Sonia Gandhi addresses the Indira Gandhi National Integration Award function

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Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi while speaking at the Indira Gandhi National Integration Award function in New Delhi hit out at the RSS and BJP indirectly. “There is a danger from some ideologies, organisations and people who want to divide us”, said the Congress President without naming anyone. The award was given to noted agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan. Sonia Gandhi further said, “We have always kept national unity as our top priority. .. We need to remember Indira Gandhi’s courage and her sentiments so that we can fight that fear with conviction.” She also lauded the public sector’s efforts that connected people of various regions in the country.

Sonia Gandhi warns against divisive forces at Indira Gandhi National Integration Award function

Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi while speaking at the Indira Gandhi National Integration Award function in New Delhi hit out at the RSS and BJP indirectly. “There is a danger from some ideologies, organisations and people who want to divide us”, said the Congress President without naming anyone. The award was given to noted agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan.

Sonia Gandhi further said, “We have always kept national unity as our top priority. We need to remember Indira Gandhi’s courage and her sentiments so that we can fight that fear with conviction.” She also lauded the public sector’s efforts that connected people of various regions in the country,
Sonia Gandhi also commented that not much attention is paid to uniting different parts of the country and their people these days. While referring the difficult times of 1960s when India had faced foodgrain shortage and had to import foodgrains, Sonia Gandhi praised Indira Gandhi’s efforts and the role of Swaminatahan in making India self-reliant in the agriculture sector. “During that time too, there were people who would criticise and find faults and there were people who would not have trust. But despite all this, it was achieved well,” said the Congress President.

Sonia Gandhi recalled that among the challenges of independent India in terms of national unity was of creation of modern economic situation and institutions with special emphasis on agriculture production and distribution and development of agriculture techniques. The Congress President also reminded that that when most of the states were facing famine, Indira Gandhi took a pledge to achieve self-reliance in foodgrains.

While addressing the function, Prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh recalled the late Prime Minister’s contribution in the social and economic development of the masses and said she wanted to take the benefits of development to weaker sections of the society. ““There is a need to follow the path shown by Indira Gandhi as never before. Today, in some parts of the country, attempts are being made to divide the society on the basis of religion, caste and communities,” Singh said.. He added that it would not be wrong to say that India could achieve the Green Revolution due to Indira Gandhi’s leadership and Swaminathan’s efforts. “It was based on this foundation that today we have been able to bring in Food Security Act,” he said, referring to the legislation.

In his award acceptance speech, Dr. Swaminathan said when India had to import 10 million tonnes of foodgrain, Indira Gandhi planned creating a foodgrain reserve of the same quantity. He said food security helped India achieve an independent foreign policy. He said India’s help to people from the then East Pakistan and the nuclear testing were a result of its confidence it achieved through food security.

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Remembering Indira Gandhi on her 29th death anniversary

"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". In these last words of Indira Gandhi, India’s former Prime Minister, there was courage, belief and faith.

Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi, who served as the Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms (1966-77) and a fourth term (1980-84) was assassinated on 31 October in 1984. The assassination which changed the history of India was said to have been motivated by Operation Blue Star, an attack on Sikh separatists holed up in Golden Temple complex in Amritsar.

At twelve years of age, Indira Priyadarshini became the leader of a children’s group, whose purpose was to help end British control in India. In 1938, she joined the Indian National Congress Party, something she always longed to do. In 1942, she married Feroze Gandhi. Soon after the couple was married, they were sent to prison on charges of subversion by the British.

Noted for her charismatic authority and political astuteness, Indira Gandhi adhered to the progressive policies of industrial development that were begun by her father, Jawaharlal Nehru, who became the Prime Minister after India won its independence in 1947. As a minister, Indira Gandhi encouraged and started a family planning program. She also promoted the views of Nehru to establish India’s stability and security interests as independent from those of the nuclear superpowers, by authorizing the development of nuclear weapons in 1967.

On the international plane too she left her distinct imprint whether as the chairperson of the Non-Aligned Movement or as a champion of environmental protection at various global fora. In all such activities she came in direct conflict with international vested interests entrenched in the West. She was intensely disliked by the prevailing leaderships of the US under Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan who held her in profound distrust. She endeared herself to almost all the prominent leaders of the newly independent developing states of Africa, Latin America and the Arab world.

She was also the leader who transformed India’s chronic food shortages into surplus production of wheat, rice, cotton and milk through the Green Revolution. On Nehru’s death in 1964, Indira Gandhi was elected to Parliament in his place. After acting as Minister of Information and Broadcasting (1964-6), Indira Gandhi became Prime Minister on the death of Lal Shastri in 1966. In 1971, her popularity made her win again by an enormous margin. The second female in the world to hold the office of prime minister, after Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka, Indira Gandhi remains the world’s second longest serving female Prime Minister as of 2011.

Indira Gandhi is today best remembered for her ”Garibi Hatao” slogan during the fifth general elections in March 1971, the successful leadership during the 1971 war against Pakistan, the nationalization of all banks in the country in 1969, the ‘Green Revolution’ under her leadership, and the Lenin Peace Prize (for 1983-84) and as  India’s first women Prime Minister.

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Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi at 24 Akbar Road to pay tribute to Indira Gandhi

Indian on Thursday fondly remembered the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her 29th death anniversary. Congress President Sonia Gandhi and party Vice President Rahul Gandhi were present in the function at 24 Akbar Road to pay tribute to the departed leader. Earlier, President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi paid floral tributes to the late leader at her memorial 'Shakti Sthal' on the banks of river Yamuna.

Sonia Gandhi pays tribute to Indira Gandhi

Nation remembers former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her 29th death anniversary. Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi paid tributes to the departed leader at Shakti Sthal.