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Indira Gandhi

DATES November 19, 1917 - 1984

ABOUT HER
Indira Gandhi, née Nehru, became the first female prime minister of India (1966-1977; 1980-1984). Born to Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India, Indira joined the National Congress party in 1938 and became active in India's independence movement. She was arrested by the British on charges of subversion and spent 13 months in prison.

In 1955 she was elected to the executive body of the Congress party. In 1959 she became president of the party for one year. In 1962, during the Chinese-Indian border war, she coordinated civil defense activities. Gandhi became minister of information and broadcasting in Lal Bahadur Shastri's government. As minister she extended broadcasting time, liberalized censorship policies, and approved a television education project in family planning.

She led her party to a landslide victory in the national elections of 1971 and achieved considerable reknown for her work as a leader of developing countries. She could not, however, stop the violence in india. After she had moved vigorously to suppress Sikh insurgents, she was shot to death by Sikh members of her security guard.

AWARDS/HONORS

• First female prime minister of India (1966-1977; 1980-1984)
• President of the Indian Congress Party (1959-1960)
• Minister of Information and Broadcasting

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