Indira Gandhi

Indira Gandhi was India’s prime minister from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 until her assassination in 1984. Her governments centralized political power and shaped India’s role in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.

The Emergency (India): A period of suspended civil liberties and rule by decree in India from June 1975 to March 1977. Gandhi declared it in 1975, and its abuses became the defining controversy of her first premiership.
Prime Minister of India: The head of government of India, appointed from the political party or coalition able to command a parliamentary majority. Gandhi used the office to direct cabinet policy and consolidate authority within the central government.
Jawaharlal Nehru: India’s first prime minister, serving from independence in 1947 until his death in 1964. As her father and a leading nationalist, Nehru shaped Gandhi’s political environment and public profile.
1971 Indian general election: The Indian parliamentary election in which Indira Gandhi’s Congress faction won a large majority. The victory strengthened Gandhi’s authority after her break with the old Congress leadership.
Morarji Desai: An Indian independence activist and politician who served as prime minister from 1977 to 1979. Desai led the government that replaced Gandhi after voters rejected her Emergency rule.
Bangladesh Liberation War: The 1971 conflict that ended Pakistani rule in East Pakistan and established Bangladesh as an independent state. Gandhi’s government supported Bengali resistance and intervened militarily against Pakistan.
Article 352 of the Constitution of India: A constitutional provision allowing India’s president to proclaim a national emergency under specified conditions. Gandhi relied on this provision to proclaim the Emergency in 1975.
Kamala Nehru: An Indian independence activist and wife of Jawaharlal Nehru, remembered for political work and social service. Gandhi’s mother connected her childhood to the nationalist movement and its domestic networks.
1971 Indo-Pakistani War: A war between India and Pakistan that ended with Pakistan’s surrender in East Pakistan and the creation of Bangladesh. Gandhi’s decision to intervene produced a major military and diplomatic victory for India.
Jayaprakash Narayan: An Indian independence activist and political leader who led opposition to Indira Gandhi’s government in the 1970s. His movement challenged Gandhi’s centralization and helped mobilize resistance before the Emergency.

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