CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: A special tribute on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, the nation’s first young Prime Minister, was admired for his radiant face and aura. He ruled the hearts of the people, driven by his desire to bring about a communication revolution and connect the last person in the line with the modern era’s development. The unique identity that he established for India by linking the country to this communication revolution is now cherished by the entire world. At the age of 40, he became a remarkable symbol of this communication revolution, earning him the title of a beautiful, capable young Prime Minister.
Rajiv Gandhi believed in fulfilling dreams that often did not align with the political reality. Perhaps that’s why the very people he trusted the most filled the ground beneath his feet with explosives. The truth is, Rajiv Gandhi was a simple man who trusted everyone, a trust that was often exploited by middlemen and politicians. Among his achievements, the most memorable is his promise to lead the country into the 21st century. When he made this promise, we were still awaiting the end of the 20th century. He had said, “What is important is that everyone’s life should be fulfilled. What matters is how satisfied a person is with what they have done when they leave this world.” Rajiv Gandhi perhaps did not even get the chance to experience death. But even today, we search for our lives in that once vibrant face, as if he still stands among us, a source of inspiration.
Rajiv Gandhi used to fly airplanes, and when he drove cars on the ground, he drove them almost like airplanes. He had no interest in politics. Often, when his younger brother, Sanjay Gandhi, tried to teach him the lessons of politics, Rajiv would dismiss him with a pat on the back. But after the deaths of his brother first and then his mother, both under tragic circumstances, all the paths to the skies closed for him, and he had to face the reality of heaven known as politics. I will never forget the day when Rajiv Gandhi was receiving condolences at Teen Murti Bhavan, sitting by his mother’s bed. Even in that crowded and bustling environment, he seemed alone. Just a few hours later, he became the Prime Minister of the country, and within a few months, he won the mandate, the biggest vote of confidence in the world’s largest democracy. He was only 40 years old at the time.
Even today, the country fondly remembers that youthful enthusiasm in every fiber of his being, the dream he had of leading India into the 21st century. Rajiv Gandhi was the one who, for the first time, made us experience the power of communication