P.N. Haksar

P.N. Haksar

Purushottam Narayan Haksar was one of the earliest and most important political strategists in the history of independent India. He played an important role in the evolution of Indira as an Indian icon and leader. He was an advocate of centralization and socialism.

Haksar was an Indian student activist who worked as an aide to the Nehrus and grew close to the family. When he was a student in England, he became good friends with Nehru's daughter Indira and her prospective husband Feroze. While studying, he developed an intense admiration and belief in socialism, for he believed it uplifted the repressed Indian poor

When Indira Gandhi became the unlikely Prime Minister in 1966, Haksar was selected to serve as her chief of staff. Haksar encouraged Gandhi to adopt a left leaning Socialistic economic policy. She eliminated the privy purse to India's ex-royalty and nationalized much of the banking system. The latter was seen as the disempowerment of India's industrial and capitalist elite by putting their money supply under Government control. Haksar also pushed Indira's views and attitudes amongst Indian journalists, labour union leaders, student leaders and young Indians who had not seen the freedom struggle. He is known as the architect of Gandhi's "Garibi Hatao" campaign and victory in the 1971 election. He is credited with having developed India's pro-Soviet policy in the East Pakistan conflict of 1971. Haksar was a part of Gandhi's coterie, of which another member, DP Dhar was Indian Ambassador to the Soviet Union, and had deep Socialist beliefs. This caused him to believe that the Soviet Union would be India's most powerful ally.