<<Previous Page Next Page>> A Good Man Fondly Remembered     Rajiv was born to Indira and Feroze  Gandhi on August 20, 1944. The family moved from Lucknow to Allahabad in 1946. In 1950, Indira came to Delhi, with her children, to live with Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Prime Minister of India. Rajiv studied at Welhams and Doon School. His personality was deeply influenced by his father. The death of Feroze traumatized young Rajiv. Rajiv Gandhi entered the portals of Cambridge in 1962. Here in England, he met Sonia Maino, the young lady he would eventually marry. The wedding took place in New Delhi in 1968. Rajiv Gandhi was passionate about flying. He joined a flying training course with Indian Airlines in 1967. He got his Boeing Commander's license in 1980. His colleagues at Indian Airlines have many good things to say of him. For one, he never threw his weight around. He was a gentleman to the core. He was not politically inclined though he lived at 1 Safdarjung with his mother, Indira Gandhi. The death of his younger brother, Sanjay, changed Rajiv's domestic and professional life. Reluctantly, perhaps, at the behest of Indira, he joined active politics. He won a seat to the Lok Sabha from Amethi in 1981. About politics Rajiv Gandhi said: '... I had no love for politics. I treasured the privacy of my happy family life... Sanjay was killed in the prime of his life... There is a loneliness only a bereaved mother can know... she (my mother) called to me in her loneliness. I went to her side. From her I learnt my first political lessons..' Rajiv became PM immediately after Indira's assassination. In 1984, he came to power with a massive majority. The elder son of Indira, Rajiv, was a true-blue democrat. He fervently believed in the freedom of the press. Later on, in his career, as Leader of the Opposition, he performed well in the Lok Sabha. To him, the nation came first. He was convinced that the democratic system needs a strong opposition that performs the role of a constructive critic. He said, '... I want a good opposition... I want an opposition that can stand across the floor and argue about policies..' On foreign policy, he noted, '... In the larger global context, we must rise above the stoking of petty problems, unworthy of our larger destiny... 'He prioritised good neighborly relations. He wanted a world free of conflicts. He was a firm believer in Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam- "one world-ism". His creed was Gandhian "non- violence". The cause of nuclear disarmament was dear to his heart. <<Previous Page Next Page>>