On Indira Gandhi’s birth anniversary some tough challenges the Former PM had to face

India remembers its former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her birth anniversary today November 19. Apart from various programs organised by government bodies, many social platforms also hold events to remember the Iron Lady of India. During her long tenure as the Indian PM, Indira Gandhi faced many tough challenges and her few decisions were criticized by many.

Became PM when India was in a vulnerable state

It was around the mid-60s when Indira Gandhi took over the reins of the prime ministership. Two successive wars of 1962 and 1965 and monsoon failures of 65 and 66 had dropped the agricultural output by 20%. India was indeed in a very vulnerable situation. Famine-like situations, depleting food stocks, and deteriorating financial conditions had put India in a begging bowl condition.

And at this juncture, Indira Gandhi became the first woman prime minister of a young democratic country like India.

Introduced improvements in the field of agriculture

Times were tough and at this most vulnerable moment, India had to be dependent on the United States for wheat. Instead of supporting a struggling country US President Lyndon Johnson used this as an opportunity to threaten India and even at one point stopped a ship loaded with wheat that was meant to reach the Indian shores.

At that time, India had no option but to survive and be at the mercy of the United States. But Indira Gandhi decided to take action so that the country never faced this sort of situation again and hence with the help of experts introduced major improvements in the agricultural field that later on made the country self-sufficient in food.

Made Sikkim a part of India

Indira Gandhi was behind the Indian borders changing not once but twice after independence. She strategically added Sikkim to India despite strong resistance from China. She was the one who divided Pakistan into two parts in 1971 and thus created Bangladesh. During this war with Pakistan in 1971 more than 90,000 Pakistani soldiers surrendered before the Indian Army and Indira Gandhi did not hesitate to separate Eastern Pakistan and form a new nation.