On Sunday, 8 March 2026 a blue plaque was unveiled by Mrs Sattura Ashwini Naidu, the Minister for Education, High Commission of India. The plaque marks the historical connection of Mrs Indira Ghandi with Badminton School and it is mounted to the left of the entrance, at Westbury Road, Westbury-on-Trym, BS9 3BA. It makes a nice counterpoint to the Iris Murdoch plaque on the right of the entrance which was installed in 2019. The event was on International Women’s Day, a fitting date to remember a woman who was elected four times to govern India.
Joining us was an impressive triumvirate of civic dignitaries: the Lord-Lieutenant for the County and City of Bristol, Peaches Golding OBE CStJ; the High Sheriff of Bristol, Kalpna Woolf (who actually met Mrs Gandhi when she was a child); and the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of Bristol, Councillor Henry Michallat. In addition, we welcomed Shri Shiv Sama from the Avon Indian Community Association (who is also the High Sheriff’s chaplain) and parents and guests, totalling around sixty in all.
In considering the application, the Panel noted wide recognition of her achievements. Her name endures: India has an airport and a university named after her. For Time magazine, she was one of 100 influential women who defined the last century. A decisive leader, known for her boldness and courage, she was a dominant figure in Indian politics for nearly two decades.
There are, however, dark shades to her tenure. She presided over civil unrest and her administration was criticised for using strong-arm tactics to deal with it. History is complicated and made up of competing interpretations. The plaque makes no judgement and simply records a world leader’s connection with a girls’ school currently ranked in the top twenty of the UK Best-Schools League Tables. It is a link well worth acknowledging and it is for passers-by to pause, ponder, enquire and reflect upon Mrs Gandhi’s complex political legacy.
Gordon Young
In our featured image, from the left: Mrs Sandra Fryer, Chair, Bristol Civic Society; Shiv Sama, Avon Indian Community Association; Lord-Lieutenant Peaches Golding, OBE CStJ; Mrs Sattura Naidu, High Commission of India; Rt Hon Lord Mayor, Cllr Henry Michallat; Panel Member Mrs Tacey Bain and High Sheriff Kalpna Woolf.
[Thanks to Headmistress Jessica Miles and Deputy Head Lucy Griffith for hosting the speeches and the refreshments in the school hall]