A screenshot of The New York Times from Nov. 1, 1984.“Strong-willed, autocratic and determined to govern an almost ungovernable nation that seemed always in strife, Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister four times and the dominant figure in India for almost two decades,†Linda Charlton wrote in The New York Times obituary of Ms. Gandhi, who was assassinated on October 31, 1984.
“During her tenure the Government made limited headway against such age-old Indian problems as overpopulation, hunger, caste, inadequate sanitation and chronic religious strife among the majority Hindus, Moslems and other sects,†she wrote. “Her critics charged that her promises to eras e poverty were quixotic and that India's chronic and severe social problems actually burgeoned during her years of power.†(Read the full obituary here.)
Of her death, New Delhi correspondent William K. Stevens wrote “Her sudden disappearance from the public scene represents a considerable challenge to the future of the Indian experiment in democracy.â€
Hours after her death, he wrote, “her 40-year- old son, Rajiv Gandhi, was sworn in as her successor. It is his abilities and performance that are, perhaps, the biggest uncertainty for many people as the nation tries to adjust to the events of today.†(Read the full article about her death here.)
