Architect of modern India

"Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls, the most massive characters are seared with scars" - Kahlil Gibran

This quote perfectly suits Rajiv Gandhi, whose 78th birth anniversary we celebrate today. Gandhi was born today in Bombay and went on to become the youngest prime minister of India till date. Today, we celebrate him as a person and his excellent initiation in several fields, few of which are aviation, information technology, telecom and Panchayati raj.

As a child, Rajiv Gandhi was an introverted and artistic person. His teachers describe him as a shy and creative kid who would sit and draw several times a day. Growing up, he valued his education which led him to take several steps in the education field in India.

Rajiv Gandhi is regarded as the Father of Information Technology and Telecom Revolution in India as he developed the technology in the public sector. He had a continuous fire in him to bring change in the telecom industry of India which led to setting-up of the Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited, popularly known as MTNL. On top of developing MTNL, he even made it available to the rural masses to use at a time where having a phone was considered a luxury for the rich and elite. For this, he is rejoiced by the people as it was a door which enabled endless possibilities for them and gave them an opportunity to compete with the abled for a fair chance. This is exactly what Gandhi aspired for as he understood the importance of giving the right tools to a young and hardworking country.

To many, he may seem just a politician but on a personal level he was a sensitive and visionary human being. His view of the future enabled him to promote and introduce liberalisation to India. He even sought to rid the Indian national congress of corrupt leaders so as to have a smooth and high functioning party. Even our country's democracy saw a commendable step taken by the former prime minister. As soon as Rajiv Gandhi came to power, he addressed the problem of defection in Indian politics, which had been a devastating practice and extremely unethical in an ethical ground of democracy, by prohibiting this practice with the 42nd amendment to the Indian constitution. Moreover, he consulted the party members before making any decision because he believed in debate and discussion and wanted several views on one topic to get the best resolution to any complication.

Rajiv Gandhi was a self-aware person, which was a very useful trait for himself as he never flowed in arrogance and his surroundings as anyone could point out a mishap without the worry to please him. He displayed this trait by accepting the fact that he was not very studious about his subjects in higher education, but he did also acknowledge that he did knew the importance of education and technology, and hence, he was rightly regarded as the PM of modern India.

Though he may not walk with us today, but he has left an unforgettable legacy which still guides the youth and elderly alike. Today we commemorate the birth anniversary of a visionary, clear-headed, and dynamic leader but more-so a passionate, sensitive and kind hearted human being.

The writer is National Chairman, Media Department, Indian Youth Congress. Views expressed are personal