Leaders Honor Indira Gandhi on 108th Birth Anniversary

Tributes Pour In for Former PM Indira Gandhi at Parliament’s Central Hall

Floral Tributes to the ‘Iron Lady’

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla led the nation in paying tribute. He joined several prominent Congress leaders on Wednesday. They offered floral tributes to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The ceremony took place in Parliament’s Central Hall. It marked her 108th birth anniversary.

Top Leaders in Attendance

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge was present at the event. Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi also paid her respects. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, was among the attendees. Other dignitaries were also present. These included Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. Congress general secretary KC Venugopal was there. Rajya Sabha MP and BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla was also in attendance.

Indira Gandhi’s Enduring Legacy

Indira Gandhi was born on November 19, 1917. Her father was India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Her mother was Kamala Nehru. She remains the country’s only woman prime minister. She held office from January 1966 to March 1977. Her second term ran from January 1980 until October 1984. She was the second-longest-serving PM after her father. She introduced many path-breaking reforms. Key examples include the nationalisation of banks. She also successfully abolished the privy purses of the princely states.

A World Leader’s Tragic End

She was widely regarded as a formidable world leader. Indira Gandhi was tragically assassinated. This happened on October 31, 1984. Her own Sikh bodyguards killed her at her Akbar Road residence. The assassination followed ‘Operation Bluestar.’ In this operation, she ordered the Indian Army. The Army confronted Sikh separatists. These separatists had taken refuge at Amritsar’s Golden Temple.

Role in India’s Freedom Movement

The ‘Iron Lady of India’ was an active participant in freedom movements. She started the ‘Bal Charkha Sangh.’ She also founded the ‘Vanar Sena.’ These groups supported the Congress movement. They were part of the Civil Disobedience movement. They actively fought against the British forces.