Sanjay Gandhi Biography 
Sanjay Gandhi was one of the celebrated personalities of Nehru family. He was the grandson of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and son of Indira Gandhi. Rajiv Gandhi was his elder brother and Maneka Gandhi was his wife. He died in a plane crash on 23 June 1980, couple of months after the birth of his only son, Varun Gandhi. Though it was much speculated that Sanjay will be Indira’s political heir, his unexpected accidental death put an end to all those speculations. Later his elder brother Rajiv Gandhi, preceded his mother as India’s prime minister on 1984, four years after his death. Sanjay died at a younger age of just 33.
Sanjay was born in New Delhi, on 14 December 1946 as the son of Feroze Gandhi and Indira Gandhi. He lost his father when he was only 16. Sanjay studied first at Welham Boys' School and then at the Doon School in Dehradun. He never attended college, but became an apprentice in Rolls-Royce, England. He was very interested in sports cars, and also obtained a pilot's license. Later he became an airline pilot. He was very close to his mother.
In 1971, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's Cabinet proposed the production of a "People's car", affordable for common man. When less experienced Sanjay was given its contract and the exclusive production license, it drew criticism. But 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War and victory over Pakistan made Indira powerful and everyone forgot the issue. Maruti Udyog, India’s first automobile company was founded by Sanjay Gandhi, though its function actually started only after his death. With the growing opposition and criticism from India, he sought collaboration, transfer of technology and joint production of the Indian version of the "People's Car", to emulate Volkswagen's worldwide success with the Beetle. Japanese company Suzuki was also contacted. Later India's first People's Car Maruti 800 was made.
In 1974, following violence throughout the country, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared national emergency on 26 June 1975. During this period, Sanjav rose as the advisor of Indira Gandhi and his influence with Indira and the government increased dramatically. It was said that during the Emergency he virtually ran India along with his friends, especially Bansi Lal, and had full control over Indira Gandhi and the government. He began exercising his new-found influence with Cabinet ministers, high-level government officers and police officers that resulted in many resignations as sort of protest by many ministers.
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Inder Kumar Gujral was one such who refused to carry orders from an unelected person. Kishore Kumar’s songs were banned from All India Radio as he refused to sing in a function of the Indian Youth Congress. Just one month before his death, he was appointed secretary general of the Congress Party in May 1980. Sanjay Gandhi escaped an assassination attempt in March 1977. But he died in a plane crash on 23 June 1980 near Safdarjung Airport in New Delhi. Though there were rumours that he was killed, there was no solid evidence to prove it.
Published: N/A
Updated: January 16, 2014
