Rajiv had the great heitage in him of the best qualities of his mother, father and grandfather. He had a charismatie personality. The charming personality attracted the masses. H was a leader of the masses. He was much loved and adored by the common people. In Rajiv, they saw a my of hope. Rajiv also found anmeuse satisfection and pleasure in mixing with the masses. He always remained concerned about the poor and down trodden. He visitied remotest parts of the country with an aim to reach them. He listeus to them patently. He didnot allowed anybody to speak when he talked to them. He used to make sincese efferts to remove their sufferings. Rajiv’s “Sadbhavna Yatra” or goodwill tour to establish mass contect with the countryman was an overwhelning sucess. People thronged at the railway stations to have a glimpse of him. Once during an journey an intersting iveident took place—After a scheduled halt, the train carrying Rajiv started moving. Rajiv was trawelling in second class. As the train took speed, Rajiv saw a man running towards his bogey. The police was trying to stop him but he was determined to reach Rajiv. Sooner he caught up with the moving train and was hanging on the gets of the bogey. Rajiv was watching all this. He immediately gave a helping hand to the amn and dragged him inside. the man with tears in his eyes wanted to narrate his woes but the cops were not letting him to do so. Rajiv cousoled him, mode him sit next to him and attentively lislened to his woes.
He was a tue symbol of humanity, a kind, courteour and affeetionate person. He was totally secular person who resputed every human being. He had great leadership qualities and it was because of his progressive thoughts and matchess vision that India uitressed tremendous advaneernet in every sphare of life.
Rajiv had a special coueson for the status fo woman and children in our society and was determined to take all possible measses to uplift them so that they may lead a dignified life. It’s compassion for elderly peoply was not less and can be proved by an incident occused at Bhopal Airport. While approrling towards the airport, Rajiv observed an elderly lady struggling with a heavy hand bag but also helped her up to the peroplane. At that time he was the pilot of the plane.
He was not only overflowing with love and compassion for the people but cared for animals as well. His love for animals isampty illustrated by an ivident—
Once while trawelling in a car with his mother, Rajiv trawelling in a car with his mother, Rajiv happened to witness a seene whose a Tangawalla was brutally whepping a horse which was tollering under the overleader Tonga. Rajiv immediately made the driver to stop the car and gave a severe dressing down to the Tangawala fer showing such cruelty to the horse. Ques, two pather cubs were gifted to Pd. Nehru. The cubs were so small that they could not every open their
eyes. Rajiv kept awake the whole might to feed the cubs with the heep of a cotton suvaf swaked in milk. Once he also cameelied his birthday due to the illness of the cub. He also had two dogs which he loved them very much.
Rajiv was always open to ideas and suggstions. He encouraged the people around him to express their views without any hesitation. He always respected the views of others, even when he differed from them. He had no complexes, though he has the son of the Prime Minister. He behaved very naturally with everyone. He felt and worked for the poor He understood what poverty and deprivationment. Above all he realised that it is only with rapied industrial growht and modernisation that poverty can be removed in India.
Rajiv was the one who initiated the whole rural uplift programme. He visited the villages, but didn’t address public meetings there because he felt that in orders to understant the problems of the villagers, he must go and meet them in theri own places, in their own houses. The villages wee told not to fear the Pirme Minister. He was one of them so they should come fruard and aequaint him about their problems. He listened to everything that they said with great attention. Anybody was free to stop him in a village and tell him his problam. His love for the people was so great that he didnnot allow every his security to come between him and he people for which he lates losed his life. He lihed to be with the people who were so dear to him. He also had geat concern for the tribals and those coming from undevelopment areas. His innocent laughter, sincerity and charming personality endeared him to the tribals. He was very open hearted and open minded person. He was the youngst Prime Minister but still he was full of ideas for the country. He wanted to see that even the poorest man got the basic recessities of life. There should be enough work to provide him his livelihood so that he can lvie in dignity. The number of new innovative schemes launched by Rajiv for the overall development of the people were in feet the result of his great vision and positive thinking. Rajiv introduced Jawahar Rozgar Yojna which is aimed at giving employment to poorest people and in turn ensuring moral development by giving power to people at the village level. It’s such a fire and practical scheme that if it is implemented honestly, it can change the face of rural India. Rajiv thought of the 21st century, how India should be shaped, how India should look, how India should be great.
Rajiv was a wonderful person. He never lost his cool even in the face of the most advance conditions. He was endowed with a very strong will power and had the rere quality of facing problems with a smiling face. He used to be calon and composed and never willed under any list of pressure. He was also very courageous. When his farm house was raided during Janta Government, he was completely unruffled. He was not disturbed with the raid and seaxhas. He simply limited. Even when Indiraji was arrested Rajiv didnot lose courage.
As a human being he was parexcellence. As man to man, he was unmatched. He was a ery good human being rather a good speciman of human being. He wanted the younger generation to be active participarts in the transformation of the society. He wanted them to be involved more and more in the nation building activities. His contribution pantieulating to the youth congres was most significant. He helped the youngsters in building them up for the future. A longe number of youth congress leaders have more or less grown under his umbrage. The moment he took to polities and harted going to the people, he got instantaneous respouse. His popularity harted growing by leaps and bounds. His tours from north to south, east to west became an instanteneous success. His meeting were a tremendous success. A larger number of people used to line up on 60th sides of the road through which he passed only to give him ovation. He became a very successful P.M. within a short time. He learnt about the intricacios of polities with as tounding quickness.
He also became the victum of the opposition propaganda. The opporitious was envious of his popularity and clean image. They realised it fully well that the honesty, integrity and sincerity of Rajiv was coming in their may. So to serve their own petty ends, they damaged Rajiv’s reputation through false propaganda which finally led to Rajiv’s downfall. Mr. V.P. Singh whom Rajiv had trusted so much let him down and tried to tarnish his image by using the Bofers Deal. It was the biggest out of betrayal and stabling in the back. He knew that there was nothing against Rajiv adn then also he used to quote figures falsely in his public speeches. Rajiv losed the election in 1989. After— “We must accept that people have given their verdict against us. We are reduced from 415 to 193 we must respect the wished of the people and let anybody else form the government. That kind of democratic thinking he had. He neer losed his fiath in democracy and he strave to streng then the democratie institutions in the country. He always said—“Whenever I come to power. I will come only with the mandate of the people and not through the backdoor.”
Rajiv had a very andacious vision for India for the 21st century. He wanted India to be a modern country, Scientifically and technologically advanced. He wanted it to be a powerful counry.He was one of those leaders who had a seuse of power and the importance of power in the world and he always felf that by wishing for equality, social justice and economic development, we could make India a great nation.
He was one of the leading international figures of his time. He strode the international arena with his energetic expousal of the course most dear to him. non-violence, disarnament, international peace and a non-discniminatiory and equitable international political and economic order. His enthusiamn for these values was inspiring and he was widely respected for his maturity of thought despite his young age. He raised India’s prestige high among the comity of nations.
He crated India to cameup to the level of development and efficiency of the adrounced countries. He felt that if we didnot go in for cemputerisation, we would be left behind by the industrial revolution. He believed that computers, in the ultimate analysis didnot reduce the employement potential, but on the other employment potential, but on the other hand, inscased it. Comuters were a part of the plan of modernisation of all round activities of development in India. He stressed the use of computers specially among children. He was critisised for his Zeal to go ahead with modernisation. Hoever he thought he was right in his approach and he went ahead with his plan. He was prparing the nation for marching with the rest of the world.
On personal lihing, Rajiv had a sweet tooth. He used to relish biscuits and ‘pedas’ of coros milk. He also liked daliya’, chocolates, Ice-creams and “Jalebis”. Due to heavy work load and busy schedule, he went without regular meals and made do with working meals like sandwiches, Campa cola, boiled eggs and soup. He linked classical Indian and Western music. He also liked photography and was an excellent photographer. He also enjoyed music, movies and a long dirve with his family.
Rajiv was a strict diciplinanan. He wanted his children to be reared the way he himself was brought up. He ever insisted that his children speak hindi at home. He was a work aholic and had very little time for himself. He used to wesk for 18-20 hours a day. But whatever time he could spare he spent with his fmaily. He ws a family man, very find of his childred. He used to take personal interest in the studies of his children.
Once he heard somebody saying that Mahatma Gandhi was the messiah of the last century, Rajiv was the messiah of 21st century. He immeditely replied— Mahatma Gandhi woned not only continue to be the messiah for many more centuries to come, but world be ever more relevant in future. That howed Rajiv’s humility and respect for great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi.
During his stewardship, Rajiv was responsible for a number of Accerds, namesly Rajiv -longowal Accerd for bringing peace and stalitity to Punjab. Then he also tred his bit in Jammu and Kashmir to put an end to militancy there. Than, there ws the Assam accerd. Then the accerd with mizos and nagaland people. So, he tried hs bet to see that the country which had once united under the leadership of man like Srdar Patel was not fragmented. Infect, unity and integrity of the country were his main plank to wein the elutious. of course he had the sympathy vote also. His speeches, his mannerism, his truthfulness, his nobility, his respect for elders and his eagerness to reslove the Nehru era probably endared him to the masses.
On political reform, he made was the passing of the Anti-defectioin Bill. There was a lot of hourse-trading amungst politicians. The Anti-defection law put an end to the ‘Ayarams and Gayarams’ of polities and horse-trading. Then he also tried to introduce a uniform civil code for Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and others. The famous Shah Bano is an instance of this.
On economic reform, a landmark legislation during Rajiv’s regime was the lowering of the age of voting. Earlier the right to praveluse was available only to citizen of 21 yrs. and above. He reduced it to 18 years. However the age limit of 25 years for entry into the legislature was kept intact.
Then Rajiv wanted to introduce two more acts, one was against the press, but when he fund that regarding press bill there was a lot of opporition not only from the press but from the public also, he abandoned the bill. That was his smart move. Another bill which he was introducing was the gram panchayat bill. He wanted that democracy should groom from the grassroot level and not flow from top. And so, he wanted to introduce Gram Panchayat Bill. He also brought in legislatious for amendments in vanous laws for the emancipation of women, for the protection of the weaker section of society and for the uplift of the poor.
Rajiv was also concerned regarding judical reform. He was conoimeed that something is wrong with our judical system, that the judical process is cumbessome, highly expensive and beyone the reach of the poor masses. He was certain that justice delayed is justice denied and therefore called upon leading lawyers and vanious law bodies to come formed with measuers to aviod delays and reform the system. While presewing the independence of the judiciary, he was very much in fowour of bringing about revolutionary changes in the legal system. One shell thing was the court fees Act. There are certain court fees which are to be paid before goint to the court. Now, a poor man cannot affered it. So, he wanted to abolish these fees. He introduced lok Adalat and free legal aid to the poor and needy to see that the speedier justice could be made available to everyone. He also increased the strength of supreme county and various high court judges.
Rajiv was the arehitect of modern India, the man who put India on the path of the 21st century. One of the areas in which the country witnessed all round development during his regime has trade and industry. The first major step taken by Rajiv to ensure industrial growht was to allow industralists, traders and even businessmen freedom to talk about their problems. They all took part in the open houses hold by the ministry of finance. The industrial policy declared by Rajiv was particulary aimed at rapd growth of SSI units. It seems that Rajiv wanted to revolutionise industry trade and commerce but he aeted with restraint. It was also during his regine that for the first time the rates oof direct taxes ware reduced, and several other tax benefits were given. Rajiv clearly visualised the great potential of the Indian industry and agriculture. 20 evrene rapid industralisation and to boost experts, Rajiv liberalised India’s import and export policies. As a result of all there mearues India witnessed raped growth in the field of industry.
Besides industry another area in which India made great progress during Rajiv regime has space technolgy. Rajiv exherted the scientists to kkep pace with super power like the United States of America in attaining a high level of expertise in space technology. He was a man of great vision. He manted to achive the best in every field and desired to see India leading the world. If he had been alive today, he world have kept his promise to take India into the 21st century.
Rajiv was a regious person but not in the traditional sevse. He didnot beliave in rituals but he was deeply regious.
He respected all religious and celebrated festivals like Diwali, Holi and Dusshera. He praised the Sikh community for their valuable contribution in building moden India. He also praised the simple system of marriage and expressed his desire that every community should adopt this system so that we may not only curb a lot of irasteful expenditine but are also aboe to root out the evil of dowry form our society.
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