“India is an old country, but a young nation, we are impatient.
I am impatient and I too have a dream of an India— strong, independent,
self-reliant...”
Rajiv Gandhi was born on August 20, 1944 in Mumbai. Born
to parents, Firoz Gandhi and Priyadarshini Gandhi, he was heir
to the political heritage of his mother and grandfather Jawaharlal
Nehru, the architect of modern India. He married Sonia Maino,
an Italian girl, whom he met during his student days in Cambridge.
Rajiv was a pilot by profession. He was never interested in
politics but the sudden death of his younger brother Sanjay
in a glider accident in Delhi steered Rajiv Gandhi into it.
He won the election from Amethi and became a
Member of Parliament in 1981. He was appointed general secretary
of the Congress party in 1983. On the October 31, 1984 he took
the oath as the Prime Minister of the country.
Rajiv Gandhi was the youngest Prime Minister
of the World's largest Democracy. He strengthened India's political,
economic and cultural bonds with other countries. He was the first
politician at the helm to criticize the power brokers who ruled
the roost in the ruling party. Rajiv Gandhi found himself in many
controversies during the last two years of his Prime Minister
ship.
He met a tragic end on 21st may 1991 at Sriperumbudur,
by an LTTE (Liberal tigers of Tamil Eelam) Suicide Bomber named
Tanu, when he was attending an election meeting.
The Government of India conferred the highest
honour of the land "Bharat Ratna" on him posthumously.
Many foundations have been established to cherish
his memory for the welfare of society in the fields of Science
and Technology, Arts and Culture, and Health and Medicine.
(Updated on 7/6/2014)
|
