Rajiv Gandhi Birth Anniversary 2024: How did an Indian Airlines pilot become country's youngest PM

Rajiv Gandhi joined his mother Indira in politics in 1980 following the death of his younger brother Sanjay,

Rajiv Gandhi became India's youngest Prime Minister (PM) at the age of 40 in 1984 after the assassination of his mother and the sitting head of the government Indira Gandhi. He continues to be one of the youngest heads of the government in the world.

Despite his mother and brother Sanjay's active role in politics, Gandhi did not step into politics until his sibling's death. He lived away from the shadow of politics as a family man with his wife Sonia and two children, Rahul and Priyanka, and was a professional pilot with Indian Airlines.

Gandhi was introduced to politics as a three-year-old because his grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru was India's first PM. He was born in Mumbai, and after his birth, his parents moved to New Delhi. Gandhi's father Feroze was a Member of Parliament. He studied at Doon School in the hills of Dehradun and was joined at the institute by younger brother Sanjay.

Gandhi pursued his higher education from London's Imperial College in mechanical engineering.

According to an article published on the Government of India website, Gandhi's classmates had stated that he had little interest in philosophy, politics or history while studying and mostly stuck to his subjects of science and engineering. However, he did have an interest in classical and modern music as well as photography.

But his greatest passion was flying and he took his ambitions seriously. Gandhi cleared the entrance exam to the Delhi Flying Club and went to the get a commercial pilot's licence and joined Indian Airlines.

Following his marriage to Sonia and the birth of his two kids, the family continued living with Indira but despite the political activities bustling in their house, the couple led a very private life.

Sanjay on the other hand was considered to be their mother's political successor. However, the year 1980 changed the course of destiny for Gandhi as his younger brother, who was only 33 at the time, died in an air crash. Gandhi then felt some compulsions to help his mother in her political career. He was reluctant at first, as was Sonia, to enter into politics. But Gandhi soon contested for the by-election for the Amethi seat in Uttar Pradesh which was vacant following his brother's death.

After that, there was no looking back. In 1982, India hosted the Asian Games for the first time and Gandhi played a huge role in ensuring that the sporting event was a success. He also began expanding the party cadre, especially with a younger generation of leaders.

However, on October 31, 1984, Gandhi suffered shock when his mother was assassinated. In his memoir, ‘The Turbulent Years: 1980-96', former President Pranab Mukherjee, who served in Gandhi's cabinet, revealed that within few hours, the Congress cadre had made up their mind to make Indira's only surviving son their next leader and the head of the government. According to Mukherjee, Gandhi had asked him, "Do you think I can manage", to which the former President said that the cadre was there to support him and that he should move ahead with the responsibility of heading the world's largest democracy. According to Mukherjee, the decision was made even before they reached Delhi from West Bengal, where Gandhi was campaigning for an upcoming election.

He was administered the oath on the same day his mother died and Congress won the next election, as a nation grieving for its dead former PM gave her son the biggest mandate ever seen in an Indian election.

However, in the 1989 election, Gandhi was defeated.

On May 21, 1991, while campaigning in Tamil Nadu for the upcoming election, Gandhi was assassinated by LTTE terrorists. He died young, at the age of 46 and left a legacy behind him. Though Gandhi faced a lot of criticism over his handling of the Sikh genocide, the LTTE-Sri Lanka crisis and India's economic situation, he is also credited for bringing technological reforms in the country.