Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit

Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit

Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, 1965

Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit (born August 18, 1900 in Allahabad , † December 1, 1990 in Dehra Dun ) was an Indian politician and diplomat . She was the sister of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and the aunt of Indira Gandhi . In 1952, she was elected President of the 8th session of the UN General Assembly, making her the first woman to hold this position.

Life

The head of the Indian delegation was born into one of the most prominent families in the country. Her father Motilal Nehru was the former President of the Indian National Congress and her brother was Vice President of the Judiciary Council in charge of foreign affairs. Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit was tutored by a tutor and private tutors. She played a leading role in her country's politics but was also imprisoned three times for civil disobedience to the British Indian government .

In 1937, she was appointed a member of the Legislative Assembly for the United Provinces and then became Minister for Local Self-Government and Health. She held this position until 1939, when her party was voted out. In 1946 she was re-elected to the same position. From 1941 to 1943 she was president of the nationwide women's conference and founded a conference on the nationwide protection of children. Between 1947 and 1951, she served as her country's ambassador to Moscow and Washington, DC. From 1962 to 1964, she served as the governor of Maharashtra .

Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit had been married to Ranjit Sitaram Pandit since 1921, who died on January 14, 1944. Her daughter Nayantara Sahgal is a well-known Indian writer.

See also

• Nehru Gandhi family

Web links

Commons : Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Article about Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit on britannica.com