Rajiv Gandhi

Rajiv Ratna Gandhi, born August 20, 1944, in Bombay, was the elder son of Indira and Feroze Gandhi. A product of elite schooling (Doon School, Imperial College, Cambridge—though he left without a degree), Rajiv shunned politics for aviation. He became a pilot with Indian Airlines in 1968 and married Italian-born Sonia Maino in the same year. They had two children, Rahul and Priyanka.
Tragedy thrust him into power. His younger brother Sanjay, the political heir, died in a 1980 plane crash. When Indira was assassinated in 1984, Rajiv—then 40—was sworn in as Prime Minister within hours. Leading Congress to a record 404 seats in the 1984 elections, he began with immense goodwill.
His tenure (1984–1989) was a mix of vision and scandal. He pushed telecommunications, computerization, and education reforms—laying groundwork for India’s IT boom. The 1986 National Policy on Education and MTNL’s launch were his signatures. Yet, the Bofors scandal—alleged kickbacks in a Swedish howitzer deal—eroded trust. His Sri Lanka policy, sending IPKF to enforce the Indo-Lanka Accord, turned disastrous with heavy casualties.
Defeated in 1989, Rajiv campaigned for a comeback. On May 21, 1991, in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, a LTTE suicide bomber assassinated him—retribution for the Sri Lanka intervention. His death ended the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty’s direct rule, though Sonia and Rahul later re-entered politics.
Rajiv symbolized youth and modernity but stumbled on inexperience and corruption allegations. His assassination underscored India’s violent political fault lines. From cockpit to campaign trail, his journey was brief, turbulent, and ultimately fatal