The White & Dark Side of Indira Gandhi's Political Career: Death Anniversary

Indira Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India, had a complex and controversial political career. Her death anniversary, which is observed on October 31st, is an occasion to reflect on both the positive and negative aspects of her time in office.

Indira Gandhi was the first woman to become the Prime Minister of India. Her time in politics had both achievements and controversies. On the anniversary of her death, it's a good time to think about both the good and bad things she left behind.

Good things about her political career:

Leadership During National Crises: Indira Gandhi showed strong leadership during important times in India's history, like the Bangladesh Liberation War. She supported the formation of Bangladesh in 1971.

Gained Support from the Poor: She started different programs to help reduce poverty, develop rural areas, and empower people. Some of these programs included making banks owned by the government and starting the Green Revolution, which improved farming.

Strong International Presence: Indira Gandhi had a strong impact on the world and was an important part of the Non-Aligned Movement. She helped India become a respected voice in global affairs.

Drawbacks of her Political Career:

Authoritarian Tendencies: When she was in power, particularly during the Emergency period from 1975 to 1977, she made some decisions that limited people's freedoms. She declared a state of emergency, which meant that civil liberties were suspended, the media was censored, and political opponents were put in prison. Many people strongly disapproved of this action because they believed it was an unfair use of authority.

Centralization of Power: People criticized her for gathering too much power in the Prime Minister's Office and for weakening democratic institutions. This raised concerns about democratic principles.

Operation Blue Star: Operation Blue Star was a military operation that happened in 1984. The purpose of the operation was to find and capture militants who were hiding inside the Golden Temple in Amritsar. However, this operation caused a lot of deaths and damage to the temple. As a result, many Sikhs were very upset and criticized the decision to carry out the operation.

Indira Gandhi's impact is a mix of good and bad things. She is well-known for being a strong leader and for taking actions that helped the country. However, some people criticize her for being too controlling and making choices that caused disagreement and unrest in society. It's important to think about her entire political career and the impact it had on India on the anniversary of her death.