We all remember Indira Gandhi as a person who freed Bangladesh and ensured that Pakistan cannot open a two front war with India, which is indeed a great feat for her and India as a nation. She also incorporated Sikkim to India which is strategically extremely important for India. These are no doubt some of the good things she has done for India.
It is also a fact she has harmed India in many ways. Let me list some of them.
- Bangladeshis in India: She passed and enforced the IMDT act in 1981, which made it very easy for illegal Bangladeshis to enter and get citizenship in India very easily. Please refer to article for more details. The IMDT act was struck down by Supreme Court in 2005. But 1981-2005 was a long period during which millions of Bangladeshis entered India.
- Corruption in farm subsidies and food: She introduced systematic corruption in India through food and farm subsidies. She created a group of corrupt people who would depend on the Gandhi family for support there by strengthening Gandhi family’s hold on India.
- Handed over education to communists: During her time, the communists strengthened their hold on education and Jihadization of education began.
- Corruption in mines, and especially coal mines: During her period, many mines became Govt. monopolies there by resulting to creation of wide spread mafia in the mining sector. For e.g., in West Bengal, coal mafia is very strong, and they supported the communists.
- Leaning towards USSR: During her period, she leaned too much towards USSR and USSR literally made India the market for its finished goods. Even now, more than 60% arms purchases are made from Russia.
- 39th and 42nd Constitutional amendments: These Constitutional amendments would have made India a monarchy with Gandhis being the Sultans. But fortunately, the Janta Party Govt. which came to power reverted most of the provisions and restored the Constitution to its earlier shape.
- Emergency: We all know about emergency. This was an attempt to destroy all political rivals which utterly failed.
- Hindu-Sikh Rivalry: Hindus and Sikhs shared a very harmonious relation till Indira Gandhi propped up the Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Bhindranwale killed many Hindus causing Hindu-Sikh rivalry. The Hindu-Sikh rift became wide open after the Blue star operation in 1984. That’s the precise reason when Kashmiri Pandits were driven out, Sikhs did not come in defense of the Hindus.
- License, inspector and quota raj: She introduced this system of governance due to which many industries were shut down and the governance became very corrupt. I consider Indira’s regime as being responsible for the 1991 economic crisis.
- Deformed the labor laws: She deformed the labor laws due which were extremely unfriendly for the Industry.
- Maoist Insurgency: During her time Maoist Insurgency picked up mainly due to the introduction of the mining mafia and the great loot they did under the protection of Gandhis and the communists.
As usual, Indira Gandhi has harmed India in a worst possible manner and we are suffering still due to that.
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