When Indira Gandhi's resolve left the US scrambling

B K Nehru was the Indian Ambassador to the US from 1960 to 1968. In one of his Memoires, he shared an episode on Smt Indira Gandhi depicting her strong mind on certain matters. She was annoyed with the United States Because of some diplomatic Developments as Pakistan was always a favored nation to Washington. India was always an eyesore because of its proximity to Russia. In 1968, Lyndon B Johnson was US President after Kennedy's assassination. In October 1968 Smt Gandhi undertook an official tour of some Latin American Countries including Venezuela, Columbia Argentina, and Brazil. In the last leg of the tour, she was to embark at New York to address the UN General Assembly on the 14th of October. She had no plan to meet the American President or leaders. This was putting US leadership in an awkward situation in that the Indian Prime Minister visited several Latin American Countries but not meeting American President or not giving a damn about the most powerful country. Hectic Diplomacy got underway and finally, Indira Gandhi agreed to Washington's request to visit and meet President Johnson.

As she was the first lady Prime Minister of India US president was in a dilemma how would he address her as Mrs Prime Minister or what? The Ambassador Conveyed this confusion to Smt Gandhi. Mrs. Gandhi told B K Nehru to convey to the US President that her cabinet colleagues in the meeting addressed her as "Sir". The meeting took place in a very cordial atmosphere. Her aura and charms won Everyone in the US. Two years later in a decisive War carving a new Country on the world map Bangladesh, American threats could not deter her a bit even when Nixon sent its great 7th fleet. Thereafter Mrs Gandhi visited the US in the seventies to address the UN General Assembly Twice with her and the country's head high. That was Iron Lady Smt Gandhi.