Rajiv Gandhi histrory, awards, achievements, progress

Born: August 20, 1944

Died: May 21, 1991

Achievements: Became Prime Minister of India at the age of 40. Led Congress to its
greatest victory in the Lok Sabha elections, winning about 80 per cent of seats.
Played a key role in the introduction of computers in India.

Rajiv Gandhi was the youngest Prime Minister of India. He became Prime Minister at
the age of 40. Rajiv Gandhi came from a family that had great political lineage. He
was the eldest son of Indira and Feroze Gandhi. Her mother Indira Gandhi and
grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru were Prime Ministers of India. As a Prime Minister
Rajiv Gandhi made a valuable contribution in modernizing Indian administration. He
had the vision and foresight to see that information technology will play a key role
in the 21 century and worked actively to develop India's capacity in this realm.

Rajiv Gandhi was born on August 20, 1944 in Bombay (Mumbai) in India's most
famous political family. His grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru played a stellar role in
India's freedom struggle and became independent India's first Prime Minister. His
parents lived separately and Rajiv Gandhi was raised at his grandfather's home
where her mother lived. Rajeev Gandhi did his schooling from the elite Doon school
and then studied at the University of London and at Trinity College, Cambridge in
Britain. At Cambridge, Rajiv Ghandi met and fell in love with an Italian student Sonia
Maino and they got married in 1969.

In his initial days as Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi was immensely popular. During his
tenure as Prime Minister of India, he brought a certain dynamism to the
premiership, which had always been occupied by older people. He is credited with
promoting the introduction of computers in India. Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi began
leading in a direction significantly different from Indira Gandhi's socialism. He
improved bilateral relations with the United States and expanded economic and
scientific cooperation. He increased government support for science and technology
and associated industries, and reduced import quotas, taxes and tariffs on
technology-based industries, especially computers, airlines, defence and
telecommunications. He worked towards reducing the red tape in the governance
and freeing administration from bureaucratic tangles. In 1986, Rajiv Gandhi
announced a national education policy to modernize and expand higher education
programs across India.

Although Rajeev Gandhi promised to end corruption, he and his party were
themselves implicated in corruption scandals. The major scandal being Bofors Gun
scandal involving alleged payoffs by the Swedish Bofors arms company. The
scandal rapidly eroded his popularity and he lost the next general elections held in
1989. A coalition comprising government came to the power but it could not last its
full term and general elections were called in 1991. While campaigning for elections
in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on May 21, 1991 by a
suicide bomber belonging to LTTE.

Jawaharlal Nehru
B orn: November 14, 1889

Died: May 27, 1964

Achievements: Took active part in Non-Cooperation Movement; elected President of

the Allahabad Municipal Corporation in 1924, and served for two years as the city's
chief executive; Presided over Congress' annual session in Lahore in 1929 and
passed a resolution demanding India's independence; elected as Congress President
in 1936, 1937, and 1946; became first Prime Minister of independent India; was one
of the main architects of Non Aligned Movement.

Jawaharlal Nehru, also known as Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, was one of the foremost
leaders of Indian freedom struggle. He was the favourite disciple of Mahatma
Gandhi and later on went on to become the first Prime Minister of India. Jawahar Lal
Nehru is widely regarded as the architect of modern India. He was very fond of
children and children used to affectionately call him Chacha Nehru.

Jawahar Lal Nehru was born on November 14, 1889. His father Motilal Nehru was a
famous Allahabad based barrister. Jawaharlal Nehru's mother's name was Swaroop
Rani. Jawaharlal Nehru was the only son of Motilal Nehru. Motilal Nehru has three
daughters apart from Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehrus were Saraswat Brahmin of Kashmiri
lineage.

Jawaharlal Nehru received education in some of the finest schools and universities
of the world. He did his schooling from Harrow and completed his Law degree from
Trinity College, Cambridge. The seven years he spent in England widened his
horizons and he acquired a rational and skeptical outlook and sampled Fabian
socialism and Irish nationalism, which added to his own patriotic dedication.

Jawaharlal Nehru returned to India in 1912 and started legal practice. He married
Kamala Nehru in 1916. Jawahar Lal Nehru joined Home Rule League in 1917. His
real initiation into politics came two years later when he came in contact with
Mahatma Gandhi in 1919. At that time Mahatma Gandhi had launched a campaign
against Rowlatt Act. Nehru was instantly attracted to Gandhi's commitment for
active but peaceful, civil disobedience. Gandhi himself saw promise and India's
future in the young Jawaharlal Nehru.
But Jawahar Lal Nehru couldn't improve India's relations with Pakistan and China.
The Kashmir issue proved a stumbling block in reaching an accord with Pakistan,
and the border dispute prevented a resolution with China. The Chinese invasion in
1962, which Nehru failed to anticipate, came as a great blow to him and probably
hastened his death. Jawaharlal Nehru died of a heart attack on May 27, 1964.

Subhas Chandra Bose

Born: January 23, 1897

Died: August 18, 1945

Achievements: Passed Indian Civil Services Exam; elected Congress President in

1938 and 1939; formed a new party All India Forward block; organized Azad Hind
Fauj to overthrow British Empire from India.

Subhas Chandra Bose, affectionately called as Netaji, was one of the most
prominent leaders of Indian freedom struggle. Though Mahatma Gandhi and
Jawaharlal Nehru have garnered much of the credit for successful culmination of
Indian freedom struggle, the contribution of Subash Chandra Bose is no less. He has
been denied his rightful place in the annals of Indian history. He founded Indian
National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) to overthrow British Empire from India and came to
acquire legendary status among Indian masses.

Subhas Chandra Bose was born on January 23, 1897 in Cuttack, Orissa. His father
Janaki Nath Bose was a famous lawyer and his mother Prabhavati Devi was a pious
and religious lady. Subhas Chandra Bose was the ninth child among fourteen
siblings. Subhas Chandra Bose was a brilliant student right from the childhood. He
topped the matriculation examination of Calcutta province and graduated with a
First Class in Philosophy from the Scottish Churches College in Calcutta. He was
strongly influenced by Swami Vivekananda's teachings and was known for his
patriotic zeal as a student. To fulfill his parents wishes he went to England in 1919
to compete for Indian Civil Services. In England he appeared for the Indian Civil
Service competitive examination in 1920, and came out fourth in order of merit.
However, Subhas Chandra Bose was deeply disturbed by the Jallianwalla Bagh
massacre, and left his Civil Services apprenticeship midway to return to India in
1921
Subhas Chandra Bose started a mass movement against utilizing Indian resources
and men for the great war. There was a tremendous response to his call and he was
put under house arrest in Calcutta. In January 1941, Subhas Chandra Bose
disappeared from his home in Calcutta and reached Germany via Afghanistan.
Working on the maxim that "an enemy's enemy is a friend", he sought cooperation
of Germany and Japan against British Empire. In January 1942, he began his regular
broadcasts from Radio Berlin, which aroused tremendous enthusiasm in India. In
July 1943, he arrived in Singapore from Germany. In Singapore he took over the
reins of the Indian Independence Movement in East Asia from Rash Behari Bose and
organised the Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army) comprising mainly of Indian
prisoners of war. He was hailed as Netaji by the Army as well as by the Indian
civilian population in East Asia. Azad Hind Fauj proceeded towards India to liberate
it from British rule. Enroute it lliberated Andeman and Nicobar Islands. The I.N.A.
Head quarters was shifted to Rangoon in January 1944. Azad Hind Fauj crossed the
Burma Border, and stood on Indian soil on March 18 ,1944.

However, defeat of Japan and Germany in the Second World War forced INA to
retreat and it could not achieve its objective. Subhas Chandra Bose was reportedly
killed in an air crash over Taipeh, Taiwan (Formosa) on August 18, 1945. Though it
is widely believed that he was still alive after the air crash not much information
could be found about him.

Veer Savarkar
Born: May 28, 1883

Died: February 26, 1966

Achievements: Founded the Abhinav Bharat Society and Free India Society; brought
out an authentic informative researched work on The Great Indian Revolt of 1857
called "The Indian War of Independence 1857"; founded Hindu Mahasabha.

Veer Savarkar occupies a unique place in the history of Indian freedom struggle. His
name evokes controversy. While some consider him as one of the greatest
revolutionaries in the Indian freedom struggle, others consider him a communalist
and Machiavellian manipulator. Vir Savarkar was also a great orator, prolific writer,
historian, poet, philosopher and social worker. He was an extraordinary Hindu
scholar. He coined Indian words for telephone, photography, the parliament, among
others.
Veer Savarkar’s original name was Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. He was born on May
28, 1883 in the village of Bhagur near Nasik. He was one among four children born
to Damodarpant Savarkar and Radhabai. Veer Savarkar had his initial education at
the Shivaji School, Nasik. He lost his mother when he was only nine. Savarkar was a
born rebel. He organized a gang of kids ,Vanarsena when he was just eleven.
During his high school days, Veer Savarkar used to organize Shivaji Utsav and
Ganesh Utsav, started by Bal Gangadhar Tilak (whom Savarkar considered as his
Guru) and used these occasions to put up plays on nationalistic themes. Savarkar
lost his father during the plague of 1899. In 1909, Madanlal Dhingra, a keen follower
of Savarkar shot Sir Wyllie after a failed assassination attempt on the then Viceroy,
Lord Curzon. Savarkar conspicuously did not condemn the act. When the then
British Collector of Nasik, A.M.T. Jackson was shot by a youth, Veer Savarkar finally
fell under the net of the British authorities. He was implicated in the murder citing
his connections with India House. Savarkar was arrested in London on March 13,
1910 and sent to India.
In 1920, many prominent freedom fighters including Vithalbhai Patel, Mahatma
Gandhi and Bal Gangadhar Tilak demanded the release of Savarkar. On May 2,
1921, Savarkar was moved to Ratnagiri jail, and from there to the Yeravada jail. In
Ratnagiri jail Savarkar wrote the book 'Hindutva'. On January 6, 1924 he was h freed
under the condition that he would not leave Ratnagiri district and abstain from
political activity for the next five years. On his release, Veer Savarkar founded the
Ratnagiri Hindu Sabha on January 23, 1924 that aimed to preserve India's ancient
culture and work for social welfare.

The Hindu Mahasabha opposed creation of Pakistan, and took exception to Gandhi's
continued Muslim appeasement stances. Nathuram Godse, a volunteer of the Hindu
Mahasabha, assassinated Gandhi in 1948 and upheld his actions till his hanging.
Veer Savarkar was arrested and indicted by the Government of India in the
Mahatma Gandhi assassination case. But he was acquitted by the Supreme Court of
India, for reasons of lack of evidence.

Veer Savarkar died on February 26, 1966 at the age of 83.