Rajiv Gandhi

Rajiv Gandhi
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Name	Rajiv Gandhi
Caption	Rajiv Gandhi in 1987
Office	6th Prime Minister of India
Term start	31 October 1984
Term end	2 December 1989
President	Zail Singh, R. Venkataraman
Predecessor	Indira Gandhi
Successor	V. P. Singh
Office1	Minister of External Affairs
Term start1	25 July 1987
Term end1	25 June 1988
Primeminister1	Himself
Predecessor1	Narasimha Rao
Successor1	P. V. Narasimha Rao
Office2	Leader of the Indian National Congress
Term start2	1984
Term end2	1991
Predecessor2	Indira Gandhi
Successor2	P. V. Narasimha Rao
Birth date	20 August 1944
Birth place	Bombay, Bombay Presidency, British India
Death date	21 May 1991 (aged 46)
Death place	Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, India
Death cause	Assassination
Party	Indian National Congress
Spouse	Sonia Gandhi (m. 1968)
Children	Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi
Alma mater	Trinity College, Cambridge, Imperial College London
Profession	Pilot

Rajiv Gandhi was an Indian politician who served as the sixth Prime Minister of India from 1984 until 1989. He took office following the assassination of his mother, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and led the Indian National Congress to a historic electoral victory. His tenure was marked by significant initiatives in technology, economic liberalization, and attempts to resolve regional conflicts, though it was also marred by controversies including the Bofors scandal. His life was cut short by an LTTE suicide bomber in 1991.

Early life and education

Born in Bombay to Feroze Gandhi and Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi was the elder son of a family deeply entrenched in the political dynasty that included his grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru. He spent his early years at the official residence of the Prime Minister, Teen Murti Bhavan, in New Delhi. For his education, he attended the prestigious The Doon School in Dehradun before pursuing higher studies in the United Kingdom. He studied mechanical engineering at Trinity College, Cambridge, and later undertook a course in aeronautical engineering at Imperial College London, though he did not complete a degree. Returning to India, he obtained a commercial pilot's license and joined Indian Airlines as a pilot, largely staying away from the political arena centered on his family in New Delhi.

Political career

His entry into politics was precipitated by the death of his younger brother Sanjay Gandhi in a plane crash in 1980. Under immense pressure from the Indian National Congress leadership and his mother Indira Gandhi, he contested and won a by-election for the Amethi parliamentary seat, a family stronghold. He quickly rose within the party, being appointed a general secretary of the All India Congress Committee. Following the Operation Blue Star in Amritsar and the subsequent assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984 by her Sikh bodyguards, the Congress party unanimously chose him as its leader. He led the party to a landslide victory in the 1984 general elections, capitalizing on a massive wave of national sympathy.

Prime Minister of India

Sworn in as the youngest Prime Minister of India, his administration initially focused on national reconciliation after the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi and other parts of North India. He appointed the Mishra Commission to investigate the riots. His government passed the Anti-Defection Law through the 52nd Amendment to the Constitution of India. Significant domestic initiatives included the launch of the National Education Policy in 1986 and the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya system. In technology, he championed computerization and telecommunications, earning the nickname "Mr. Clean" for his initial modernizing image. However, his tenure faced severe challenges, including the handling of the Shah Bano case, the Bofors scandal involving alleged kickbacks in a defense deal with Sweden, and the controversial intervention in the Sri Lankan Civil War.

Economic and foreign policy

On the economic front, Rajiv Gandhi began a cautious shift towards liberalization, easing restrictions on imports, reducing corporate taxes, and promoting the growth of the information technology sector. His government signed accords to resolve regional disputes, most notably the Assam Accord with the All Assam Students Union and the Mizo Accord with the Mizo National Front, bringing peace to Mizoram. In foreign policy, he sought to improve relations with the United States and China, and initiated a substantial military deployment, the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF), in Sri Lanka following the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord of 1987. This intervention aimed to disarm the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam but became a protracted and unpopular conflict.

Assassination and legacy

After losing the 1989 Indian general election to the National Front coalition led by V. P. Singh, Rajiv Gandhi became Leader of the Opposition. While campaigning for the 1991 Indian general election in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, he was assassinated by a suicide bomber from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on 21 May 1991. The assassination was investigated by the Jain Commission and led to the convictions of several individuals. Posthumously, he was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor. His legacy is a complex mix of ushering India towards a modern, technologically-oriented economy and the controversies of the Bofors scandal and the Sri Lankan Civil War. The Rajiv Gandhi Foundation was established in his memory, and institutions like the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad bear his name. His widow, Sonia Gandhi, later led the Indian National Congress, and his children, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, have remained prominent figures in Indian politics.

Category:Prime Ministers of India Category:Assassinated Indian politicians Category:Indian National Congress politicians