Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit
Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit (née Swarup Nehru; 18 August 1900 – 1 December 1990) was an Indian freedom fighter, diplomat and politician. She served as the 8th President of the United Nations General Assembly from 1953 to 1954, the first woman appointed to either post. She was also the 3rd Governor of Maharashtra from 1962 to 1964. Noted for her participation in the Indian independence movement, she was jailed several times during the movement.
Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit | |
|---|---|
Pandit in 1938 | |
| 8th President of the United Nations General Assembly | |
| In office 15 September 1953 – 21 September 1954 | |
| Preceded by | Lester B. Pearson |
| Succeeded by | Eelco N. van Kleffens |
| 3rd Governor of Maharashtra | |
| In office 28 November 1962 – 18 October 1964 | |
| Chief Minister | Marotrao Kannamwar P. K. Sawant (acting) Vasantrao Naik |
| Preceded by | P. Subbarayan |
| Succeeded by | P. V. Cherian |
| Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | |
| In office 1964–1969 | |
| Preceded by | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Succeeded by | Janeshwar Mishra |
| Constituency | Phulpur |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Swarup Nehru 18 August 1900 Allahabad, North West Provinces, British India (present day Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India) |
| Died | 1 December 1990 (aged 90) Dehradun, Uttar Pradesh, India (present-day Uttarakhand) |
| Political party | Indian National Congress |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3, including Nayantara Sahgal |
| Parent(s) | Pandit Motilal Nehru Swarup Rani Nehru |
| Relatives | See Nehru–Gandhi family |
| Signature | |
Hailing from the prominent Nehru-Gandhi political family, her brother Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of independent India, her niece Indira Gandhi was the first female Prime Minister of India and her grand-nephew Rajiv Gandhi was the sixth and youngest Prime Minister of India. She was sent to London as India's most important diplomat after serving as India's envoy to the Soviet Union, the United States and the United Nations. Her time in London offers insights into the wider context of changes in India–UK relations.