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Feroze Gandhi

Feroze Gandhi (12 August 1912 - 8 September 1960) was an Indian politician and journalist. He was a member of India's first parliament and the husband of Indira Gandhi and father of Sanjay Gandhi and the former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Early life

Feroze was born into a Parsi(Zoroastrian)Family in Allahabad. Contrary to what most people believe, his family is not related to the family of Mahatma Gandhi. He was educated at the City Anglo-Vernacular High School and Ewing Christian College, followed by the London School of Economics. He abandoned his studies in 1930 to join the struggle for Indian independence.

Feroze grew close to the Nehru family, especially Indira's mother Kamala Nehru and Indira herself. Feroze helped nurse the ailing Kamala, and briefly traveled with Nehru, Kamala and Indira to Europe. Nehru and Kamala were not pleased with the match. Indira and Feroze grew closer to each other while in England. They married in 1942.

Arrested and jailed during the Quit India Movement less than six months after their marriage, he was imprisoned for a year in Allahabad's Naini Central Prison. Indira was also imprisoned. In 1944, she gave birth to Rajiv Gandhi, India's future Prime Minister. In 1946, Sanjay Gandhi, was born. Indira and Feroze settled in Allahabad with their two young children, and Feroze became editor of The National Herald, a newspaper founded by his father-in-law.

Political career

Feroze Gandhi contested elections to the Parliament of India in 1952 , independent India's first general elections from Rai Bareilly constituency in Uttar Pradesh. His wife served as his campaign organizer, and Gandhi won. But Feroze soon became a prominent force in his own right, criticizing the Government of his father-in-law and beginning a tirade against corruption. His exposure of a scandal involving major insurance companies and the Finance Minister T.T. Krishnamachari caused the latter to resign, and caused Nehru a major embarrassment. Feroze began building his own reputation and small coterie of supporters and advisors, and continued challenging the government. He was re-elected in 1957.

Death

Feroze suffered his first heart attack in 1958. Indira took him to recuperate in Kashmir, where with their young boys, they were together again. However, Feroze died in 1960 of a second heart attack.