India has produced some of the most effective leaders during its proud past, who have inspired the rest of us and directed our nation’s citizens. Lal Bahadur Shastri, Dr. B R Ambedkar, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel are a few of them. Let’s check out the national leaders of India in more detail:
1. Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru
From the time India achieved its independence in 1947 until his death in 1964, the first prime minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru successfully led the turbulent development of the young nation. As a very liberal, social democrat, and secular statesman who learned from Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru is remembered for having firmly set India on the path it is currently traveling. In addition to being a man of letters, Nehru is recognized for founding the Indian Planning Commission.
2. B. R. Ambedkar
B. R Ambedkar was the most influential person in India who held various and performed various roles throughout his entire life in the form of a governmental figurehead, writer, lawyer, philosopher, linguist, historian, revolutionary, and many more. Despite the fact that his opinions were disliked, he continued to speak up as a revolutionary leader. He also brought back Buddhism to the nation, leaving an impact that is still visible in Dalit communities, a goal that Ambedkar fought for all of his life. Ambedkar is regarded as the creator of the Indian Constitution, in whose honor the country commemorated Republic Day.
3. Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee who came from the Bharatiya Janata Party was one of the great leaders of India. He held the position of Prime Minister of India from 1999 to 2004, the only Prime Minister to hold the office of PM for the entirety of a 5 years term outside of Congress Party at that time. He was a poet also and famed for his outstanding speeches. He was honored with Padam Vibhushan, the second highest citizenship award in India. He entered into politics by joining the Bhartiya Jana Sangh in 1951 and quit all political activity in 2005. He took his last breath on 16th August 2018 at AIIMS in New Delhi. Under the leadership of Vajpayee, India successfully conducted a nuclear test.
4. Lal Bahadur Shastri
One of the most prominent and fearless leaders whom India can never have back in is Lal Bahadur Shastri. Although it was never going to be simple, Lal Bahadur Shastri succeeded admirably in matching the footsteps of Jawaharlal Nehru. In keeping with Nehru’s socialist values, he provided the motto “Jai Jawan Jai Kisaan ” and functioned zealously for the agricultural sector in India. Under the leadership of Lal Bahadur Shastri, India defeated Pakistan in the war of 1965 which made him a legend to be remembered eternally. After achieving the victory over Pakistan, Shastri went to Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, the Soviet Union for a meeting where he died because of a heart attack.
5. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Born on 31 October 1875 in Nadiad, Bombay Presidency (present-day Gujarat), Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was a great leader who handled the situation remarkably at the time of partition after independence. At the time of independence, India was not received as an entire territory. It was split up into nations at the time, whose rulers pushed for unrestrained rights or attempted to maintain their neutral status. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel gained the moniker “India’s Iron Man” by dealing with each of them forcefully and harshly.
6. Subhash Chandra Bose
Despite having only a brief tenure as an Indian National Congress member, he had a significant influence on the nation’s military forces. As one of the few political figures who encouraged military rebellion to overturn British rule in India, Bose even created an army under his command called the Indian National Army and enlisted Japan’s assistance to drive the British out of the nation. British Prime Minister Clement Atlee acknowledged that Bose’s actions had a significant influence in the British Empire’s exit from India, despite the fact that his Military was unable to physically push the British out.
7. Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi was one of the most successful leaders and the first woman Prime Minister of India served India for 11 years. Indira, Jawaharlal Nehru’s sole daughter, had a powerful impact on both the Congress Party and the populace’s opinions. During her tenure as prime minister, she was renowned for her ruthlessness, which helped India escape a policy impasse and firmly put its growth on the correct path. Indira was called India’s biggest prime minister despite the Emergency and tragic killing in the wake of Operation Blue Star. Indira Gandhi introduced the Green Revolution in India
8. Dr. Rajendra Prasad
Born on 3rd December 1884 in Ziradei, Siwan Bihar, Dr. Rajendra Prasad was the first President of India. He is regarded as a key author of the Indian Republic and presided over the Constituent Assembly of India. Prasad is praised for being honest and communicating effectively. He continues to be the only President to have won the presidency twice. In 1962, he retired from all political activities and traveled to Sadaqat Ashram in Patna in order to live the rest of his life and he left the world on February 28, 1963.
9. APJ Abdul Kalam
Born on 15 October 1931 in Rameswaram, Madras Presidency, APJ Abdul Kalam with wild hair was one of the most dynamic presidents in living memory. Due to his advancement of India’s missile system capabilities, he is often referred to as the People’s President and the Missile Man. Kalam, who heavily supported young issues, also started the What Can I Give initiative in 2011 to root out corruption and achieve his personal aim of making India a developed nation by 2020. Sadly, at the age of 83, Abdul Kalam left the world on 27 July 2015 in Shillong, Meghalaya, India.
10. Dadabhai Naoroji
Dadabhai Naoroji served India as the first politician and also engaged in commercial activities like fabric selling. He was also a pioneer in the Indian education system, working to dispel misconceptions about Monotheistic among the people of Bombay. Between 1892 to 1895, Naoroji served as an MP in the UK’s House of Commons, making him the first Asian to hold the position of MP in the British Parliament.
11. Mahatma Gandhi
The Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, led the pre-independence age, and no other individual falls near matching Mahatma Gandhi in terms of policy, influence, and effort. He was born on October 2nd, 1869 in Gujarat’s coastline region and there is a national holiday on the birthday of Gandhiji. . At the age of 24, he traveled to South Africa, wherein he encountered prejudice towards Indians and launched a civil rights initiative. His emblem, the rotating pulley, which stood for liberation, gained prominence during the Indian Independence Movement. Gandhi Ji promoted interfaith unity and was crucial in calming the populace and preventing Hindu-Muslim rioting before and after the country’s split.
12. Lala Lajpat Rai
Born on 28 January 1865 in Punjab, Lala Lajpat Rai was one of the famous leaders of India who is also known by the name Punjab Kesari. Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi’s Non-Cooperation Movement was started under his leadership during a special session of Congress. Under the command of Lala Lajpat Rai, the Swadeshi movement was initiated whose main objective was to avoid foreign products and make use of those created in India. Sadly, Lala Lajpat Rai was injured by a British constable on October 30, 1928, as he was opposing the Simon Commission’s arrival by yelling “Simon Go Back” and left the world on 17th November 1928.
13. Jyoti Basu
Born on 8 July 1914 in Kolkata, Jyoti Basu held the position of chief minister for the longest stretch of time in any Indian state from 1977 to 2000. In addition to starting Panchayati raj for farmers in West Bengal, Basu created the Indian land development initiative. Never one to strictly adhere to communism, Basu made it his duty to uphold racial peace and provide the underclass of society what they rightfully deserved.
14. P. V. Narasimha Rao
When Manmohan Singh pushed up the country’s economy in 1991 under the leadership of Narasimha Rao, it earned him the title of “Father of Indian Economic Reforms.” Additionally, he promoted Foreign investment in the nation to boost its fragile economy. Despite leading a minority administration, he was a skilled politician who used a combination of cleverness and deceit to enact a number of significant laws.
15. Morarji Desai
Morarji Desai was India’s first prime minister to be chosen from a party other than the Congress. Morarji Desai was elected as the PM of India after the demolition of the Emergency and he held the PMO from 24 March 1977 – 28 July 1979. Desai, a staunch supporter of Gandhi’s nonviolent campaign, earned Pakistan’s highest civilian honor, the Nishan-e-Pakistan, from President Ghulam Ishaq Khan as the first politician to do so. Morarji Desai is also recognized for improving bureaucratic, socioeconomic, and healthcare transformations in the nation and he was also responsible for India’s nuclear initiative.
16. Jayaprakash Narayan
Born on 11 October 1902 in Saran, a significant figure in history, Jayaprakash Narayan initially gained notoriety by challenging Indira Gandhi while she was at the height of her influence. Narayan was the first politician to draw sizable people for his ideological stances, albeit he hardly rose to the status of a governmental powerhouse.
17. Zakir Hussain
Born on 8 February 1897 in Hyderabad, Zakir Hussain held the position of Indian President from 13 May 1967 to 3 May 1969, moreover he was the first President of India who came from a minority community, Muslim. Under the leadership of Zakir Hussain, Jamia Millia Islamia was established which is one of the most prestigious universities in India. He received acclaim from various internal and external sources, especially his hated opponent Mohammed Ali Jinnah, for his commitment to literacy and attempts to maintain Jamia Millia Islamia operating despite extreme situations.
18. Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Gandhi, one of the nation’s youngest presidents ever, was responsible for reducing the License Raj and promoting technological advancements while also initiating India’s telecommunications industry. He came into the power of Indian Politics as the youngest PM after the death of his mother Indira Gandhi. Rajiv, who is well known for supporting the arts, also established INTACH in 1984 to safeguard India’s rich cultural history. Unfortunately, he was also assassinated on 21 May 1991 during his rally in Sriperumbudur.
19. Sonia Gandhi
Sonia Gandhi has served as the Indian National Congress Party’s president for more than 20 years. maintained control over the oldest party of India and regularly expressed her thoughts on the status of events in the nation. Until someone discloses the extent of Sonia Gandhi’s power over voting issues, her impact cannot be completely understood. She is credited with helping enact crucial legislation, including the Right to Information Act and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
20. Manmohan Singh
Born on 26 September 1932 in Gah, presently located in Pakistan, Man Mohan Singh holds the record of holding the PMO for the longest duration (10 years) after Jawahar Lal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. Despite his current reputation for being despised, Manmohan Singh is credited with helping to save the nation’s economy in 1991 by liberalizing trade. It took a while for socialism and capitalism to be replaced, and Manmohan made sure that the changeover proceeded without a hitch. India reached the US $ 1 trillion economic milestone while he was prime minister.