Another most important reason for which Indira Gandhi needs to be remembered is her bold decision to nationalize leading banks in the country about 40 years ago on July 14, 1969. This proved to be wise and visionary, particularly, today as it insulated the country's banking sector from the direct impact of global financial crisis. These nationalised worked under robust oversight and regulations while deepening financial access and markets. After nationalisation of banks a number of unemployed youth received loans for entrepreneurship.

It is hard to believe today after 25 years of her death that India could once rebuff political pressure and military threat from the world's most powerful country - the United States of America. The then US President, Richard Nixon disliked Indira Gandhi and referred to her as a “witch” and a “clever fox” in his private conversation with the Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, which was later made public. In 1971 the Pakistani army heavily cracked down on the civilian population of erstwhile East Pakistan and as a result over 10 million refugees fled to India. The Pakistan military action was in disregard to the election verdict which caused the emergence of Awami League as the single largest party.

The Pakistan military dictatorship under Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan and the then political leaders of West Pakistan apprehended the shifting of political capital from Islamabad to Dhaka or separation of its eastern wing, despite assurances the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to resolve the issue within the framework of Pakistan. The military repression in erstwhile East Pakistan and the flight of refugees brought India into a war with Pakistan. The US mooted a resolution in the United Nations Security Council warning India going to war with Pakistan. Indira Gandhi signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation with the Soviet Union in August 1971 and the Soviet Union vetoed US proposal in the UN.

Indira Gandhi also took measures to build up diplomatic pressures across the world drawing attention to genocide and rape by Pakistan forces in its eastern wing and the plight of refugees. She explained to the world leaders that they were unnecessarily “defending the prestige of one man in Pakistan who is not an elected representative and who is a military dictator.”

The US sent its Seventh Fleet in the Indian Ocean during the India-Pakistan war of 1971 as a warning to India. But undauntedly Indian army fought and on December 16, 1971 Pakistani army surrendered before Indian forces and Mukti Bahini of Bangladesh at Race Course in Dhaka. Thus was the birth of Bangladesh.

Bangabandhu at a reception hailed Indira Gandhi saying “you are not only the leader of Bangladesh alone, you are the leader of all mankind.”

Pakistan joined by US and China tried to prevail upon the world leaders in not recognising Bangladesh. But this did not last long. Series of recognition began with Myanmar being the first country to establish diplomatic relations with its immediate neighbour.

However, the Shimla Agreement between Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi and the Pakistan President Zulfiq Ali Bhutto of July 2, 1972 saw a little softening of India's position. Some criticised the agreement for not making the Line of Control in Kashmir as a permanent border between the two countries as an attempt to resolve the issue once and for all. Others criticised the failure to pressurise Pakistan in handing over its occupied part of Jammu & Kashmir in exchange for 93,000 prisoners of war.

India's victory in 1971 war with Pakistan brought back Indira Gandhi's party, Indian National Congress to power in West Bengal defeating the Left-dominated United Front led by the former chief minister, Ajoy Mukherjee. Sidhartha Shankar Ray became the Congress chief minister of the state in March 19, 1972.
Indira Gandhi not only created a new history with the creation of Bangladesh and annexation of Sikkim but also new political geography.

After India's Independence in August 1947, a popular vote in Sikkim rejected the proposal of its joining the Indian Union, and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru agreed to a special protectorate status for Sikkim. Sikkim came under the suzerainty of India, which controlled its external affairs, defence, diplomacy and communications, but Sikkim otherwise retained autonomy. A state council was established in 1955 to allow for constitutional government under the Chogyal. The monarch became unpopular with the people and in 1975, the Kazi (Prime Minister) appealed to the Indian Parliament for a change in Sikkim's status so that it could become a state of India. In April, the Indian Army took over the city of Gangtok and disarmed the Palace Guards. A referendum was held in which 97.5% of the voting people (59% of the people entitled to vote) voted to join the Indian Union. A few weeks later, on May 16, 1975, Sikkim officially became the 22nd state of the Indian Union and the monarchy was abolished.

China which is still unhappy with Sikkim's annexation to India could not dare to interfere in the regime of Indira Gandhi.

A national nuclear programme was initiated by Indira Gandhi in 1967 in response to the nuclear threat from China India successfully conducted an underground nuclear test - “Smiling Buddha- in Pokhran in Rajasthan.

Indira Gandhi was also the initiator of India's IT Revolution. A Cabinet note was prepared to this effected just before her assignation. Her successor Rajiv Gandhi thereafter took up the initiative.The Green Revolution initiated in 1960s saw bearing its fruit in Indira Gandhi's regime.

However, there is a black spot in Indira Gandhi's political career. She was responsible for sabotaging democracy the State of Emergency in the country in 1975-77. She reaped the consequences of emergency in her electoral defeat in 1977 which brought the first non-Congress government headed headed by Morarji Deasiof Janata Party to power. Her forced sterilisation programme also ran into controversy. She is also accused of fostering Sikh extremism in the initial phase and ultimately being harsh in dealing with them in the later phase. This led to her assassination by her Sikh bodyguards - Satwant Singh and Beant Singh - in October 31, 1984.#

  • The author was a volunteer in the refugee camp along India-Bangladesh border and also covered the war as a journalist.