Indira Gandhi

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"I don't mind if my life goes in the service of the nation. If I die today every drop of my blood will invigorate the nation"

Indira Gandhi, the night before she was assassinated, October 30, 1984.

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One of the most famous women in 20th century politics. India's first female Prime Minister, holding office for fifteen years, from 1966 to 1977 and from 1980 to 1984. Destined for politics, her grandfather, Motilal Nehru, was a prominent Indian nationalist leader. Her father, Jawaharlal Nehru, was a pivotal figure in the independence movement and the first Prime Minister of Independent India.

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She led with a strong hand, ordering the storming of the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine of the Sikh religion.  A mistake she paid for with her life when her 2 Sikh bodyguards assassinated her on October 31, 1984. She was succeeded by her son, Rajiv Gandhi.

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“I will miss Mrs Indira Gandhi very much indeed.”

Margaret Thatcher, British Prime Minister

Photo: Dutch National Archives/Wikimedia • Licensed for reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 nl