Even though many in urban India were disillusioned by the ruthless manner in which she undermined the nation's democratic institutions in her pursuit of personal glory and power, she remained an icon for the rural masses until her death.
Village folk saw her as someone committed to their wellbeing, a leader who would deliver them from the embrace of hunger and poverty.
The Congress slogan 'Garibi Hatao' did little to improve rural lifestyles -- ironically, it took another Congress government under P V Narasimha Rao, who served her loyally for many years to achieve a semblance of that. But the poor voted for Indira Gandhi nevertheless, almost en masse, turning against her only after the Emergency when her son Sanjay's zealous family planning -- nasbandi -- campaign ran amuck, forcibly sterilising thousands of villagers in north India.
Even though many Indians still criticise Indira Gandhi and her methods, her leadership style has its admirers, among them Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leader K S Sudershan. Last year, Sudershan reportedly praised Indira Gandhi
for her courage and determination, and her role in the creation of Bangladesh. 'Indira Gandhi was a lady of firm determination unlike today's central leadership which lacks the same,' Sudershan told the Sangh Shiksha Varg in Lucknow last June.