Indian politician, prime minister 196466. He campaigned for national integration, and secured a declaration of peace with Pakistan at the Tashkent peace conference in 1966.
Before independence, he was imprisoned several times for civil disobedience. Because of his small stature, he was known as the Sparrow.
Red, white, and blue recall the French tricolour. Red, yellow, and green are the pan-African colours. Red represents the common blood of mankind which links African and European nations. Effective date: 1 December 1958.