A Re-evaluation of Indira Gandhi's Life and Her Controversial Legacy

Author Discusses Indira Gandhi's Unforeseen Right to Power and the Daunting Conditions Which Greeted Her Premiership

- HT Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Indira Gandhi's ascent as prime minister of India in 1966 seems obvious with the benefit of hindsight, but it was entirely unforeseen at the time. Within years—if not months—she emerged as one of the most powerful political leaders of her era—serving as prime minister for 15 years, leaving behind a complex and deeply controversial legacy.

A highly anticipated new book by historian Srinath Raghavan, Indira Gandhi and the Years That Transformed India, unpacks that legacy, uncovering fresh material that challenges much of the conventional wisdom we've accumulated over the years. Raghavan is a professor of international relations and history at Ashoka University and non-resident scholar at Carnegie India. He is the author of several celebrated books, including India's War: The Making of Modern South Asia and Fierce Enigmas: A History of the United States in South Asia.

Raghavan spoke about his book on last week's episode of