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Early Years
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi, born November 19, 1917, in Allahabad, was the daughter of future Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Growing up amid India's independence movement, her childhood home welcomed leaders like Mahatma Gandhi. Her education spanned schools in India, Switzerland, and briefly Oxford University. Her mother Kamala's prolonged illness and death from tuberculosis in 1936 significantly impacted her formative years. -
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Political Awakening
Indira joined the Indian National Congress in 1938. She married Feroze Gandhi in 1942, and they had two sons, Rajiv and Sanjay. After India's independence in 1947, she balanced motherhood with politics, often serving as hostess for her father, Prime Minister Nehru. Following Nehru's death in 1964, she became Minister of Information and Broadcasting in Lal Bahadur Shastri's government. -
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Rise to Power
Throughout the 1950s, Indira Gandhi's political profile grew steadily. In 1959, she became President of the Indian National Congress. Following Prime Minister Shastri's death in 1966, she was elected India's first female Prime Minister. Though initially underestimated as a "dumb doll" by opponents who expected to manipulate her, she quickly proved herself a formidable and independent leader. -
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First Term as Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi's first term was transformative. She launched the Green Revolution to combat food shortages by introducing modern farming methods and high-yield seeds. In 1969, she nationalized 14 major banks, strengthening government control over finance. After splitting from Congress Party veterans to form Congress (R), she led India to victory in the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, facilitating Bangladesh's creation. -
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Height of Power
Indira Gandhi's 1971 landslide victory with "Garibi Hatao" marked her power peak. She implemented progressive reforms and oversaw India's first nuclear test in 1974. However, economic challenges from the global oil crisis, inflation, and unemployment diminished her popularity. Growing political opposition culminated in an Allahabad High Court ruling that found her guilty of electoral malpractice from her 1971 campaign. -
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The Emergency
The 1975-77 Emergency, declared by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi following a court ruling against her, suspended civil liberties, imposed press censorship, and enabled mass arrests of opponents. Her son Sanjay wielded unofficial but significant power, implementing controversial policies including forced sterilizations. With constitutional amendments consolidating her authority, this 21-month period stands as one of the most controversial chapters in India's democratic history. -
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Electoral Defeat and Return
After imposing the Emergency in 1975, Indira Gandhi unexpectedly called elections in 1977, only to be voted out as Indians rejected the Emergency's harsh measures. The Janata Party coalition took power, marking Congress's first defeat since independence. Though briefly arrested on corruption charges, Indira formed Congress (I) in 1978. By 1980, with public disenchantment toward the Janata government, she staged a remarkable comeback, returning as Prime Minister. -
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Final Years and Assassination
Indira Gandhi's final term (1980-1984) was fraught with challenges. Her son Sanjay's death in a plane crash devastated her personally and created succession issues, prompting her other son Rajiv to enter politics. She faced growing separatist movements, particularly in Punjab. Her controversial decision to storm the Golden Temple in Operation Blue Star angered the Sikh community. On October 31, 1984, she was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards in retaliation.