The upcoming death of Indira Gandhi of all. Characteristics of the Board

26.07.2019

Day October 31, 1984 Prime Minister of India Mrs. Indira Gandhi I was greeted in high spirits. She had a meeting planned that she was looking forward to with particular pleasure - a television interview with famous English writer, playwright and actor Peter Ustinov. For a long time she could not choose an outfit and finally, after hesitating, put on what was recommended daughter-in-law Sonya golden saffron sari. IN Lately relations with his son’s wife seemed to have improved, they began to visit Indira’s house more often, and Rajeev, the eldest son, finally followed her advice and entered politics. But just recently she herself dissuaded him from this matter. But life changes...

Kamala Nehru with her daughter Indira. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

Looking back on the past, Indira Gandhi never ceased to be amazed at how human life unsteady and changeable. Take her own fate, for example. Their family belonged to the highest Indian caste- Brahmins. Her father, Jawaharlal Nehru, was a fighter for national independence and a man revered in the country no less than himself Mahatma Gandhi, spiritual leader and symbol of India.

Now, looking at myself in the mirror, although no longer young, but still beautiful woman in an elegant dress, Indira remembered that when she was four years old, clashes with the British began in the country and the whole family refused to use imported goods: expensive fabrics, dishes, cars. I clearly remembered a big fire in the courtyard, where beautiful clothes and toys were burning... One day a friend came to her mother and brought a dress brought from Paris as a gift to Indira. The mother then said: “You can, of course, wear this dress, but can you wear it when we go to school?” homespun clothes? But there was also a doll. Not even a doll - Indira treated her like a child, but the toy was French, and the girl understood that she had to be strong to the end. For several days she walked around not being herself, but then she threw the doll into the fire and, as it seemed to everyone at home, she finally calmed down...

Habitually smoothing out her sari, Indira smiled sadly: her childhood fears now seemed petty and frivolous, but her character had not changed since then - she always stoically endured the hardships that befell her: the death of loved ones, and imprisonment, and betrayal. But she never admitted her fears to anyone. As a child, she had to go to bed immediately after dinner, which meant walking across the dark terrace and then standing on a chair to reach the light switch. But she never admitted to anyone that she was afraid of the dark...

No, she probably won’t wear a bulletproof vest - it makes her look fat, and she still wants to look young and fit. For some time now, security has been strongly advising her not to leave the house without a vest, all after the ill-fated events in the Golden Temple. The situation in the country, which had previously been difficult to govern - a huge continent with poverty, disease, corruption - was complicated by separatist sentiments among the Sikhs living in the state of Punjab. The Prime Minister has been repeatedly informed that Sikh extremists, demanding the secession of this state from the country, are stockpiling weapons and ammunition in the “Golden Temple” of the city of Amritsar... Militarily, Operation Blue Star to disarm the criminals was successful, but in the eyes of the public failed due to large quantity human casualties. Sikh terrorists vowed revenge. Not a day passed without death threats being made against the Prime Minister, her son and her grandchildren.

Indira Gandhi raised her eyes and looked carefully into the distance. Many were afraid of this look. Well, no, she won’t be intimidated that easily. She wasn't scared when instead honeymoon she ended up in a prison cell with her young husband... Her face softened - she remembered how at a demonstration in Allahabad she met Feroz Gandhi, my future husband. He was simply a namesake of the great Mahatma Gandhi, and he himself was the son of an engineer and a representative of another faith. That’s why she didn’t agree to marry him for a long time. And when he's in best traditions Hollywood proposed to her, sitting on the steps of Montmartre, young Indira’s heart trembled. And nothing could make her change her decision.

Indira Gandhi with her husband Feroz Gandhi. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

And how many wrinkles there are on her face. They appeared as if in place of those people who left her - first her mother, then her father, husband, son...

When Jawaharlal Nehru became the first Prime Minister of India, his daughter tried her best to help him. At first it was hard - Spartan life did not teach her to be a grand dame and give receptions. But she learned to remember the little things and take care of everyone. Now it is impossible to remember without laughing: a reception was held with the participation of the Dalai Lama, all culinary preferences were taken into account, but suddenly Indira remembered with horror that distinguished guests did not eat after noon. We had to arrange a reception for seventy-five people at half past twelve, and for another one hundred and fifty at half past two...

After the death of her father in 1964, a struggle for power began, and Indira could not stay away, no matter how much her husband restrained her. Having proven herself to be a far-sighted politician, attractive at forty-eight years old, with a charming smile, Indira Gandhi achieved the most high position in the state, and the twelve years of her rule, although they were not cloudless, brought India a lot... And in 1977 - the complete defeat of the seemingly permanent Indira Gandhi in the elections. But she managed to fill the void by finally remembering her family. Her husband Feroz, quiet and inconspicuous in the shadow of his famous wife, had already passed away by that time, but two sons remained - Rajeev And Sanjay...

Family portrait of Indira Gandhi - her two sons Rajiv and Sanjay, their spouses Sonia and Monica and their children. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

Sanjay... Her youngest boy. He always wanted to be like his elder, and when the latter announced that he would become a pilot, he was not slow in making the same decision. It was so unexpected that Indira did not even object... She, who had plunged headlong into politics, had no time for her sons then. And in 1980, six months after her resounding election victory and return to big politics, Sanjay died in a plane crash...

Indira looked at the photographs of her sons standing on the table. She's been in a bit of a sad mood lately. And what, exactly, is there to be happy about? The situation in the country has escalated to the limit over the past five months - mass beatings of Sikhs are everywhere. She was advised to fire all the Sikhs from her security, but would she show that she was afraid? No. This is not in her character! Besides, Sikhs are eighteen million people, and you cannot escape from them all. Rajiv is now actively helping her in her work, and if anything happens... However, I didn’t want to think about it. Taking a last look in the mirror, Indira Gandhi left the house and headed to the outbuilding, where journalists were already waiting for her. As she approached the gate, two of the three guards greeted her in the traditional manner, folding their arms at their chests. She paused and returned the greeting. At that moment, the third guard shot her with a revolver. It was Delhi Police Sub-Inspector Beant Singh. When Indira Gandhi fell, two guards also opened fire. Other bodyguards came running to hear the shots. Beant Singh was killed on the spot and two others were injured. The Prime Minister was taken to the All India Institute of Medicine, where they fought for her life for 4 hours. But she never regained consciousness and died at four thirty minutes local time...

One of the members of the film crew waiting for Indira Gandhi recalls: “I heard three single shots, and then machine gun fire. Apparently, the killers wanted to complete their task one hundred percent. They didn’t leave the victim a single chance...”

20 bullets for the prime minister

20 years after the bullets of fanatical terrorists caught Gandhi on the threshold of her home in Delhi, Indians still regard her as a mother who protected her children and taught them to live freely and with dignity in the world.

To see this, just visit the Gandhi House Museum in Delhi, where there are especially many visitors on this day. True, walk along the path to the house along which she made her last steps in life, now it’s impossible. It is forever closed with crystal glass - a gift from the former Czechoslovakia in memory outstanding person.

Gandhi herself, apparently anticipating her fate, said shortly before her death that “all the days allotted to me in this life will be spent serving the people. And even when I die, I am sure that every drop of my blood will nourish the life of India, make it stronger.”

Indira was born on November 19, 1917 in Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh) in the family of the famous lawyer Jawaharlal Nehru. Contrary to traditions, the girl was born not in her mother’s house, but in her grandfather’s rich house, built on a sacred place, and received the name “Country of the Moon” - Indira - in honor of her homeland.

At the age of two, she met the “father of the nation” - Mahatma Gandhi, and at the age of eight, on his advice, she organized a children’s union in her hometown for the development of home weaving.

Indira received an excellent education. In 1934 she entered the People's University, which created the famous Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore. However, after the death of her mother in 1936, she had to interrupt her studies and go to Europe. Indira entered Oxford, but the Second World War began World War, and Gandhi decided to be with her people during these Hard times. I had to return home through South Africa, where many Indians settled. And there, in Cape Town, she performed her first real political speech.

In India, Gandhi was not received so cordially, since Jawaharlal Nehru had already become the symbol of the nation. Indira plunged into family concerns. She married Feroz Gandhi in 1942 and gave birth to her first son, Rajiv, in 1944, and her second son, Sanjay, two years later.

Indira Gandhi with her father Jawaharlal Nehru. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

While Indira was arranging her personal destiny, serious changes took place in the country - on August 15, 1947, India achieved independence. The first was formed national government. Indira Gandhi became her father's personal secretary and accompanied Nehru on all his foreign trips.

Having lost her husband in 1960, Indira experienced a severe nervous shock and retired from work for several months. political life. But already at the beginning of 1961 she became a member of the Congressional Working Committee and began to travel to the hearths national conflicts.

In 1964, Indira suffered another heavy loss - her father Jawaharlal Nehru died. For Gandhi, a difficult struggle for power begins.

At 48 years old, slender, with a charming smile, Indira achieved the highest position in the state. Indira Gandhi's reign was far from cloudless for the country. During the 12 years of Indira's power, a powerful opposition was formed, which successfully transferred the discontent of the people to the prime minister.

The best year in Indira Gandhi's career is considered to be 1971, when she won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections and was victorious in the Bangladesh war. She has even been compared to Durga, the goddess of power in Hinduism.

The next elections in 1977 brought defeat to the permanent Gandhi. But despite her advanced age, she is still in the center political events. First of all, she announces the creation new party Indian National Congress. Then Gandhi, as politicians now say, takes another “strong step” - he opens his home to everyone. In a country where collectivist traditions are so strong, this was a step towards victory. Three years later, Indira Gandhi returned to power, which she retained for the rest of her life.

Last period Indira Gandhi's reign was tragic for her. The failed Operation Blue Star to neutralize Sikh extremists led to her death. On October 31, 1984, two Sikhs, Beant Singh and Satwant Singh, fired 20 bullets at her.

THE DAY October 31, 1984 was greeted by the Prime Minister of India, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, in high spirits. She had a meeting planned, which she was looking forward to with particular pleasure - a television interview with the famous English writer, playwright and actor Peter Ustinov. For a long time she could not choose an outfit and finally, after hesitating, she put on the golden-saffron sari recommended by her daughter-in-law Sonya. Recently, relations with his son’s wife seemed to have improved, they began to visit Indira’s house more often, and Rajiv, the eldest son, finally followed her advice and entered politics. But just recently she herself dissuaded him from this matter. But life changes...

LOOKING back at the past, Indira Gandhi never ceased to be amazed at how unsteady and changeable everything in human life is. Take her own fate, for example. Their family belonged to the highest Indian caste - Brahmins. Her father, Jawaharlal Nehru, was a fighter for national independence and a man revered in the country no less than Mahatma Gandhi himself, the spiritual leader and symbol of India.

...Now, looking at herself in the mirror, although no longer young, but still a beautiful woman in an elegant dress, Indira remembered that when she was four years old, clashes with the British began in the country and the whole family refused to use imported goods: expensive fabrics, dishes , cars. I clearly remembered a big fire in the courtyard, where beautiful clothes and toys were burning... One day a friend came to her mother and brought Indira a dress brought from Paris as a gift. The mother then said: “You can, of course, wear this dress, but can you wear it when we walk around in homespun clothes?” But there was also a doll. Not even a doll - Indira treated her like a child, but the toy was French, and the girl understood that she needed to be strong to the end. She didn’t walk around like herself for several days, but then she threw the doll into the fire and, as it seemed to everyone at home, she finally calmed down...

Feroz made an offer to become his wife to Indira in the best traditions of Hollywood - in Paris... Habitually smoothing out her sari, Indira smiled sadly: her childhood fears now seemed petty and frivolous, but her character has not changed since then - she always stoically endured the hardships that befell her : death of loved ones, imprisonment, and betrayal. But she never admitted her fears to anyone. As a child, she had to go to bed immediately after dinner, which meant walking across the dark terrace and then standing on a chair to reach the light switch. But she didn’t admit to anyone that she was afraid of the dark...

...No, she probably won’t wear a bulletproof vest - it makes her look fat, and she still wants to look young and fit. For some time now, security has been strongly advising her not to leave the house without a vest, all after the ill-fated events in the Golden Temple. The situation in the country, which had previously been difficult to govern - a huge continent with poverty, disease, corruption - was complicated by separatist sentiments among the Sikhs living in the state of Punjab. The Prime Minister has been repeatedly informed that Sikh extremists, demanding the separation of this state from the country, are stockpiling weapons and ammunition in the Golden Temple in the city of Amritsar... Militarily, Operation Blue Star to disarm the criminals was successful, but in the eyes of the public it was a failure due to the large number of human casualties. Sikh terrorists vowed revenge. Not a day passed without death threats being made against the Prime Minister, her son and her grandchildren.

...Indira Gandhi raised her eyes and looked carefully into the distance. Many were afraid of this look. Well, no, she won’t be intimidated that easily. She was not afraid when, instead of going on a honeymoon with her young husband, she ended up in a prison cell... Her face softened - she remembered how at a demonstration in Allahabad she met Feroz Gandhi, her future husband. He was simply a namesake of the great Mahatma Gandhi, and he himself was the son of an engineer and a representative of another faith. That’s why she didn’t agree to marry him for a long time. And when, in the best traditions of Hollywood, he proposed to her, sitting on the steps of Montmartre, young Indira’s heart trembled. And nothing could make her change her decision.

...And how many wrinkles there are on her face. They appeared as if in place of those people who left her - first her mother, then her father, husband, son...

After her father Jawaharlal Nehru became the Prime Minister, Indira took on the duties of his personal secretary. When Jawaharlal Nehru became the first Prime Minister of India, her daughter tried her best to help him. At first it was hard - Spartan life did not teach her to be a grand dame and give receptions. But she learned to remember the little things and take care of everyone. Now it is impossible to remember without laughing: a reception was held with the participation of the Dalai Lama, all culinary preferences were taken into account, but suddenly Indira remembered with horror that distinguished guests did not eat after noon. We had to arrange a reception for seventy-five people at half past twelve, and for another one hundred and fifty - at half past two...

...After the death of her father in 1964, a struggle for power began, and Indira could not stay away, no matter how much her husband restrained her. Having proven herself to be a far-sighted politician, at forty-eight years old, attractive, with a charming smile, Indira Gandhi achieved the highest position in the state, and the twelve years of her reign, although not cloudless, brought India a lot... And in 1977 - the complete defeat of the seemingly permanent Indira Gandhi in the elections. But she managed to fill the void by finally remembering her family. Her husband Feroz, quiet and inconspicuous in the shadow of his famous wife, had already passed away by that time, but two sons remained - Rajiv and Sanjay...

The Gandhi family's happiness was short-lived. Died in 1980 younger son Sanjay, in 1984 - Indira herself, and in 1991, the eldest son Rajiv was killed... Indira looked at the photographs of her sons standing on the table. She's been in a bit of a sad mood lately. And what, exactly, is there to be happy about? The situation in the country has escalated to the limit over the past five months - mass beatings of Sikhs are everywhere. She was advised to fire all the Sikhs from her security, but would she show that she was afraid? No. This is not in her character! Besides, Sikhs are eighteen million people, and you cannot escape from them all. Rajiv is now actively helping her in her work, and if anything happens... However, I didn’t want to think about it. Taking a last look in the mirror, Indira Gandhi left the house and headed to the outbuilding, where journalists were already waiting for her. As she approached the gate, two of the three guards greeted her in the traditional manner, folding their arms at their chests. She paused and returned the greeting. At that moment, the third guard shot her with a revolver. It was Delhi Police Sub-Inspector Beant Singh. When Indira Gandhi fell, two guards also opened fire. Other bodyguards came running to hear the shots. Beant Singh was killed on the spot and two others were injured. The Prime Minister was taken to the All India Institute of Medicine, where they fought for her life for 4 hours. But she never regained consciousness and died at four hours and thirty minutes local time...

20 bullets for the prime minister

Indira adored her grandchildren, because she herself had practically no childhood. Even her favorite doll had to be burned 20 years after the bullets of terrorist fanatics overtook Gandhi on the threshold of her home in Delhi, Indians still treat her as a mother who protected her children and taught them to live freely and with dignity in the world.

To see this, just visit the Gandhi House Museum in Delhi, where there are especially many visitors on this day. True, it is now impossible to walk along the path to the house along which she took her last steps in life. It is forever closed with crystal glass - a gift from the former Czechoslovakia in memory of an outstanding person.

Having lost her husband at 43, Gandhi suffered a severe nervous shock and retired from work for several months. But she still found the strength to return to politics. Indira received an excellent education. In 1934, she entered the People's University, which was created by the famous Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore. However, after the death of her mother in 1936, she had to interrupt her studies and go to Europe. Indira entered Oxford, but the Second World War began, and Gandhi decided to be with her people in these difficult times. I had to return home through South Africa, where many Indians settled. And there, in Cape Town, she gave her first real political speech.

While Indira was arranging her personal destiny, serious changes took place in the country - on August 15, 1947, India achieved independence. The first national government was formed. Indira Gandhi became her father's personal secretary and accompanied Nehru on all his foreign trips.

Having lost her husband in 1960, Indira suffered a severe nervous shock and withdrew from political life for several months. But already at the beginning of 1961, she became a member of the Working Committee of the Congress and began to travel to hotbeds of national conflicts.

In 1964, Indira suffered another heavy loss - her father Jawaharlal Nehru died. For Gandhi, a difficult struggle for power begins.

The next elections in 1977 brought defeat to the permanent Gandhi. But, despite her advanced age, she is still at the center of political events. First of all, she announces the creation of a new party, the Indian National Congress. Then Gandhi, as politicians now say, takes another “strong step” - he opens his home to everyone. In a country where collectivist traditions are so strong, this was a step towards victory. Three years later, Indira Gandhi returned to power, which she retained for the rest of her life.

The last period of Indira Gandhi's reign was tragic for her. The failed Operation Blue Star to neutralize Sikh extremists led to her death. On October 31, 1984, two Sikhs, Beant Singh and Satwant Singh, fired 20 bullets at her.

One day a friend came to her mother and brought Indira a dress brought from Paris as a gift. The mother then said: “You can, of course, wear this dress, but can you wear it when we walk around in homespun clothes?”

...And how many wrinkles there are on her face. They appeared as if in place of those people who left her - first her mother, then her father, husband, son...

The Gandhi family's happiness was short-lived. In 1980, the youngest son Sanjay died, in 1984 - Indira herself, and in 1991, the eldest son Rajiv was killed... Indira looked at the photographs of her sons standing on the table. She's been in a bit of a sad mood lately. And what, exactly, is there to be happy about? The situation in the country has escalated to the limit over the past five months - mass beatings of Sikhs are everywhere. She was advised to fire all the Sikhs from her security, but would she show that she was afraid? No. This is not in her character! Besides, Sikhs are eighteen million people, and you cannot escape from them all. Rajiv is now actively helping her in her work, and if anything happens... However, I didn’t want to think about it. Taking a last look in the mirror, Indira Gandhi left the house and headed to the outbuilding, where journalists were already waiting for her. As she approached the gate, two of the three guards greeted her in the traditional manner, folding their arms at their chests. She paused and returned the greeting. At that moment, the third guard shot her with a revolver. It was Delhi Police Sub-Inspector Beant Singh. When Indira Gandhi fell, two guards also opened fire. Other bodyguards came running to hear the shots. Beant Singh was killed on the spot and two others were injured. The Prime Minister was taken to the All India Institute of Medicine, where they fought for her life for 4 hours. But she never regained consciousness and died at four hours and thirty minutes local time...

20 bullets for the prime minister

In 1964, Indira suffered another great loss - her father Jawaharlal Nehru died. For Gandhi, a difficult struggle for power begins.

On November 1, 1984, all newspapers in the world published a photograph of Indira Gandhi in a mourning frame on the front pages. The previous evening, the Indian Prime Minister was assassinated in the courtyard of her home in New Delhi. Literally following this message were details of the tragedy. Indira Gandhi was shot dead by her personal guard of Sikh soldiers. One of the killers was captured on the spot. He admitted that the murder of the Prime Minister was revenge for his non-believers who died due to the fault of Indira Gandhi.

India at the end of the 40s of the 20th century is a huge continent with poverty, disease and corruption. The centuries-old rule of the British has just ended and India is divided into two states - India and Pakistan. The division turned into a bloody nightmare. More than 250 thousand people died. A long-term struggle of Sikhs for their rights began. However, the Indian government did not make any concessions. Terror began in Punjab. The terrorist center is located in the Golden Temple in the city of Amritsar.

June 5, 1984 Indira Gandhi orders army troops to storm the Golden Temple. She could not have chosen a worse moment - many believers had gathered for the holiday in the Temple. First the infantry was thrown in, and then the tanks entered the battle. Most of The Golden Temple turned into a pile of stones, and a fire began. Several hundred Sikh pilgrims died in the crossfire from explosions and fire. By destroying the Golden Temple, Indira Gandhi destroyed the core of the terrorist group. But the price the country paid for this was terrible.

The Sikh officers who form the core of the Prime Minister's bodyguards no longer inspire confidence. After the bloody events at the Golden Temple, Indira Gandhi was advised to disband her personal guard. However, she refuses. Indira trusts her bodyguards, who have helped her out more than once in difficult situations.

Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi greeted October 31, 1984 in high spirits. For a long time she could not choose an outfit. On the advice of her daughter-in-law, Indira wore a golden sari, abandoning the bulletproof vest. She still wants to look young and fit. At 7:30 Indira Gandhi goes to the dining room to last time have breakfast and read the morning newspapers. It’s going to be a busy day, there’s a lot to get done, and to do this you need to plan everything out. The first item in her weekly plan is a meeting with Peter Ustinov. The famous English actor is waiting for Indira outside the gates of the residence to interview her for a new film.

After examining her diary, Indira Gandhi puts it in her purse and goes to the veranda. The Prime Minister of India and the English film crew are separated by about a hundred steps. Mrs. Gandhi passes a small park and enters the central alley of her residence. She still has great mood. She sees the guards at the gate, who have served her faithfully for many years. The guards greet Indira as usual - they bow with their hands folded at their chests. Mrs. Gandhi slows down and returns the greeting. However, something is wrong. She sees the head of security take a pistol out of his holster. The smile gives way to surprise, and a second later the first of twenty shots sounds.

When Indira Gandhi fell, there was still life in her. However, the killers did not leave her the slightest chance. The Indian Prime Minister was finished off for several more minutes. The shooting continued until the clips were empty. Other guards came running to hear the shots and immediately opened fire on the shooters. One of the terrorists was killed, two others were seriously wounded. Mrs. Gandhi was taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, where she was operated on for 4 hours. She never regained consciousness and died at 14:30 local time.

The murder instantly becomes surrounded by mysteries. Almost immediately after the tragedy, Indira Gandhi’s personal secretary recalls that the day before the Prime Minister had dropped the phrase: “If I am shot, then every drop of my blood will be to make India stronger.” These words will be prophetic. It is they who will be carved in the very place where the assassins' bullets overtook Indira Gandhi.

Everything seemed clear. Indira Gandhi died as a result of an assassination attempt. Those responsible for the death of the Prime Minister do not deny anything and fully admit to what they did. The only thing they demand is to call murder elderly woman, who would have turned 67 in November 1984, not by murder, but by sacred retribution.

Once, in a conversation with her personal secretary, Indira Gandhi said that there were forces that did not allow her to live. She just said “Those forces” without naming anyone. It is still not clear what was behind these words. Specific people or evil rock, who forever changed the fate of the Gandhi family - the daughters and grandchildren of the great Jawaharlal Nehru?

On November 19, 1917, a girl was born into the family of the famous lawyer Jawaharlal Nehru, contrary to the expectations of her parents. She is given the name Indira, which means “Land of the Moon.” In the East they say: “Politics is not a profession, politics is the karma of the chosen few.” This wisdom fully applied to the family of Indira Gandhi, who belonged to the highest Indian caste of Brahmins. Her father, Jawaharlal Nehru was a fighter for national independence and a man revered in the country no less than Mahatma Gandhi, the spiritual leader and symbol of India.

While raising his daughter, Nehru often repeated: “A politician is will and character.” Indira remembered her father’s words for the rest of her life. First political lesson the future Prime Minister of India received in childhood. Indira was born when clashes with the British began in the country, and the whole family refused to use imported goods - expensive fabrics, cars, dishes. My mother's friend brought a lovely dress and a doll from Paris.

The temptation was great, but little Indira was able to overcome herself and did not wear the dress. The situation was worse with the doll. Indira treated her like a child. But the doll was French and the girl understood that she had to be strong to the end. For several days she didn't feel like herself. She was pressed by the need to make a decision. The struggle was between love for the doll and what little Indira considered her duty to her Motherland. She ate poorly and fell asleep only when completely exhausted. In the end, Indira fell ill, but overcame herself. She took the doll to the upper veranda and burned it, immediately bursting into uncontrollable tears. After that she fell off high temperature and was sick for several days.

Having overpowered himself in childhood, the Prime Minister will never show weakness again. Even when you have to give the order to storm the Golden Temple. Indira knew that there were unarmed people there, but she could not and did not want to give in to the terrorists. This difficult decision will cost her her life. But this will not happen soon. In the meantime, she is learning to challenge not only age-old customs and religious traditions, but also the ominous fate that will follow her relentlessly for all the remaining years.

Indira receives an excellent education at Oxford. Soon the Second World War begins and she returns to her homeland. But in India, Indira is not welcomed. The message about her upcoming marriage to the unknown Feroz Gandhi adds fuel to the fire. Indira's chosen one had nothing to do with the great Mahatma Gandhi. The bizarre interweaving of two famous surnames is just a fatal coincidence. It brought nothing but misfortune to its owners.

India is a country for which the caste law is as immutable as the fact that the Sun is shining. The ancient Nehru families will tell any Indian that the person wearing it belongs to the highest caste - the Brahmans. For hundreds of centuries, Brahmins took only the daughters of Brahmins as wives. IN Indian religion It is believed that inter-caste marriages are punishable by a karmic curse, which passes on to all the descendants of such a marriage.

The choice of Indira from the point of view of Hinduism was more than wrong. Her fiancé Feroz Gandhi was not Hindu. He belonged to the Parsis - fire worshipers, descendants of those who fled Persia from Muslim persecution a thousand years ago. In 1963, Indira's husband Feroz dies. A year later, her father also died. What are these, the first signals of a curse, the wrath of the gods? Gandhi tries to attribute everything to chance. But was it so?

Both Indira's sons Rajeev and Sanjay ironically remarry the wrong women. Rajiv Gandhi marries an ethnic Italian, considering caste and religious differences a relic. And soon the youngest son of Indira Gandhi goes against the commandments of his ancestors. He marries the daughter of a retired Sikh officer. So the caste law was violated three times in one family.

In 1980, Sanjay, who is considered the political successor of Indira Gandhi as the leader of the Indian National Congress, and therefore the country, dies during a training flight on a sports plane. It is believed that this was an assassination attempt. Indira banned judicial investigation tragedy. "It's an accident," she declares. At his mother's insistence, Rajeev leaves the airline to become her deputy in the party. And at the same time he gets an almost one hundred percent prospect of eventually ending up at the head of the Indian government.

On May 21, 1991, during the election campaign, Rajiv was supposed to speak in the state of Tamil Nadu. For his Security guards suggested cordoning off the rally site. However, Rajeev refused. He wanted to be with his people, who, like his mother, loved and trusted infinitely. Therefore, when a petite girl wanted to give him a garland of sandalwood flowers, Rajeev ordered the guards to let her through. This is despite the fact that he had already been attacked several years ago.

It was a ridiculous incident that was recorded by many television cameras in 1987 in Sri Lanka. While Rajiv Gandhi was passing by a line of soldiers, one of them suddenly hit him on the head with a rifle. Subsequently, the would-be terrorist was unable to explain his actions. According to him, he never hated the prime minister, and his outburst of anger was the result of his actions invisible force, which took possession of him at that moment. Rajiv Gandhi did not draw any conclusions for himself. He remained true to himself - no matter what happens, you can’t escape fate. Whether Rajiv was thinking about this at the moment when the girl, handing over flowers, detonated an explosive device hidden on herself is unknown.

The version of mystical rock suited those who believed in the curse of the gods quite well. Facts are an inexorable thing. After all, this was the fourth death in the Gandhi family, which violated the caste law of their ancestors. There were especially many adherents among Hindus - Indians who profess Hinduism. The Western and especially American press also actively supported this version. But with one caveat - there was a Sikh conspiracy, and it should not be discounted.

However Soviet intelligence adhered to a different point of view - the hand of Indira Gandhi’s killer was guided not by divine, but by earthly force. From a report from the Soviet station in Delhi: “It is known from reliable sources that they were interested in the death of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi terrorist groups who are in direct contact with a number of foreign intelligence services.”

On June 20, 2005, the international press was shocked by sensational news. The Associated Press reported that recordings of negotiations and a number of documents related to the name of US President Richard Nixon and his adviser on national security Henry Kissinger. It follows from them that Indira Gandhi causes extreme irritation in America, which soon launched a crude and cynical war against Indian leader. “We've been talking too much with this old bitch,” is exactly the phrase Nixon says when addressing Kissinger.

At that time, the American government was very mistrustful of the Indian people. In relations between politics and trade, they had very weak ties and the Americans were in no hurry to develop them, although India reached out to them and asked for help in developing industry. I took advantage of this mistake Soviet Union. The USSR opens its doors to India and its charming prime minister. The USSR and India found common interests. With our help, India is building its industry and army, and in return acts as a reliable partner of the USSR in the Asian arena.

The Soviet Union readily responded to participate in more than 70 economic projects. By using Our country's heavy industry, engineering and energy industries are rising in India. In the West and inside India, Indira Gandhi is increasingly being accused of being partial to socialism, and she herself is considered almost a communist. Indira Gandhi's frequent visits to the USSR are beginning to worry the United States. America is trying in every possible way to flirt with India. But time is running out. Mrs. Gandhi actively demonstrates her priorities in international politics. She increasingly visits the Kremlin to expand contacts between her country and the Soviet Union.

In a document published by the Associated Press in June 2005, materials concerning the American foreign policy. They clearly show US concern that India is developing its nuclear program. Reading these documents, one can conclude that already in the 70s the United States already understood that India, as a partner, was lost to them. The CIA is ordered to intensify espionage work in all cities of India.

The Americans are delivering the main blow to India's most sore spot - the national problem. As follows from declassified information, on the morning of November 5, 1971, Nixon and Kissinger met in Oval Office White House to discuss the US President's conversation with the Indian Prime Minister the previous day. “Yes, Indians are all bastards,” notes Kissinger. His remark refers to the negotiations between the heads of the two countries on the issue of Indian border incidents. Nixon wants to find out India's intentions in light of the impending conflict between the two Asian countries.

The United States views Pakistan as its ally and believes that India is too close friends with the USSR. Kissinger also tells his boss that his department managed to deceive Gandhi. “Even though she’s still a bitch, we achieved our goal. Now she will not be able to say upon returning home that she was received coldly in the United States. And in desperation, she will go to war against Pakistan.”

The CIA begins to actively help Pakistan, where the main anti-Indian forces are concentrated. A wave is sweeping across the country interethnic conflicts which lead to war with Pakistan. The activities of the American station do not go unnoticed by Soviet intelligence.

Feeling that time has been lost, the CIA is launching active activities among the Sikh opposition. The storming of the Golden Temple and subsequent events only benefit the United States. Now the CIA has an excellent cover; no one will suspect them of organizing a conspiracy against the Indian minister. The Soviet station in Delhi sends one encryption after another to Moscow. They talk about attempts to introduce so-called agents of influence into the Sikh environment.

The US desire to weaken contacts between India and the USSR is an undeniable fact. But the American administration mistakenly believed that Indira Gandhi was under the control of the KGB and acted on orders from the Kremlin. Indira Gandhi often declares to her small circle of supporters: “India has no permanent friends or permanent enemies. India has only permanent interests.” These interests also had financial expression.

Late 90s Russian press published a scandalous article by journalist Evgenia Albats, who claimed that the Gandhi family and ruling party India were financed by the KGB. The journalist referred to documents received from senior intelligence officials. However, Ms. Albats refused to present any evidence.

Another reason for such conversations was Indira Gandhi's secret visit to the Soviet Union in November 1977. He is preceded by a crushing defeat in the elections. It was a shock not only for Indira herself, it was a shock for the whole world. Many yesterday's friends are turning away from the disgraced politician. Indira needs support and she is looking for it from her closest friend - the USSR. And he doesn’t find it.

On her birthday, Indira tries to meet with Leonid Brezhnev and enlist his support. The Soviet leader found himself in a difficult position. On the one side true friend our country, on the other hand, future relations with India are at stake. The Kremlin has decided to send the first ambassador to India, Nikolai Pegov, to Sheremetyevo. Pegov congratulated Indira on her birthday, presented her with a huge box of chocolates and wished her on behalf Soviet leadership and Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev's health. And that’s it, Indira’s long-awaited meeting with the Secretary General did not happen.

How much effort will have to be spent in the future to restore lost trust. In 1980, Indira Gandhi would return to power and would not immediately forgive the insult inflicted on her birthday by her closest political partner. During the four years she had to live, Indira Gandhi would make many visits to the USSR. It still remains popular in our country. An album with photographs of girls named after Indira in Russia appears in bookstores.

Return visits also continue. However, Leonid Ilyich is already weak. The last visit to India almost cost the Secretary General his life. At one of the ceremonies he became ill. Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev died in November 1982. Indira Gandhi will be one of the first to fly to Moscow to say goodbye to her friend. They say that standing at the coffin, she could barely hold back her tears.

After her death, the massacre of Sikhs began. Within a few days, more than three thousand people died. Hundreds of Sikh temples, thousands of shops and houses, and many cars were burned. A little more and Sikh army units could get out of control. India has never been so close to civil war like in those days. The situation was saved by Indira's son Rajiv Gandhi. Already on the day of her death, October 31, 1984, the President decided to appoint Rajiv Gandhi as Prime Minister. That evening, Rajiv Gandhi went on television calling for an end to anti-Sikh protests.

Twenty years after the bullets of fanatical terrorists struck Indira Gandhi on her doorstep in Delhi, Indians still regard her as a mother who protected her children and taught them to live freely and with dignity in the world. “All the days allotted to me in this life will be devoted to serving the people. And even when I die, I am sure that every drop of my blood will nourish the life of India, make it stronger.”

At the turn of the 1970s - 1980s, the Soviet Union knew two foreign female politicians, towards whom they had directly opposite feelings.

British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was seen as the living embodiment of imperialist evil, while the head of government of the former British colony of India was seen as best friend and the personification of the struggle of the Third World countries for a bright future.

This attitude towards Indira Gandhi was also facilitated by friendly relations, connecting the USSR and India in post-war period, and the personal charm of this woman.

In fact, Indira Gandhi, of course, was not like the always dancing and singing heroine of Indian films so beloved by Soviet citizens.

Madam Prime Minister was a tough, sometimes cruel politician, in no way inferior to her British colleague, who, by the way, came into politics much later than Indira Gandhi.

The daughter of the first Prime Minister of independent India, Jawaharlal Nehru, was educated in England and upon returning home became personal secretary father, accompanying him on work trips. Over time, Indira's experience grew, and with it her influence in the political life of the country.

Women politicians were at that time an atypical phenomenon not only for India, but also for the whole world.

In 1964, Jawaharlal Nehru died, a man whose authority in the country was higher only than that of Mahatma Gandhi.

By the way, contrary to popular misconception, Indira Gandhi is not a relative of Mahatma Gandhi.

For two years after the death of her father, Indira Gandhi served as Minister of Information and Broadcasting, and in 1966 she headed the government, becoming the second female prime minister in the world.

49-year-old Gandhi found herself at the helm of a country languishing from economic, social, domestic and foreign policy problems.

In India, with its complex caste structure, interreligious problems, and the low status of women, it was difficult to achieve anything through cautious steps based on consensus.

Prime Minister Gandhi acted decisively and was not afraid of quarrels with like-minded people of yesterday, or of a military conflict with neighboring Pakistan. Personal life was sacrificed for political life. Sacrificing her personal benefit, Indira Gandhi sought the same from others, which was not always understood.

However, India's development moved forward due to the measures taken by the Prime Minister.

When her opponents were close to forcing her to resign, she, without any hesitation, declared a state of emergency in the country.

In 1977, however, Gandhi's party suffered a crushing defeat in the elections, and Madam Prime Minister left office.

It seemed like a disaster. She was accused of corruption, she was taken into custody, it seemed that she political career completed.

But she once again showed her character. Gathering her supporters into a single fist, Indira Gandhi won new elections in 1980 and again became the country's prime minister.

Radical extremists demanded creation in Punjab independent state Khalistan. Moreover, this was not about peaceful protests, but about armed struggle.

The leader of radical extremists, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, settled in the territory of the main Sikh shrine - the Golden Temple in Amritsar in 1982. In fact, the temple turned into a terrorist base, a warehouse and even a weapons factory.

An open conflict with the Sikhs on the territory of their main shrine threatened with dire consequences. The Prime Minister of India understood this very well. However, she also understood something else: the inaction of the authorities in such a situation is even more dangerous.

Units of the 9th Infantry Division of the Indian Army blocked the temple in early June 1984, engaging in periodic firefights. The complexity of the situation also lay in the fact that on the territory of the temple, in addition to the terrorists, there were hundreds of peaceful pilgrims.

However, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi orders a military operation to “cleanse” the temple, called “Blue Star”.

On June 5, the militants were given an ultimatum - to immediately leave the temple. Only 129 people left the complex. In the evening of the same day, army units began the assault.

It was possible to break the resistance of the militants after the use of tanks. The “cleansing” of the temple continued until June 9.

According to official data, 83 military personnel and 492 people inside the temple were killed during the assault - both militants and peaceful pilgrims, including 30 women and 5 children. Among those killed was extremist leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.

However, the radicals claimed that the troops killed up to 10 thousand Sikhs, mostly civilians.

The tactical problem was solved, but many believed that the strategic assault on the temple was a mistake. There were many Sikhs serving in the Indian Army, and their desertion began after Operation Blue Star.

Indira Gandhi was warned that extremists would try to take revenge. She was strongly advised to change her security, which consisted of Sikhs, but the prime minister believed that such mistrust could only worsen the split in society.

She was advised to wear a bulletproof vest, but she just waved it off: “It makes me look fat.”

Indira Gandhi was not a careless person and was well aware of the impending threat. But when she was told about the danger, she cited the example of Mahatma Gandhi, who died at the hands of a fanatic, but did not renounce his principles. “Martyrdom is not the end, but only the beginning,” said the prime minister.

On the morning of October 31, 1984, Indira Gandhi was scheduled to have a television interview with the English writer Peter Ustinov. Having changed for the meeting, she walked towards the reception along the path through the open courtyard.

Two Sikh bodyguards were on duty at the edges of the path - Beant Singh and Satwant Singh. Having caught up with them, the Prime Minister greeted the guards. In response, one of them pulled out a revolver and fired three bullets at the woman. Then his partner opened fire from a machine gun.

Then doctors will find 20 bullets in Indira Gandhi's body. Despite this, she was still alive. When the shots were fired, other guards ran into the yard and shot the killers on the spot. The Prime Minister was urgently sent to the hospital, but the doctors could not help - his vital organs were hit by eight bullets.

India was distraught with grief. Cruelty begets cruelty - the death of Indira Gandhi was paid for by thousands of innocent Sikhs who died in pogroms that swept across the country.

According to Hindu rites, Indira Gandhi's body was cremated on the banks of the Jamna River. The funeral pyre was lit by her son, Rajiv Gandhi, who said, addressing thousands of people gathered: “My mother gave her life so that Indians could live as one family. Don’t dishonor her memory!”

Rajiv Gandhi became the political heir of his mother, just as she herself became the heir of her father, Jawaharlal Nehru.

Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi continued the course of Indira Gandhi and shared her fate - in 1991 he was killed by a suicide bomber from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam organization - in response to the entry of Indian troops into Sri Lanka.

Shortly before her death, Indira Gandhi said: “All the days allotted to me in this life will be spent serving the people. And even when I die, I am sure that every drop of my blood will nourish the life of India, make it stronger.”

A real politician, unlike a political businessman, is required not only to be able to persuade, but also to be willing to sacrifice for the sake of the country.

In this sense, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was a model politician.