Nation pays homage to Indira Gandhi on her birth anniversary

New Delhi, Nov 19 : Nations pays homage to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her 91st birth anniversary today.

The National integration week also begins on this day.

Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil will administer the National Integration pledge marking the start of the 'Quami Ekta' week.

He had asked the state governments to organise meetings, symposium, seminars, special literary and cultural functions and programmes during the week so that the message of communal harmony and national integration could permeate every part of the country.

Indira Gandhi was born in Allahabad in 1917 and was the only child of Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister and Kamala Nehru.

She was the recipient of India's highest civil award, Bharat Ratna.

Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister of India from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 to 1984.

She was elected to Parliament for the first time in 1964 and also served as the country's Minister of Information and Broadcasting in the government of Lal Bahadur Shastri.

She is noted for declaring a state of emergency after a court struck down her election in 1975, and also for her handling of the 'Operation Blue Star' against Sikh militants.

Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards at her residence on October 31, 1984.

ANI