Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi - Biography.

Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi - Biography. Prime Minister of India Birth November 19, 1917 Death October 31, 1984 Place of Allahabad, India Birth Political Congress, New Congress, Congress (I) Party Terms 1966-1977 1980-1984 Known for Sending Indian troops to help Bangladesh win its independence from Pakistan Introducing economic reforms; advancing population control; and continuing the legacy of socialism and nonalignment of her father, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, though sometimes resorting to authoritarian rule Milestones 1938 Joined the Indian National Congress 1947-1964 Acted as the political confidante of her father, Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India 1955 Joined the Working Committee, the highest authority in the Indian National Congress 1959 Became president of the Indian National Congress 1969 Formed the New Congress Party after splitting with conservative Congress members and embracing socialist policies 1971 Sent troops to support the independence of Bangladesh from Pakistan, and subsequently worked to improve relations with Pakistan 1975 Convicted of minor election fraud in the 1971 election; declared a state of emergency during which she suspended civil rights and imprisoned opposition leaders 1977 Lost her seat in parliament to the Janata Party in a free election 1980 Regained power as the leader of the Congress (I) (for Indira) Party after Prime Minister Desai and his Janata Party failed to effectively address economic difficulties and a major drought in India 1984 Ordered the military to end the occupation by Sikh separatists of the Golden Temple at Amritsar; the resulting massacre was avenged later in the year when Gandhi was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards Quote 'I would say our greatest achievement is to have survived as a free and democratic nation.' Did You Indira Gandhi gained her surname by marriage to Feroze Gandhi, who was not related to Indian nationalist Mohandas Gandhi. Know Gandhi's son Rajiv trained as a pilot, but became her successor as prime minister after her assassination in 1984. As a child, Gandhi's nationalist sentiments were inspired by a book about Joan of Arc, which she found in her father's library. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.