INDIA - Famous People

An Indian president

   Indira Gandhi was born   
 on November 19th, 1917 in   
 Allahabad in the British 
 collony and  died
 on October 31st, 1984 at 
 the age of 66 in New Delhi
 She was of Indian  nationality.         
         Indira Gandhi was in her 

youth a spectator and some

times actress of some of the most famous episodes of the 

struggle for independence of India. Her early years were 

also marked by long stays abroad especially in 

Switzerland for the illness of her mother Kamala. 

She had frequent travels, but also  several stays in 

prison. She was married to Feroze Gandhi and had two 

children: Rajiv and Sanjay Gandhi later Rajiv Gandhi 

became president. When India gained independence, Nehru

 became head of government. At his side, Indira Gandhi 

gradually assumed responsibilities of state. She 

actively participated in the congress and was asked to 

take the Information ministry charge in 1964 at the 

death of her father. Two years later, after the 

untimely death of Lal Bahadur Shastri, the Prime 

Minister office was again vacant. Indira was the 

candidate who won the consensus against her rivals. 

Indira took part to the movement "Quit India" launched 

by Nehru on August 8th, 1942. The next day she was 

arrested and imprisoned and was freed eight months 

later. The end of the war marked the beginning of the 

Indian independence process. Nehru moved to Delhi, 

first as Vice-President of the Executive Board and then

 as Prime Minister on the 15th of August 1947, 

Independence Day in India. Indira, who lived in Lucknow,

 frequently visited her father that she helped settle, 

initially in a house of York Road and then after 

independence, in a house which would become the Teen 

Murti, the official residence of the head of 

gouvernement. The personal practice of power of Indira 

Gandhi and the accumulation of difficulties caused from

 1973 a developing challenge which crystallized around 

the Gandhian veteran Jayeprakash Narayan. The latter, 

supported by the opposition leaders, organized large 

protest rallies. It is in this context that on the 12th 

of June 1975 took place the invalidation of the 

election of Indira Gandhi in the Lok Sabha for electoral

irregularities. This judgment should compelled her to 

resignation, which prompted her to proclaim the state 

of emergency. Using Article 352 of the constitution, 

Indira Gandhi took dictatorial powers and performed a 

massive reduction in civil liberties, already initiated

 by the Law on prevention of illegal activities in 

December 1967. The leaders of rival parties were 

imprisoned and the electricity supply was interrupted 

in press offices and television stations.

Jimmy & Loick