Legacy
Legacy 9/28/2010 04:11:00 PM
Being the first woman Prime Minister of India, and an influential leader, in a prevalently male-dominated society, Indira Gandhi is a symbol of feminism in India.As per the economic surveys , when Indira Gandhi became Prime Minister, 65% of the country's population was below the poverty line , and when her regime ended in 1984 only 45% of India was poor, thus she reduced poverty in India by 20%. In her regime , food production increased by 250% because of the green revolution.Literacy was also increased in India by 30%.The goodwill of the rural population earned by Gandhi still has its effects on the success of the Congress Party in rural India, as well as the popular support of the Nehru-Gandhi Family. She is reverently remembered in many parts of rural India as Indira-Amma ("Amma" means "mother" in many Indian languages). Her Garibi Hatao slogan is still used by the Congress during political campaigns. The present president of the Indian National Congress, Sonia Gandhi, who is also the daughter-in-law of Indira Gandhi, is said to style herself in resemblance to her.
The Indira Awaas Yojana, a programme of the central government to provide low-cost housing to rural poor, is named after her. The international airport at New Delhi is named as the Indira Gandhi International Airport in her honour.
Posted by preeti
on 9/28/2010 04:11:00 PM.
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