Indira Gandhi, the third prime minister of India served in this position for three consecutive terms and was considered as one of the most powerful women in politics in the world. This earned her many enemies within India and abroad and her daring efforts in the Operation Blue Star marked her end. She was assassinated on 31^st October 1984 at her age of 67.

Operation Blue Star was ordered by Indira Gandhi in June 1984 to remove the Sikh revolutionaries from the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Sikhs were conducting campaigns under the leadership of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale to get greater rights for them. They were accused of amassing weapons in the Golden Temple. Indian army entered the sacred Golden Temple and fired at the mutineers. There was a huge loss on all sides, military and civilians and militants. The enraged the whole Sikh community and many Sikh soldiers resigned from the military services. They nurtured ill will towards Indira Gandhi on account of this attack.

R. N.  Kao served as the spymaster and security adviser of Indira Gandhi and was the head of the Research and Analysis Wing, the external intelligence agency of India. He advised her not to deploy any Sikh officer in duties that would bring them closer to her. It was a rule followed by many countries not to appoint the officer of the community that had been aggrieved against the Government as the bodyguards and so he advised not post any Sikh as bodyguard. However, she did not like this decision and so he instructed her not to post any Sikh officer as bodyguard without accompanied by a non-Sikh officer.

Kao also advised her to wear bullet proof vests and use bullet proof cars. The bullet proof vehicles were not manufactured in India in those times and so the Indian made ambassador cars were sent to West Europe for bullet proofing them. Indira Gandhi felt uncomfortable with the bullet proof vests and so rarely used them. Kao also decided to place an ambulance with a doctor and nurse at her doorsteps. She disliked this decision and so he ordered the ambulance to be placed in such a manner not be visible to her.

On that eventful day, Indira Gandhi cancelled all her public meetings and wanted to spend the day entirely for her family with her grand children. At 9.20 AM, she dressed herself well and was about to be interviewed by the British actor Peter Ustinov for his documentary film. She walked through the garden of her house to reach the next building. When she passed a gate, her own bodyguards Satwant Singh and Beant Singh started firing at her. These Sikh security guards have arranged for the duty allotment in such a way that they would be on duty that day together.

As Indira Gandhi was shot, other securities shot at Satwant Singh and Beant Singh and Beant Singh was killed immediately. The rumor that there was a big conspiracy behind the matter and the assassins were killed to prevent the truth from coming out. The bleeding Indira was taken to hospital by her daughter-in-law Sonia Gandhi. However, she had lost all the blood by that time and was declared dead at 2.20 PM. People of India watched Indira Gandhi photos and Indira Gandhi videos with tears in their eyes. The loss of Indira is indeed a great loss to India. Another assassin Satwant Singh was taken to court and was hanged on 6^th January 1989 along with another conspirator Kehar Singh.

Article Posted By : Sumazla  On March 01, 2012lView All Articles

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Indira Gandhi , Indira Gandhi photos , Indira Gandhi videos