Top 10 best facts about Indira Gandhi


 

Born as Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi on 19th November 1917, Indira Gandhi was an Indian politician and a central figure of the Indian National Congress.

1. Indira Gandhi was the only female prime minister in India

Indira Gandhi, 1966- Source; Library of Congress- Wikimedia

Indira was the 3rd prime minister of India and also the first and, to date, the only female prime minister of India.

She served as prime minister from January 1966 to March 1977 and again from January 1980 until her assassination in October 1984, making her the second longest-serving Indian prime minister after her father.

2. Got into politics at a very young age

Indira in 1940- Author; Unknown- Wikimedia

Being the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi’s life steered towards politics at quite an early age.

Her father was a leader in the fight for India’s independence from British rule, so it was only natural for Indira to become a supporter of this struggle.

3. Led children in Vanar Sena at only 12 years old

Young Indira Gandhi- Author; Yagniks- Wikimedia

When she was just 12 years old, Indira played an even bigger role in India’s struggle for self-determination by leading children in the Vanar Sena (means Monkey Brigade. Was inspired by the monkey army that aided Lord Rama in the epic Ramayana).

The group grew to include 60,000 young revolutionaries who addressed envelopes, made flags, conveyed messages and even put up notices about demonstrations.

It was quite a risky undertaking, but Indira was happy to be participating in the independence movement.

4. Indira got a very good education

Image by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay

Indira was taught by tutors at home and she didn’t really attend school regularly. She attended Modern Schools in Delhi, St Cecilia’s and St Mary’s Christian convent schools in Allahabad, the International School of Geneva, the Ecole Nouvelle in Bex, the Pupils’ Own School in Poona and Bombay, Vishwa Bharati in Santiniketan.

She left Vishwa Bharti to attend her mother in Europe who was ailing. She continued her education at the University of Oxford.

After the death of her mother, she attended the Badminton School and then enrolled at  Somerville College in 1937 to study History. 

5. She served her father unofficially at one time

Indira with her father, Nehru- Author; Unknown- Wikimedia

After her marriage in 1942, Indira Gandhi served her father and the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru unofficially.

In the late 1950s, she serves as the President of the Indian National Congress. In 1964, Jawaharlal Nehru died and she was appointed as a Rajya Sabha member.

She served as the Minister of Information and Broadcasting under the then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. 

6. Was awarded Bharat Ratna

Bharat Ratna Award- Author; GaneshBhakt- Wikimedia

Indira Gandhi after winning the 1971 elections, served as the PM again. In 1971, despite facing pressure from America, Indira Gandhi defeated Pakistan in the Indo-Pakistan War and led to the liberation of East Pakistan into independent Bangladesh.

After the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971, the then President, V. V. Giri awarded her with India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna. Opposition leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee hailed her as ‘Goddess Durga’.  

7. Indira is famously known as the iron lady of India

Indira in 1977- Author; Unknown- Wikimedia

Indira Gandhi is famously known as the iron lady of India because of her strong standing in decisions that would affect India’s politics. Her no-nonsense attitude gave her that title.
 
Additionally, she was termed ‘goddess’ by several political leaders. BJP veteran and former Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, once described her as the all-powerful “Goddess Durga” in one of his interviews.

8. She went to war in support of the independence movement

Indira went to war with Pakistan in support of the independence movement and war of independence in East Pakistan, which ultimately resulted in an Indian victory and the creation of Bangladesh.

9. She got back to power despite her imprisonment

She was briefly imprisoned in 1977 on charges of official corruption. Despite those setbacks, however, she won a new seat in the Lok Sabha in November 1978, and her Congress party began to gather strength.

Disagreements within the ruling of Janata Party led to the fall of its government in August 1979. When new elections for the Lok Sabha were held in January 1980, Gandhi and Congress were swept back into power in a landslide victory.

10. She was a humanitarian at one point

Social work (indira gandhi)- Author; Lha Social Work- Wikimedia

When her father became Prime Minister in 1947, Indira took charge of offering aid to the riot-affected areas of North India and volunteered to assist victims facing the ramifications of the ill-planned partition.
 
Indira Gandhi also repeatedly chipped in as her father’s informal hostess, learning to steer affairs of diplomacy with some of the great leaders of the world.
 
 

Indira Gandhi managed to leave quite an impression by becoming the first and the only woman prime minister India ever had.

Planning a trip to Paris ? Get ready !

These are Amazon’s best-selling travel products that you may need for coming to Paris.

Bookstore

  1. The best travel book : Rick Steves – Paris 2023 – Learn more here
  2. Fodor’s Paris 2024 – Learn more here

Travel Gear

  1. Venture Pal Lightweight Backpack – Learn more here
  2. Samsonite Winfield 2 28″ Luggage – Learn more here
  3. Swig Savvy’s Stainless Steel Insulated Water Bottle – Learn more here

Check Amazon’s best-seller list for the most popular travel accessories. We sometimes read this list just to find out what new travel products people are buying.