He was a great believer in the power of science and technology. He knew that, India, to progress, needed to keep pace with the science revolution. He believed that if India made better use of technology, it would solve, among other things, the problems of water, edible oils and telecommunications. At the same time, he saw scientific advancement as a means to solve the problems of disease, poverty and unbalanced development. In fact he is known to have said, and very rightly, 'India missed the industrial revolution, it cannot afford to miss the computer revolution.' He also said, ‚The poverty gap, whether between countries or within countries, is essentially a technology gap. We believe that it is only through increasing the technological input in the daily lives of our people that we will be able to foster equitable economic growth. In India, therefore, the prime objective of technology is the elimination of poverty.' His initiatives told us that he would propel a fully empowered India into the twenty-first century; that he would accord us a fulfilling life of prosperity and happiness. He told us that India's future was perched on rural development, which in turn pivoted around technology applications. He didn't only say so, he showed us how through his technology missions, a true transformation could be brought about.

Rajiv was extremely proud of India's rich cultural heritage. He wanted the people of India to be united culturally. Rajiv was not confined within the realms of language, gender and region. He can, thus, be said to belong not to a particular religion, region or community, but to humanity as a whole. He considered secularism as the basis of the country's existence. He worked fervently for the national integration, and with this aim, he laid the foundation of the Assam Accord in 1985. He was also able to find the solutions to the Gorkha and Mizo problems.

He believed in the equality of women, and saw them as a great and strong moral force of the society. He saw in them the strength that would hold the society together. Therefore, he worked for their emancipation, socially and economically.

It was during Rajiv's tenure that the voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 years, and the anti-defection law was passed, which further strengthened our democratic system. Further, he strove hard to strengthen the Panchayati Raj system, which formed the core of grass-root political system.

Rajiv Gandhi believed in the cooperation among nation states. He worked very hard to foster cooperation among the member states. He signed the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord in 1987, to foster peaceful relations between the two countries. He also dispatched forces to preserve the peace in the Maldives. Also, when he visited Beijing in December 1988, he catalysed cooperation and harmony between India and China. At the same time, he was deeply committed to SAARC and actively led its efforts to maintain peace and harmony for the constituents.

At the center-stage of global diplomacy, Rajiv compelled the world to take note of his extraordinary mettle, to listen to him, to give in, and soon became one of the most respected statesmen. His forthrightness is candidly revealed, when he spoke in no uncertain terms to Ronald Reagan, that, ‚the survival of mankind depends on a very few countries.' He was a leader who dreamt big and without compromises.

Rajiv believed in absolute disarmament. His address to the United Nations Special Session on Disarmament is especially important in this regard. Also, the Six - Nation Five - Continent initiative was founded by him. He was extremely proud of the Indo-Soviet friendship, which had stood the test of time. He also signed the Delhi Declaration in 1986, which spoke of the long lasting friendship between India and Russia. At the same time, relations between India and USA improved greatly. This extension of cooperation and friendship between India and Russia, and India and USA, are some of his most important contributions to India's foreign policy. For a man who believed in equality of all races and one-ness of humanity, the apartheid regime in Africa was too shameful. To rid the African continent of this system, he founded the AFRICA Fund. He fought for Namibian independence as ardently, and with as much dedication as he would have for India. It was because of Rajiv's efforts that India's voice was heard in such international forums as the United Nations, NAM and Commonwealth. Rajiv had in fact, become one of the most sought after leaders in such forums.