Indira Gandhi

Meena Agrawal

• Publisher: Diamond Books
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9789350830086
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Political Biographies
• Index: Politics & International Relations

"I will feel privileged even if I die for my country, I have firm belief that every drop of my blood will make my country strong and progressive". These were the last words of Indira Gandhi. Our beloved Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who ruled our hearts for seventeen years, had sacrificed her life for the unity and integrity of the nation. The country progressed in all fields under her leadership and she hoisted the nation's prestige and fame in the global reckoning. Full of ups and downs, her life was a saga of struggle. She faced difficulties with dedication and fortitude. Today's generation can certainly derive inspiration from her philosophy of life.

1

INDIRA’S BIRTH

Those were the initial years of the 20^th century and the whole world was going through major changes. In such a volatile period, Indira Gandhi was born on 19 November 1917 in Anand Bhavan at Allahabad.

The Nehru family used to stay in Anand Bhavan.

The Nehru family has a unique history of struggle and achievement.

The year was 1857, which was a time of change not only for India but the entire world. In those days, on the banks of a stream in Delhi lived a family, which had come from the valley of Kashmir and had settled there. At that time, the head of the Nehru family was Gangadhar Nehru, who was the ‘kotwal’ of Delhi. The Mughal empire, which was on its last legs, controlled Delhi. Another event that took place in 1857 was the first movement for independence. Very quickly, this movement was suppressed and the oppressive activities of the white soldiers started. Gangadhar Nehru did not consider it appropriate to live in Delhi in such an atmosphere and he came and settled in Agra. They had not been long in Agra when one day, suddenly, Gangadhar Nehru died at the young age of 34. Gangadhar had two young sons on whom the burden of running the family befell. About three months after Gangadhar’s death, a third son was born in the house whom his widowed mother, Indrani, gave the name, Motilal.

This was the same Motilal with whom the destiny of India was entwined inextricably. His son, Jawaharlal Nehru, and his granddaughter and the protagonist of our book, Indira Gandhi, became the Prime Ministers of India later.

Motilal Nehru was very intelligent from his childhood and very soon he achieved success in life. When he was 36 years old, he came to Allahabad and bought Anand Bhavan and lived there for the rest of his life.

When he came to Anand Bhavan, Jawaharlal Nehru was a tiny infant. Because he was the only child, he was the favourite of the entire household. There was no shortage of money or comforts in their house; the entire family used to live comfortably like landlords. At the age of 16 years, Jawaharlal Nehru took admission in the famous school of England called Harrow.

Jawaharlal Nehru completed his studies with great dedication and returned to India as a barrister. At the time, he had crossed the doors of adolescence and reached adulthood. Motilal Nehru immediately took the decision to get him married. Jawaharlal Nehru was 27 years of age when he got married to a woman named Kamala, who belonged to a cultured family of Delhi.

Exactly 23 months after the marriage, Kamala gave birth to a beautiful girl at Anand Bhavan. The whole house resounded with the sweet cries of the baby. Jawaharlal Nehru was beside himself with joy. On hearing this news, the Nightingale of India, Sarojini Naidu, said to him - “Jawahar! The spirit of a new India has born in your house.”

Mrs Taylor was staying in Anand Bhavan in those days. On seeing the newly born baby, she said - “Aha! How beautiful, how delicate, how pure she is, just like a flower!”

Jawaharlal Nehru picked up the child in his arms and said to his wife-”Kamala, see, the child is so beautiful, like ‘Indu’. Do you know the meaning of ‘Indu’? ‘Indu’ means the Moon. Our daughter is beautiful like the moon: Indira Priyadarshini.”

At that time, nobody knew that the child would one day be known by the name of Indira Gandhi and would influence the whole world with her deeds and would give India stability and would create a new history for it.

* * *

2

CHILDHOOD

Grandfather, Motilal Nehru, had special affection for Indira. Whenever he had the time, he would pick Indira up into his lap and play with her. Like Jawahar, he wanted to give Indira a high education. So, when Indira grew up, her parents sent her abroad for studies. When Indira went abroad, Anand Bhavan fell silent. Without Indira, Motilal felt very lonely. He felt as if the ‘anand’ had gone out of Anand Bhavan. He used to remember his granddaughter all the time. Whenever he remembered little Indira’s sweet and innocent talk, he used to feel a pang in his heart. He had written to Jawaharlal Nehru in this connection - “I am always troubled by Indira’s memories. Whenever I remember her innocent talk, I feel very disturbed.”

So, Indira’s childhood was spent in a very loving atmosphere.

She had the boundless love of her grandfather, grandmother, father, and mother. There was a big lawn in Anand Bhavan. She used to play with her dolls for hours in the lawns of Anand Bhavan and do all kinds of naughty things there. The Nehru family was fully committed to the proper upbringing of Indira Gandhi and to providing her the right amount of care and affection so that in future Indira Gandhi would be able to fulfil all of life’s responsibilities fully.

On the one hand whereas Indira was busy in her games and studies, on the other hand she was also surprised to see strange kind of activities in her house. There used to be heated debates on politics in the house, the autocratic ways of the British government were discussed, there used to be talk about the struggle for independence. Many great national leaders used to come and visit the house. Sometimes, the police would make a raid at their house. Once, she saw her grandfather being arrested, and then she also saw her father, mother, and grandmother being arrested in front of her eyes.

She used to think about all this with the mind of a child, but she was not able to understand anything. But the atmosphere that she was growing in soon gave her this much knowledge that very soon she would be able to understand the story behind these activities. This inspired her to take a pledge in her heart that she would also help actively in what was going on in her house. She did not want to remain an uninvolved spectator. But, instead she wanted to take strong and practical steps and help her family and countrymen by working shoulder to shoulder with them.

Indira Gandhi was very young in age, but the activities that took place in her house and outside it left an indelible impression on her mind. Her father, Jawaharlal, had adopted a strict attitude against the British government from the time when he was in England. After completing his education as a barrister when he came to India, under the influence of the leaders of India, especially Gandhiji, he became fully opposed to the foreign rule. In the beginning, Motilal did riot like this because he believed in law and order. He wanted his son to become an able barrister like him and lead his life peacefully. But, Jawaharlal did not like all this.

At that time, there were two factions in the Congress Party, the hardliners and the moderates. Motilal Nehru was a supporter of the moderates, whereas Jawaharlal Nehru was impressed with Lokmanya Tilak of the hardliner faction, whose earth-shattering slogan was ‘‘Independence is our birthright.” The British empire was afraid of Lokmanya Tilak.

This incident relates to the time when under the Rowlatt Act, the foreign rulers had adopted an oppressive policy to suppress all opposition in the country. All the rights of the citizens had been snatched away. Gandhiji raised his voice against this and called a ‘satyagrah’ (civil disobedience movement) against this. This showed Jawaharlal Nehru the path to move forward. But Motilal did not think it was appropriate for his son to move far ahead on that path. Motilal invited Gandhiji to come to Anand Bhavan so that he could advise Jawaharlal on doing the right thing at the right time. At that time, Indira was just a little girl. She used to sit in her grandfather’s lap and look at Gandhiji’s smiling face without blinking. Gandhiji himself had a very affectionate attitude towards little Indira.

This was Gandhiji’s first visit to Anand Bhavan. He explained to Jawahar, “Don’t drag your father with you against his wishes.” After this, Gandhiji came to Anand Bhavan very often and used to infuse new life into the family by his visits. Everyone was very much influenced by his great personality.

Little Indira did not know much about the Rowlatt Act then. She was also not able to understand the advice that Gandhiji had given to Jawaharlal. But, in her later years, these things gave Indira Gandhi’s thought processes a new maturity. Rowlatt Act meant the forcible taking away of the citizens’ independence; and her father’s strong steps meant the strong opposition to such anti-people laws.

It would be wrong to accuse Indira Gandhi of dictatorship - that Indira Gandhi gained such knowledge and such insight from her childhood. It is another matter, however, that the strictness of her rule often made the people feel this way.

However, it so happened that Motilal, who was so worried about his son’s hardline approach, was so moved by a cruel incident which took place that he went two steps further than his son in opposing the foreign rule.

Little Indira was watching these important changes with her own eyes.

Gandhiji returned from Anand Bhavan and resumed his political life. There was a lot of opposition to the Rowlatt Act all around.

It was the year 1919. The imprisonments and the oppression were going on in full swing.

Then a plan was made unanimously - that on 30^th March, general strikes, meetings, and processions would be organised in the whole country as a mark of protest. The information about this was sent to all the important leaders. But, afterwards it was felt that insufficient time had been given to everyone to prepare for it, so it would not be possible for everyone to take part in this at the appointed date. Gandhiji fixed the next date as 6^th April and gave the directions to all to make the preparations for it.

But from 30^th March itself a wave of protest started from every comer of the country. In Delhi, a person going to Jama Masjid was shot dead. In Delhi, a procession was being carried out under the leadership of Swami Shraddhanand. When the Britishers pointed their rifle at him, Swamiji said in a loud voice, “Shoot, I am ready.”

When Gandhiji heard about this incident, he set off for Delhi. But, he was imprisoned at Palwal station. When the news of Gandhiji’s imprisonment reached Mumbai, a wave of anger swept the whole city. Here, violent incidents were taking place in Amritsar and Lahore as a reaction to Gandhiji’s imprisonment. Gandhiji could not go either to Delhi or Punjab.

A riot took place near Gandhiji’s Sabarmati Ashram also. Enraged with venglance, the labourers of Ahmedabad murdered a soldier. The whole of Ahmedabad was put under martial law.

The situation in Punjab was very bad.

In Amritsar, two very active politicians, Dr. Safiuddin Kichlu and Dr. Satyapal were imprisoned. These leaders were caught in a very uncivilised manner. The District Magistrate had called these two leaders to his bungalow for talks. But, after a little while, it was heard that the two leaders had been caught and sent to an unknown place. When the angry people reached the house of the Collector, the British soldiers drove them away by firing bullets. Many people were killed on the spot. The whole city was filled with anger and hatred as a result of this.

It was the time of Baisakhi festival. The enthusiasm of the people knew no bounds. All the leaders were under the close watch of the British government. Saddened by the violence,

Gandhiji suspended the agitation. But the leaderless citizens were not ready to bear the atrocities of the foreign rulers at any cost, so they took on the task of carrying forward the movement on their own shoulders.

Suddenly, they got the news that a meeting was being organised in Jallianwala Bagh. On hearing this, everyone set off for Jallianwala Bagh. The entrance to this ground was very narrow and the whole ground was surrounded by high walls. Men, women, children, and old people had gathered in the ground. Suddenly, the cruellest action of the British rule was witnessed. Without giving the people any warning, General Dyer ordered his troops to fire on the citizens who had gathered there. The people began running helter-skelter. But, the bullets of General Dyer were fired faster than they could run. Countless people were killed and countless others injured. Whatever happened at Jallianwala Bagh that day was a death dance of cruelty and beastliness.

Motilal Nehru’s heart shuddered on hearing the stories of the inhuman atrocities that were carried out that day. Till now he had been a supporter of the moderate faction of the Congress Party. He believed in the laws of that time. But, after what happened at Jallianwala Bagh, his faith in the judicial system of that time was shattered. He did not want to remain quiet and be a mute spectator to all these events. He immediately set off for Punjab. With him, he also took his son, Jawaharlal. Whatever he saw and heard at Jallianwala Bagh opened his eyes. From that day, both father and son had one and only one goal and one path-freedom of India.

When both of them returned to Anand Bhavan, their hearts were filled with sorrow. A new change could be seen in Anand Bhavan after this incident.

Little Indira was watching these changes very intently.

* * *

3

LESSON IN POLITICS

Due to his political preoccupations, Jawaharlal Nehru was not able to pay enough attention to little Indira. But, still a definite plan had been chalked in his mind about Indira. He wanted to make Indira a scholar, a farsighted and an enthusiastic person and he made efforts to accomplish this dream of his. He used to love his daughter very much. All the time, the picture of his daughter used to remain in front of his eyes. But, there was discipline also in this love. Jawaharlal Nehru wanted to raise his daughter with a mixture of love and discipline. He did not have any son. A son was born to him, but he died at birth. So, he used to consider Indira as his son and wanted to mould her according to his dreams. What Jawaharlal Nehru had dreamt of her, Indira accomplished that. She became a scholar, a farsighted and an enthusiastic person. With these three qualities as her foundation stones, Indira carved out such great achievements that her name would be remembered for centuries to come.

Indira was still young when Jawaharlal Nehru was active in the political arena. Most of his time was spent in jails. Indira reacted very strongly to these jail journeys of her father.

Although Jawaharlal had dedicated his entire life to the nation, still he had not forgotten his duty towards his daughter. Wherever possible, he would give Indira some teachings about life. Whenever he was in jail, he would try not to let Indira feel his absence. He used to write educative letters to Indira from the jail so that she would gain knowledge about the high principles of life. These letters written by Jawaharlal Nehru were not mere letters, but treasure trove of education, science, and history. These letters had a unique importance. Indira assimilated the lessons given in these letters into her life. The importance of these letters is still undiminished. These letters are collected in a book called ‘Glimpses of World History’. Besides this, they are also collected separately in a book titled ‘Letters from a Father to a Daughter’. Jawaharlal Nehru had a great love for books. He often use to give Indira books of high quality to read. On Indira’s birthday, he used to give her only books as gifts. On the New Year’s Eve in 1935, he was in jail in Almora. He sent Indira a book titled ‘Science of Living’ with the hope that after reading this, Indira would learn the art of living life in a magnificent way.

That child, who has been given the gift in childhood of witnessing a mature political atmosphere and has been given lessons in her childhood about living a life of farsightedness and determination, can never ever allow any biased feeling to come into her life.

Reading these books had a very good effect on Indira. The letters that her father wrote to her had an even better effect on her. On reading these letters, the pictures of our ancient civilization and the progress of the human beings would come before her eyes. She would feel a sense of pride and respect for the ancient civilisation of her country.

Whenever...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Foreword
• Table of Contents
• 1. Indira's Birth
• 8. As the Prime Minister
• 15. On That Wednesday…
• 16. After Her Untimely Death