Rajiv Gandhi was a politician from India and the former Prime Minister. He went on to become the sixth Prime Minister of India and that too, at a very young age. In fact, he was the youngest Prime Minister of the country and had the credit of taking over as the PM of India at the age of 40 in 1984 subsequent to the shooting of his mother by Sikh extremists.
Gandhi served as the Prime Minister of India from 1984 to 1989. He was born to parents Feroze and Indira Gandhi in 1944 and was their first-born son. Though, he had brief academic stints at the prestigious Imperial College of London and Trinity College of Cambridge, he secured a degree from none.
Real Name: Rajiv Gandhi
Popular Name: Rajiv Gandhi
Date of Birth: August 20, 1944
Place of Birth: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Constituency: Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, India
Nationality: Indian
Gandhi came across an Italian girl, Antonia Albina Maino (Sonia Gandhi) at Cambridge and fell in love with her. He got hitched to her later on. After doing university for some time, Rajiv quit half way and joined Indian Airlines as a Pilot. He kept distance from politics, regardless of his family’s strong political influence and background.
Rajiv had a younger male sibling in Sanjay Gandhi (a pilot) and joined politics in 1980 after Sanjay’s demise in a plane crash. His mother, Indira was also killed after Operation Blue Star in 1984, after which he was selected by the party leaders of the Indian National Congress to be the Prime Minister of India.
Gandhi brought victory to his political party in the coming years and also helped in enhancing India’s affairs and dealings with the United States of America. He was accountable for directing the Indian Peace Keeping Forces towards Sri Lanka for making peace in 1987. This action of his unleashed wide – spread and public clashes with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam – LTTE.
He has a son, Rahul Gandhi and daughter, Priyanka Gandhi and is also known for the infamous Bofors Scandal during his era. Rajiv was killed by an LTTE female terrorist, Dhanu in 1991 while crusading and being the President of the Congress. He was decorated posthumously with the Bharat Ratna in the same year. All in all, he was a great visionary and leader of India.
