Indira Gandhi (Gandhi Indira)

(1917-1984)
Born November 19, 1917 in Allahabad. Daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, first Prime Minister of India. He was educated in India and Switzerland, studied at Oxford University. Back in 1941 in India, married a lawyer, Parsa Feruza Gandhi. After independence became an official employee of my father, was responsible for the reception of foreign delegations. In 1959 was elected chairman of the ruling Indian National Congress (INC). After her husband's death in 1960 left from this post. In the years preceding his death, became a mediator between the patient by the Prime Minister and his cabinet and party functionaries. In 1964 was appointed minister of information, and in 1966, after the death of Lal Bahadur Shastri, was the leader of the INC and the Prime Minister.
In 1969, after the government nationalized the 14 largest banks in India, the conservative leaders of Congress have tried to exclude from the party of Gandhi. The party split in the ruling Congress (R) and the opposition Congress (O). Having lost its majority in parliament, Gandhi called elections a year ahead of schedule, and in March 1971, Gandhi's supporters won a victory, winning more than two-thirds.

With the deteriorating economic situation and growing internal tensions decreased and the popularity of Gandhi. In 1975, she was accused by the court in 1971 for violating the election law. In response, Gandhi imposed a state of emergency and amended the constitution, which allowed her to concentrate power in his hands. Wide public discontent emergency and the insistence of the Government to undertake a program of family planning (including forced sterilization) has led to the defeat of Gandhi in the elections 1977. In January 1978 Gandhi launched yet another split in the Congress. Congress-I (for 'Indira') succeeded in passing in the states of the elections to local legislatures, and in November, Gandhi was elected to parliament. In January 1980, after the Janata Party government collapsed, Gandhi again took the post of prime minister.

Shortly after his return to power, Gandhi suffered a grievous personal loss - in a plane crash killed her youngest son and chief political advisor Sanjay. After the death of Sanjay Gandhi, Indira's eldest son persuaded Rajiv to enter politics.

In early 1980, Indira was faced with a number of religious and ethnic conflicts. Leaders of terrorist groups, along with his supporters occupied part of the main Sikh religious shrines - the Golden Temple in Amritsar. In June 1984, Indira Gandhi had ordered army units to enter the Golden Temple. In the shootout killed about a thousand people, including leaders of terrorists. Less than five months later, 31 October 1984, Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two Sikhs from their personal protection. The posts of Prime Minister and leader of the Congress took the Rajiv Gandhi.