Essays

In Indian ethos, it is widely believed that destiny is a powerful force to reckon with- Willingly or unwillingly one has to follow the unwritten fate held in store for us. How else can one explain Rajiv Gandhi's foray into the Indian political scene?

An airline pilot by profession/ he was not a man of any unusual academic achievements or other distinctions. Born in 1944, this first son of Feroze Gandhj and high profile Indira Gandhi, reportedly had few ambitions before he joined politics. Since childhood Rajiv Gandhi was exposed to an environment steeped in intelligentsia and patriotism. From Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru to his mother Indira Priyadarshini, he was brought up in India's rich and politically popular family- It was the first family which was to hold cudgels not only against British oppression but also take India to the path of progress.

After being an alumnus at the Doon School at Dehradun, Rajiv Gandhi attended the prestigious Cambridge University. It was here that he met and married Sonia Gandhi who was an Italian. Flipping through the pages of Rajiv's life, it seems that he was not a person with exceptional faculties or talents. His birth into India's esteemed political family with distinguished people and his cherubic face did melt hearts. People loved and revered him.

After his brother Sanjay Gandhi's death in an unfortunate plane crash in 1980, his mother, Indira Gandhi induced him to enter politics. He successfully stood for election in 1981 and became a political adviser to his mother. After her assassination in 1984', Rajiv succeeded her as the head of the Congress Parliamentary Party and sworn in as the Prime Minister of India. Rajiv Gandhi was a visionary beyond doubt.

In his enthusiasm, the young Prime Minister was keen on preparing India for the 21st century. He sought to increase Indian investments in modern technology and equipment. His one major contribution towards growth in modern India was introduction of Computers. This, however, does not mean that his tenure was not marked by setbacks.

India during his stint as the Prime Minister of the country was seething in problems. He found refuge in international entanglements and commitments. He committed the so-called Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) to Sri Lanka in an endeavour to help the government there to handle Tamil Tigers agitating for a separate Tamil homeland.

To add fuel to the fire. Rajiv Gandhi's period in office was marred by scandals and allegations of corruption on a large scale. The result was that he lost the general elections of 1989 partly on account of the public perception that he had received kickbacks from a Swedish company manufacturing Bofors machine guns. The Congress at this time suffered a terrible electoral defeat.

His successor Vishwanath Pratap Singh, could not hold office for very long. The country was driven towards another round of general elections. Rajiv Gandhi started hectic campaigning for the Congress in earnest in 1991. It was during this campaign in Sriperumbudur in South India that a bomb explosion took his life. The impact of the explosion was so powerful that his body blew to pieces. Later, it was investigated that the LITE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam), a militant organization based in Sri Lanka was the main culprit.

Whatever be the critics' line of thought, it cannot be denied that it was indeed, Rajiv Gandhi who ushered in a new technological era in the collosat history of the nation. He foresaw India's supremacy in the 21st century and accordingly planned for it. Even the Bofors gun for which he was castigated proved its worth in the Kargil conflict! Let's give him his due he well deserves.