On the occasion of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's 75th birth anniversary, President of Indian Overseas Congress Sam Pitroda released a series of videos on Twitter, paying homage to the late party leader.
Through these videos, Pitroda highlighted Gandhi’s ‘achievements and contributions to the nation during his tenure.’
‘Had a Dream for India’
In the first video, which acts as an introduction of sorts to who Gandhi was as a man, Pitroda says, “He was dynamic, energetic, sincere and really had a dream for India.”
He also traces Gandhi's journey from a student to a pilot and his eventual entry into politics, as the general secretary of Congress. “He wanted to take India into the 21st Century with a great deal of pride,” Pitroda adds.
Rajiv Gandhi’s Many Contributions
In another video, Pitroda says that one of the most important contributions made by Gandhi was to give people ‘voting rights at the age of 18’.
Talking about Gandhi’s contributions, Pitroda points out that the leader started many programmes to “take technology to the poorest of the poor”, focusing on drinking water in rural areas, immunisation, literacy, and milk production, among others.
He also credits Gandhi’s tenure as PM for taking the first steps towards the improvement of the literacy rate.
Pitroda also states that the government in the Gandhi era focused on privatisation, liberalisation and globalisation, as well as deregulation and free market economy.
He also lauds Gandhi for having brought about panchayat raj with the belief that it would transform decision making at even the lowermost levels of administration.
The Legacy of Rajiv Gandhi
In another one of the videos, Pitroda rues that despite all of Gandhi’s contributions and achievements, a “serious campaign was launched on Bofors against him.”
“Some mistakes that we had made in the process were amplified and Gandhi lost the election,” he says.
He then remembers Gandhi’s assassination with regret, saying that his death affected not only the people close to him but also the nation. However, Pitroda says that Gandhi’s dream to build a new India, where everyone is prosperous, lives on.
Pitroda concludes by saying that on Gandhi’s 75th birth anniversary, there is a need to reflect on “Gandhi the individual, the prime minister, his dreams, his contributions, his unfinished business and to continue to believe in him.”
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