Rajiv Gandhi

During his college days in London, he fell in love with an Italian girl, named Albina Maino, who later came to be known as Sonia Gandhi. They married in 1968. The couple was blessed with two children, son Rahul Gandhi in 1970 and daughter Priyanka Gandhi in 1972.

He was assassinated by a female suicide bomber on May 21, 1991 at a public meeting in Sriperumbudur. The woman bomber bent down to touch his feet, detonating a belt laden with 700 grams of RDX explosives. The massive explosion took the life of about 25 people including Rajiv Gandhi.

Three days later, on May 24, 1991, he was given a state funeral and later cremated according to Hindu ritual on the banks of the river Yamuna. The site is today known as Vir Bhumi.

Rajiv Gandhi was born in India’s politically affluent family to Feroze Gandhi, member of the Indian National Congress party and editor of the National Herald newspaper, and Indira Gandhi.

Strained relationship of his parents led to his relocation to Delhi along with his mother and younger brother. It was during this time that his mother contributed significantly in the Indian political scenario, assisting her father Jawaharlal Nehru who was serving as the Prime Minister of the country.

Academically, he attained his preliminary education from Welhams Boys’ School and The Doon School in Dehradun before moving to London to complete his A levels. He enrolled at the Trinity College Cambridge in 1962 to study engineering. Four years henceforth, he moved out but without a degree.

Following year, i.e. in 1966, he was offered a seat at Imperial College London, which he took up but a year later dropped out of the same too. Same year, his mother ascended to premiership.

Upon returning to India, he, unlike his family members, was dispassionate about politics and instead took to working as a professional pilot for Indian Airlines.

Succumbing to the pressure of the Congress party politicians and his mother, he reluctantly made his entry into the world of politics, a move that earned the wrath from press, public and opposition politicians as they saw his emergence as a forced hereditary participation.

Soon, he found himself in the midst of active politics. He acquired significant party influence and became an important political advisor.

In 1981, he won Amethi Lok Sabha seat, once held by his brother, by defeating Sharad Yadav.

In 1982, he became member of the Asian Games Organizing Committee and played a vital role in successful conduct of the games.

In the subsequent years, he was elected as the General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee and was chosen as the President of the Youth Congress. Press and public criticized this move as his mother’s effort to groom him for prime ministerialship.

In 1991 he was awarded Bharat Ratna posthumously, India’s highest civilian award.