Rajiv Gandhi was an Indian politician who served as the 6th Prime Minister of India from 1984 to 1989. He took office after the 1984 assassination of his mother, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to become the youngest Indian Prime Minister at the age of 40.
Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on 21 May 1991.
He was campaigning for the Sriperumbudur Lok Sabha Congress candidate when a woman who was later identified as Thenmozhi Rajaratnam, a member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam approached him and greeted him. She then bent down to touch his feet and detonated a belt laden with 700 g of RDX explosives tucked under her dress.
The explosion killed Gandhi, Rajaratnam and atleast 14 other people.
The assassination was captured by a 21-year-old local photographer whose camera and film were found at the site. The cameraman-Haribabu died in the blast but the camera remained intact.
Gandhi's mutilated body was airlifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi for post-mortem, reconstruction and embalming. A state funeral was held for Gandhi on 24 May 1991, it was telecast live and was attended by dignitaries from over 60 countries.
He was cremated at Veer Bhumi, on the banks of the river Yamuna near the shrines of his mother Indira Gandhi, brother Sanjay Gandhi and grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru.
Since his death, 21 May has been declared as Anti-Terrorism Day in India. A day where people are made aware of the havoc that terrorist attacks cause and it is a day for people to remember to keep the peace and stay united with each other.
On his death anniversary, here are some unseen pictures of Rajiv Gandhi with his family:
Feroze Gandhi with a young Rajiv and others at New Delhi’s Palam airport. | NMML
Feroze Gandhi with his son Sanjay Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi Sharing Light Moments with Pandit Nehru. | NMML
Rajiv Gandhi Death Anniversary: A fairytale love story met with a tragic end |
Indira Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sanjay Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi | Wikipedia
Indira Gandhi and sons- Rajiv and Sanjay | Wikipedia
