Rajiv worked incessantly to end communal politics. 'That', he said, 'is the danger to this country and that (Communalism) is what will break the fabric of this country.' He wished to coax the minorities into the mainstream of Indian politics. He pleaded with the leaders of all political parties and organizations to eschew communal politics for the sake of votes.

'What I am trying to point out is that in a country like India, we have different religions, different regions and different languages. We have tribal areas. We have backward areas. We have minority areas. We have all sorts of areas. It is a total mix of a society with examples from backward to primitive and from modern to advanced. Each area is different in many ways. It is very easy for us to make some small group feel that they do not belong to us. But it is for us to deliberate over it, make them feel involved and pull them into the mainstream.'

Rajiv realized early in his political career that the basis of Indian real politik was communalism, which compartmentalized society into watertight cesspools. Therefore, he insisted: 'What is important is that we must separate religion and politics. They must not come together on one platform.'

The issue of separating religion and politics had been around since independence but no viable solution had been found.

Rajiv felt that the issue needed to be debated openly and extensively, nationally, and that eventually the genius of the Indian people would come up with an answer to the puzzle.

To begin with, he pleaded with all political parties and organizations to completely avoid playing the communal card either at the electoral hustings or elsewhere.

The truth is that Rajiv's pleadings fell on deaf ears. Come election time, every party played the communal card, discreetly or not so discreetly and the trend still continues.