(Image source from: indiatoday)

Rajiv Gandhi was the youngest Prime Minister India ever saw. He was the seventh Prime Minister of the country who entered politics reluctantly but shined bright in his tenure.

Had Rajiv Gandhi not been assassinated in 1991, he would have turned 76 today. India marks the birthday of Rajiv Gandhi as Sadbhavana Divas to encourage integrity, love, and peace among countries.

He was the last member of the Nehru-Gandhi family who held the position of the Prime Minister. He was a pilot before he joined politics and showed barely any interest in joining politics. However, the circumstances surrounding his brother Sanjay Gandhi’s death made him to eventually enter the political world.

As we remember Rajiv Gandhi today on his birth anniversary, here are some of the lesser-known and surprising facts about him.

• Rajiv Gandhi became active in Politics in his thirties and became the Prime Minister at the age of 40.
• After studying engineering for three years at Trinity College in Cambridge, he went on to study mechanical engineering but did not complete both the degrees as he is not interested in mugging for exams.
• He joined the flying club in Delhi where he was trained to become a pilot. He was employed by Air India in 1970.
• Photography gave immense pleasure to Rajiv Gandhi but he remained modest about it. After his death, Sonia Gandhi published a book ‘Rajiv’s World:
• Photographs by Rajiv Gandhi’ which contained the photos clicked by Rajiv Gandhi over 4 decades.
• He was called Mr.Clean over his promise to root out corruption from the country. He was unassociated from any form of controversies and even the opposition had very little to criticize about him.
• Gandhi’s first action as a Prime Minister was passing the anti-defection law in January 1985. According to this law, an elected member of Parliament or legislative assembly cannot join the opposition party until the next election.
• He was the only Prime Minister of the country who drove himself around during his election campaigns. Journalist Suman Chattopadhyay who assisted him in his campaigns wrote in his book that Rajiv Gandhi drove like a Grand Prix driver on the state roads. The security cars trailing behind him often fell far behind unable to maintain the pace with his speed.
• Take a look at his immersive driving skills: Rajiv Gandhi driving
• After the death of Sanjay Gandhi, Jagadhguru of Badrinath, Swami Shri Swaroopanandji visited his house and told Indira Gandhi that her son should stop flying. When she asked how would her household run if he stopped flying, he replied by saying that he firmly believes that Rajiv Gandhi should dedicate himself to the service of the nation. 

By Gayatri Yellayi