Indira Gandhi: A Controversial Woman in Power
A fascinating paradox of modern India was the rise to power and the turbulent rule of Indira Gandhi. She was one of the most politically powerful women in the world, and definitely the most powerful in India's history. But she ruled in a country where women lived in poverty, were neglected, and heavily discriminated against. How is that Indira Gandhi was India's prime minister for four terms while most other women in India were unaware they had basic rights? And why is that Indira Gandhi didn't do more to help these women? Indira Gandhi had a troubled childhood, which depending on one's view, either inspired her or hardened her. In the 1920's, when she was a young girl, her father …show more content…
In their eyes, her main advantage was that she could be easily manipulated; no one thought a woman capable of independent leadership. The India that Indira Gandhi encountered upon taking office was very different from the one her father had led. By 1966, the post-independence euphoria had been replaced by a severe economic crisis; drought and the costs of the 1965 war with Pakistan had led to high inflation and a threat of famine. Indira had a tentative first year in power, but soon the Congress leaders realized that she had no intention of doing their bidding. Less than six months after becoming prime minister, under pressure from the World Bank and the US, Indira made a surprise decision to devalue the rupee. She thought it would have made Indian exported products cheaper and therefore more competitive on the world market. But she had ignored the party leaders' objections that the devaluation would make India a pawn of the United States. They broke away from Indira Gandhi, and in 1969 the party split. It was widely believed that Indira had actually set the stage for the battle for her own political gain, and her critics were appalled. Her power was complete in 1971, when she was reelected in a
A fascinating paradox of modern India was the rise to power and the turbulent rule of Indira Gandhi. She was one of the most politically powerful women in the world, and definitely the most powerful in India's history. But she ruled in a country where women lived in poverty, were neglected, and heavily discriminated against. How is that Indira Gandhi was India's prime minister for four terms while most other women in India were unaware they had basic rights? And why is that Indira Gandhi didn't do more to help these women? Indira Gandhi had a troubled childhood, which depending on one's view, either inspired her or hardened her. In the 1920's, when she was a young girl, her father …show more content…
In their eyes, her main advantage was that she could be easily manipulated; no one thought a woman capable of independent leadership. The India that Indira Gandhi encountered upon taking office was very different from the one her father had led. By 1966, the post-independence euphoria had been replaced by a severe economic crisis; drought and the costs of the 1965 war with Pakistan had led to high inflation and a threat of famine. Indira had a tentative first year in power, but soon the Congress leaders realized that she had no intention of doing their bidding. Less than six months after becoming prime minister, under pressure from the World Bank and the US, Indira made a surprise decision to devalue the rupee. She thought it would have made Indian exported products cheaper and therefore more competitive on the world market. But she had ignored the party leaders' objections that the devaluation would make India a pawn of the United States. They broke away from Indira Gandhi, and in 1969 the party split. It was widely believed that Indira had actually set the stage for the battle for her own political gain, and her critics were appalled. Her power was complete in 1971, when she was reelected in a