Indira Gandhi
Mrs. Indira Gandhi was the lady of rare qualities. She was the beloved leader of the people of India. To see her was to love her. Her grand personality had influenced the whole world. After realizing their mistake of rejecting her in 1977, the people had placed the country in her hand in 1980.
Mrs. Indira Gandhi took over charge at a difficult period. The country was passing through a period of economic crisis. Law and order situation was very bad.
In the International field India was nowhere. Now Mrs. Indira Gandhi being a woman of rare intelligence had tackled things in an excellent way.
Indira Gandhi proved herself the worthy daughter of a worthy father. She was a born political. She belonged to a family that sacrificed itself for India’s freedom.
In the absence of her mother and busy life of her father she passed a very difficult time. In her early age she jumped into politics.
Soon she became the active member of the Indian National Congress. In 1942 she was arrested for taking part in Quit India Movement. She successfully organized the women’s wing in the All India Congress.
In 1959, she was elected President of the Indian National Congress. In 1964 when Lal Bahadur Shastri became the Prime Minister she was appointed Minister of Information and Broadcasting.
As a minister she did her duty with great intelligence. In 1966 she was elected the first women Prime Minister of the country.
She continued to hold this great office for 17 years. During her period of reign she led the country to a place of honor in the nation. It was under her leadership in 1971 that India gave crushing defeat to Pakistan.
She broke her back for ever. Her bold decision in bank nationalization and the abolition of prevy purses won her universal esteem. These two steps made her champion of the poor.
In June 1975 she received a great shock by the Judgment of Justice Sinha who declared her election invalid.
The opposition parties revolted. In order to put all opposition down she declared a state of Internal Emergency. This brought her defeat when election was held in 1977.
The Janata Party won the election. She was in hot water for the period of two and half years. She did not loss her heart. She began to regain her lost popularity day by day.
In the mid-term poll, held in January 1980 she won back her lost position. Now she worked successfully.
She had great laterality to face every challenge. The demand of `Khalistan’ and terrorism which spread out whole of the Punjab since the beginning of 1984 made her restless. These two things turned the Golden temple into fortress.
The Akalis presented a great challenge to Mrs. Indira Gandhi as Prime Minister. In the end she performed her duty as the custodian of the country’s unity.
She had ordered the army to enter into Golden temple. It freed the temple complex of terrorist. She immediately started the ‘healing touch’ to Punjab. She withdrew army from the temple. She gave its charge to the head priests.
On the black Wednesday morning of 31st October, 1984 at 9:18 am the Mother of Nation, Mrs. Indira Gandhi was assassinated at her residence.
Two of her own security guards named sub-inspector Beant Singh and Constable Satwant Singh of Delhi police pierced her body with 16 bullets. These unfaithful guards had sworn to protect her from all harm. She took her last breath after a few hours.
Her death proved the worth of the words lettered by her grandfather Moti Lal Nehru at her birth. He said to her wife “For all you know, this daughter of Jawaher’s may prove better than a thousand sons.”
