In my opinion a great political leader is he who is charismatic, whose hold over his party is absolute, who is clean and incorruptible and who can lead his country from strength to strength with his bold and innovative ideas.
In India’s recent history, Rajiv Gandhi is one such political figure who has impressed me most. He was not a great intellectual like his grandfather Jawahar Lai Nehru, nor was he as strong, iron-willed and shrewd as his mother Indira Gandhi. And he did not have sufficient knowledge of political affairs-he was positively ignorant of political intrigues.
But this innocence, coupled with his youthful charm, made him the darling of the millions. Since he was fresh to politics, he enjoyed the reputation of being clean and incorruptible. After the assassination of Indira Gandhi, he was voted to power with an overwhelming majority. He tried his best to bring about peace in Punjab, Kashmir and Assam.
He strengthened India’s position not only in South Asia but in the international arena also. He laid stress on scientific and technological progress and dreamt of taking India into the twenty first century. The Before scandal cast a shadow on him and he lost power in 1989. His performance as the leader of the Opposition was outstanding. He was a wonderful family man and his human traits endeared him to one and all. He met an untimely and violent death while electioneering in the South.