Janet Jackson

Indra Nooyi

One of the most tenacious and influential political leaders of her time, India `s first woman Prime Minister Indira Priyadarshini Nehru was born in Allahabad, the only child of Kamla and Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964) who was the India `s first Prime Minister. She spent part of her childhood in Allahabad , where the Nehru` s had their family residence and part in Switzerland  where her mother Kamala recovered from her periodic illnesses and were estrange to the Nehru household ,

In her years in continental Europe and the UK, she met Feroze Gandhi, a young  Parsee Congress activist whom she married in 1942 , just before the beginning of the Quit India Movement , the revolt started by Mahatma Gandhi and the Congress party.. . The couple was arrested and detained for several months for their involvement in the movement. The  couple was imprisoned for 13 months for their support of the nationalist movement .They had two sons Rajiv and Sanjay who was two years younger. 

Growing up as Indira Gandhi had known most of the leaders of the nationalist struggle for freedom , including Mohandas “Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) .After Britain granted independence to India in 1947 , she served as her father `s hostess and confidant for 18 yrs until his death in 1964. Throughout this time she was active in numerous social and political organizations , serving as chairperson of the Central Social Welfare Board (1953-1957) and President of the All India Youth Congress (1956-1960) and was a member of the Congress Working Committee and the Central Election Committee . When her father died , she was elected to his seat in Parliament . 

 In 1964, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri appointed her Minister of Information and Broadcasting .When he died two years later, she was elected leader of the Congress party become India` s third Prime Minister . After party members opposed to her policies spilt the party , Gandhi called a general election in 1971, tireless touring the country to gain public support and was elected by a huge margin.

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