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Today marks the death anniversary of India’s only female Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, also known as the Iron Lady of India.
Belonging from a revolutionary family, she was the only child of independent India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and her mother, Kamala Nehru, was also a freedom fighter and member of the Indian National Congress.
Gandhi was a revolutionary leader in herself and brought many revolutionary changes during her tenure as the Prime Minister of India and bringing the country back to the highs from its lows.
Gandhi served as the prime minister from January 1966 to March 1977. She swept back to power in January 1980 and remained the PM until her death in 1984.
Her reforms changed the dynamics of the country and lead to its development. She introduced reforms such as the nationalisation of banks and also the abolition of privy purses of the royal families among others.
In 1975, Gandhi was convicted of an election offence which resulted in her being barred from politics for six years. She refused to step down from her post as the prime minister, resulting in massive protests and unrest in the country.
She led the India-Pakistan war of 1971 and helped in the Liberation of Bangladesh. After the Bangladesh Liberation War, she was awarded India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna.
There was also famine and food shortage in the country but Gandhi brought a green revolution which helped India become self-sufficient in food grains.
In 1984, Gandhi ordered the army to take over the Golden Temple in Amritsar under Operation Blue Star. The Harmandir Sahib was then under the control of extremists led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who wanted an independent state for Sikhs. Operation Blue Star resulted in bloodshed and offended the Sikh community.
As a retaliation for the military action at the Golden Temple as part of Operation Blue Star, the former Prime Minister on 31st October was assassinated by two of her bodyguards who fired 31 bullets at her.