned countries.
In the 80s, began to raise new problems in India since several states began to demand autonomy to the central government of the country. In June 1984, in response to actions by Sikh extremists in Punjab, Gandhi ordered the army to attack the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the holiest of Sikh shrine, and killed over 450 people. On October 31st 1984, Gandhi was killed by gunfire from two members of security personnel, including Sikhs, in her garden in New Delhi in retaliation for the slaughter of Amristar. After her death, her son Rajiv was appointed Prime Minister and leader of the Congress Party, playing that position until his party lost national elections in 1989. He was killed 18 months later in southern India.
