On October 31st, 1984, India lost a monumental personality, Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi. She is the only woman who has served as Prime Minister of India, and that too for three terms. Her existence is like a big tree whose branches symbolise the era of women, unity, socialism, and autocracy in India—popularly known as the Iron Lady of India, Indira Gandhi's life reads like an epic tale of her indomitable courage, unwavering conviction, and turbulent controversies. The political debate and social matters in India are influenced by her complex legacy to this day.
She held the post of the Prime Minister of India from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 until her assassination in 1984. Thus, a series of events still in discourse among people marked her time in power, and they remain deeply divided in public opinion. Those days were initially crowned by a triumphant 1971 war, which led to the emergence of Bangladesh, until later, when the infamous Emergency was implemented. In addition to the political highs and lows, Indira Gandhi embodied power and resistance as she courageously took on the male-dominated political arena. While her idea of self-reliant and modern India was strongly supported or opposed, it cannot be denied that it has become the bedrock for most of the future developments in the country. The annual commemoration of her death anniversary is a significant moment; it is a call to review the impact of her leadership on the Indian subcontinent, apart from her memory.
Early Life and Rise to Leadership
Indira Gandhi was born on November 19, 1917, in Allahabad (now Prayagraj), to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, and Kamala Nehru. Being raised in the center of the Indian freedom movement, she learned politics, nationalism, and public life duties from an early age.
Her education at Visva-Bharati University in Shantiniketan and later at Oxford University in England made her a firm believer in her father's vision of a modern, secular India. However, she had a very different character from Nehru- more aggressive, realistic, and instinctive in politics.
She began her political career alongside her father and gained firsthand experience in politics and diplomacy. After Nehru died in 1964 and the short-lived Lal Bahadur Shastri's administration, Indira Gandhi was elected the Prime Minister of India in 1966. At the time, very few people believed that she would make history as one of the most influential and powerful leaders in India.
Transforming India: Key Policies and Achievements
Indira Gandhi was both a daring reformer and a leader who faced severe challenges during her rule. Her period in office was a testament to her relentless desire to invigorate India's unity, make the country self-sufficient, and improve its global status.
The Green Revolution
The Green Revolution program that made India food self-sufficient was one of the most long-lasting legacies of Indira Gandhi, which started in the late 1960s. Collaboration with the likes of M.S. Swaminathan led her government to introduce the high-yield seed varieties, modern irrigation practices, and better fertilizers. These initiatives not only reversed India's status as a food-deficient nation dependent on external sources but also stabilized the agricultural sector. This led to the reinforcement of India’s agriculture and a stable future for millions of farmers across the nation.
Nationalization of Banks
In 1969, one of the most significant and divisive moves by Indira Gandhi was the nationalization of 14 big, privately owned banks. Within her plan, banking was to be made easily available to the rural poor and small industries, and credits were to be given more to agriculture and the social sector, rather than those for corporate profits. Economic elites objected to the move, but it eventually restructured the country's financial system and paved the way for empowering growth by means of the grassroots.
Social Welfare and Garibi Hatao
“Garibi Hatao” (Remove Poverty), the famous slogan of the Indian leader Indira Gandhi, was a central point of her 1971 election campaign. It was intended to give top priority to rural India by means of providing better housing, education, and employment opportunities for the poor sections of the villages and towns of India. The implementation of her leadership saw the launch of many welfare schemes that addressed rural poverty and social injustice, promoting her image as a leader of and for the people.
The 1971 Indo-Pak War and the Birth of Bangladesh
Her greatest achievement was probably the year 1971, when India, under her leadership, was the main power to offer a successful resistance to the military junta of East Pakistan, and in doing so, the independence of Bangladesh was accomplished. The support, both humanitarian and military, provided by her administration during the crisis manifested her sharp political insight and strength in protecting India's moral and strategic interests. Besides altering the geopolitics of South Asia, the triumph also propelled her to the league of the world's most outstanding leaders.
Advancing India’s Scientific and Nuclear Capabilities
According to Gandhi, independence in the political sphere alone would hardly be complete without India also becoming self-reliant in technology and defense. The first atomic bomb tested in India, carried out in 1974 at Pokhran and named Smiling Buddha, was done under her orders. This made India a nuclear power for the first time after the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and the only country in the developing world to do so at the time. With her encouragement, India also started ambitious space programs that involved ISRO's founding and development, which would later be known as the world's advances in the field of technology made by India.
The Emergency and Political Controversy
The time of Indira Gandhi's reign was met with some unpleasant truths as well. The Emergency period (the years 1975–1977) is singled out as one of the most debatable moments in the history of India’s democracy. The emergency lasted as a reaction to the political unrest and the challenge to her leadership. Among the steps taken during this period were the abolishment of civil rights, control over the press, and the arrest of the leaders of the opposition.
Whereas her supporters considered it to be a necessary step for reestablishing order and stability, opponents accused it of being a dictatorial and undemocratic act. The event not only damaged her image as a democratic leader but also resulted in her losing the elections held in 1977. However, her amazing political revival in 1980, after the disappointment of the people with the opposition coalition, was yet another proof of her toughness and of the fact that she was deeply connected to the masses.
Personal Strength and Vision
Known for her intellectual prowess, Indira Gandhi was also very simple and an unwavering patriot of her motherland. She defined India not just as a country but as a living civilization that should change and, at the same time, keep its core untouched. Her effectiveness in winning the respect of both the great powers and the other third-world countries was a clear demonstration of her diplomatic skill and lucidity of aim.
Indira Gandhi, as a female leader of one of the world's largest democracies, was a source of motivation to women everywhere. Her exit through the door has changed the rules of leadership in the male-dominated world of politics, thereby becoming an example of drive and decision-making power.
Assassination and Legacy
Among the aftermaths of Operation Blue Star, on 31 October 1984, her two Sikh bodyguards shot and killed Indira Gandhi at her residence in New Delhi. Her death made the whole country mourn for days in a row, thronged with nefarious incidents, and followed by widespread communal riot. Her legacy remains deeply ingrained in India's story — a blend of stellar accomplishments and disputed decisions — even decades later. She was a leader who loved India with intense passion and thus was ready to take risks and make sacrifices for what she believed was in the best interest of the country.
Arsalan Khan is a student pursuing Electrical Engineering at Jamia Millia Islamia
Edited by: Omama Abu Talha
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of The Jamia Review or its members.
