Sanjay Gandhi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sanjay Gandhi
Sanjay is to the left of Indira Gandhi
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office 18 January 1980 (1980-01-18) – 23 June 1980 (1980-06-23)
Preceded by	Ravindra Pratap Singh
Succeeded by	Rajiv Gandhi
Constituency	Amethi, Uttar Pradesh
Personal details
Born	(1946-12-14)14 December 1946 Delhi, British India (present-day New Delhi, Delhi, India)
Died	23 June 1980(1980-06-23) (aged 33) New Delhi, Delhi, India
Cause of death	Aircraft accident
Political party	Indian National Congress
Spouse	Maneka Gandhi ​ (m. 1974)​
Children	Varun Gandhi (son)
Parents	Feroze Gandhi (father) Indira Gandhi (mother)
Relatives	Rajiv Gandhi (brother) See Nehru–Gandhi family

Sanjay Gandhi (born 14 December 1946, died 23 June 1980) was an Indian politician. He was the younger son of Indira Gandhi, who was a Prime Minister, and Feroze Gandhi. Sanjay was a member of the Lok Sabha, which is like the lower house of India's parliament. He was also part of the famous Nehru–Gandhi family.

Many people thought Sanjay would become the next leader of the Indian National Congress party. They also expected him to become the Prime Minister of India after his mother. However, he died in a plane crash. After his death, his older brother Rajiv Gandhi became the political heir. Rajiv later became Prime Minister and the party president after his mother's assassination. Sanjay's wife, Maneka Gandhi, and his son, Varun Gandhi, are also politicians today. They belong to the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Early Life and Education

From left to right: Rajiv Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, and Sanjay Gandhi in 1969.

Sanjay Gandhi was born in New Delhi on 14 December 1946. His parents were Indira Gandhi and Feroze Gandhi. Like his older brother Rajiv Gandhi, Sanjay went to school at St. Columba's School, Delhi. He also studied at Welham Boys' School and The Doon School in Dehra Dun. Sanjay also attended an international boarding school in Switzerland called Ecole d'Humanité.

Sanjay did not go to university. Instead, he chose to work in automotive engineering. He trained with Rolls-Royce Limited in England for three years. He loved sports cars and also got his pilot's license in 1976. He enjoyed flying stunts and even won awards for them. His brother, Rajiv, was a pilot for Indian Airlines.

Sanjay's Role During the Emergency

In 1974, protests and strikes were happening across India. These events caused problems for the government and the economy. On 25 June 1975, after a court decision went against her, Indira Gandhi declared a national emergency. During this time, elections were delayed, and the press was censored. Some basic freedoms were also suspended for national security.

During this period, Sanjay Gandhi became a very important advisor to his mother, Indira. Even though he was not officially elected to any position, his influence grew a lot. People said he had a lot of power. Some even joked that he and his friends, like Bansi Lal, were almost running the country.

During the Emergency, Indira Gandhi announced a 20-point plan for development. Sanjay also created his own shorter five-point program. This program focused on:

• Literacy (helping more people learn to read and write)
• Family planning (helping families decide how many children to have)
• Tree Planting (planting more trees)
• Eradicating Casteism (ending discrimination based on caste)
• Abolishing dowry (ending the practice of dowry payments)

Later, Sanjay's program was combined with his mother's 20-point program. This made a combined twenty-five-point program.

Involvement in Politics and Government

Even without holding an official elected job, Sanjay started using his new influence. He worked with government ministers, high-level officials, and police. Many officials resigned because of his actions. However, Sanjay reportedly helped choose their replacements.

For example, Inder Kumar Gujral resigned from his role in the Ministry of Information. This happened when Sanjay tried to tell him what to do. Gujral reportedly refused to take orders from someone who was not elected. Gujral was then replaced by Vidya Charan Shukla, who was a supporter of Sanjay Gandhi.

Sanjay ran for his first election to the Parliament of India in March 1977. This was after the Emergency ended. In this election, Sanjay lost in his area of Amethi. Indira Gandhi's Congress party also lost many seats across Northern India. However, Sanjay won the Amethi seat for the Congress(I) party in the next election in January 1980. Just one month before he died, he was made the secretary general of the Congress Party in May 1980.

Urban Development Initiatives

Sanjay Gandhi was involved in some urban development projects in old Delhi. One project aimed to clear crowded areas near the Jama Masjid mosque. On 13 April 1976, some buildings were removed. This action led to protests and some people were displaced. The people who lost their homes were moved to a new area across the Yamuna river.

Attempted Assassination

In March 1977, Sanjay Gandhi survived an attempt on his life. Unknown gunmen shot at his car during his election campaign. This happened near New Delhi.

Years in Opposition (1977–1980)

After losing the 1977 election, the Congress party split. Indira Gandhi formed her own group called Congress(I). She won a special election in November 1978. However, the government's Home Minister, Charan Singh, ordered her and Sanjay to be arrested. This arrest meant Indira Gandhi was automatically removed from Parliament. But this plan did not work well. Her arrest and long trial made many people feel sympathy for her.

Support for Charan Singh

The Janata government, led by Prime Minister Morarji Desai, was not very united. It included different groups with different ideas. In 1979, the government started to have problems. Charan Singh, who was the Finance Minister, saw this as an opportunity. He began to work with different Congress groups, including Congress (I).

After many members left the Janata party to join Charan Singh, Morarji Desai resigned in July 1979. Charan Singh became Prime Minister. This happened after Indira and Sanjay promised that Congress(I) would support his government. One condition was that all charges against Indira and Sanjay would be dropped. When Charan Singh refused, Congress withdrew its support. This led to the dissolution of Parliament in August 1979.

Before the 1980 elections, Sanjay Gandhi met with Syed Abdullah Bukhari, the leader of the Jama Masjid mosque. They made an agreement based on a 10-point plan. This was to get support from Muslim voters. In the elections held in January 1980, Congress returned to power with a huge victory.

1980 Indian Elections

The Congress(I) party, led by Sanjay Gandhi, won a landslide victory in January 1980. Soon after, elections were held in states where opposition parties were in power. Congress ministries returned to power in those states. At that time, Sanjay Gandhi chose his own loyal supporters to lead the governments in these states.

Personal Life

Sanjay Gandhi married Maneka Anand on 24 September 1974 in New Delhi. She was 10 years younger than him. Their son, Varun, was born shortly before Sanjay's death. Maneka said that Sanjay wanted to raise his children in the Zoroastrian faith, which was his family's religion.

Death

On 23 June 1980, at 8:10 a.m., Sanjay Gandhi lost control of his airplane. He was performing an aerobatic manoeuvre (a flying stunt) when it crashed. Captain Subhash Saxena, who was the only other person in the plane, also died. Sanjay's body was recovered and cremated according to Hindu traditions.

Aftermath of His Death

Sanjay Gandhi's death changed Indian politics. His mother, Indira Gandhi, brought her other son, Rajiv Gandhi, into politics. After Indira Gandhi was assassinated, Rajiv became the Prime Minister of India.

Sanjay's widow, Maneka Gandhi, had disagreements with her in-laws after his death. She then started her own political party called Sanjay Vichar Manch. Maneka has served in various non-Congress governments over the years. Today, she and her son Varun Gandhi are members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Maneka was a minister in the government from 2014, representing the BJP. Varun is also a BJP member of Parliament.

Family