The Biography of Famous Personalities of India will tell you about the controversies, the dark sides of a person that you may have never heard of.
Indira As Prime Minister After Elections Using Nuclear Power For Peace
As Prime Minister After Elections
Between 1971 and 1977 two important happenings marked her term as the Prime Minister. One was the birth of Bangladesh and the other was imposition of National Emergency. In Aug.1971, Indira signed a 20-year treaty of peace, friendship and co-operation with U.S.S.R. After this to clarify her stand, she toured U.S.A. and a few European countries to explain the horroble condition of the refugees who had fled from East Pakistan and had flooded Eastern India.
Indira made U.S.A. and other countries understand the “tragic and agonizing plight” of the refugees. At a speech delivered in Calcutta on Dec.3, she clarified, “I do not want war. I earnestly desire peace. I will be the last person to start a war. But if a war is thrust upon us, we are prepared to fight in defence of our freedom and our ideals. Even Prime Minister Nehru, who was a passionate believer in peace, knew that a nation has sometimes to use force to defend what it cherishes most.”
In this way Indira defended herself in supporting East Pakistan and fighting a war against West Pakistan for a free Bangladesh. The war lasted for an entire year and in the end although being helped by U.S.A. and China, Pakistan declared cease-fire and Bangladesh emerged a free nation. Although the war was won by India, but Indira Gandhi was in favour of peace, so she tried to maintain amicable relationship with Pakistan.
Thus Indira kept her priorities by upgrading India’s defence technology and this came to the fore when she dealt with the Pakistan War- she gave India a great military victory. Indira was conferred with “Bharat Ratna” by the President V. V. Giri. In March 1972, Prime Minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman signed a joint treaty to safeguard peace, security and integrity of the subcontinent through joint efforts.
Using Nuclear Power For Peace
The Pakistan war proved that the strength of country depended upon advancement in science and technology. Thus Indira Gandhi gave much importance to science and technology and used it in upgrading the defence machinery. She was in favour of peaceful use of nuclear energy and was against the misuse of science-“Science is very important and it has brought a better life ………….. But we are using it for destruction. And those countries which have more money,
India successfully demonstrated her first peaceful nuclear explosion at Pokhran in Rajasthan on May 18,1974. But Indira Gandhi clarified, “We have no intention to make nuclear weapon we want to make the desert bloom and not to make the world a desert.”
One of the most important achievements in the field of nuclear science was launching of India’s first space satellite “Aryabhatta” with the help of Soviet carrier system and was designed by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). It was launched on April 19,1975.
In August, India launched the SITE-SatelIite Instructional Television Experiment- Programme which helped in taking television to the villages through Satellite. In Feb. 1977, India’s second Earth Satellite Communication Station was inaugrated by Indira Gandhi at Dehradun which felicitated Overseas Communication. On July 18, 1980, the second experimental satellite launch vehicle SLV-3, putthe35-Kg. Rohini satellite into a 90-minute orbit around the earth which was a very great achievement.
Indira Gandhi dedicated this national satellite system to peace and service of the people. Thus she imaginatively and spiritedly improved India’s Nuclear Science department and although using nuclear power for peace purposes, she went on to strengthen the nation’s defence declaring that “the people of India, no doubt are peace-lovers, but will meet aggression with fortitude and determination, and with discipline and utmost unity.”