RAJIV GANDHI the best PM of Independent India

     It was I think middle of 1960s when I saw two handsome guys who looked European, sitting in our Rajasthan Flying club Modas. Soon some one whispered that these two  are Rajiv and Sanjay gandhi, sons of our PM Smt.Indira Gandhi.They have come for their night flying test for issue of Commercial pilots licence. Our  Cessna 142 was the only aircraft with night flying capability in almost whole of India!Also we had the venerable Chief Flying Instructor Capt.Bhandarkar (C.P.L-1) who used to be revered by every IAC  Viscount or Fokker captain who used to land  at Jaipur.The guys were jovial and looked friendly but we kept our distance as is normal in India.Then came 1971, and then emergency and then Sanjay Gandhi running the administration etc.I donot want to get into the History of that time. But I have seen Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi coming to a Chinese restaurant in Vasant vihar of Delhi and Rajiv always greeting people with a big smile. There was no SPG those days.Then one day  Indira Gandhi's was assassinated  and Rajiv was  elevated as Prime Minister of India  by Giani Zail singh. Soon one can see a fresh wave of Change in almost every thing of Government.
    2.His introduction of "JANVANI" programme which pitted the ordinary citizens in front of Camera where they quizzed the Babus of all Ministries. This was a night mare for the IAS and other Babus who were comfortable in the cocoons of their AC rooms. Ofcourse they were be planning to scuttle this programme if only Rajiv was defeated in next election. A watered down version which no one seesis being shown in Doordarshan.
    3.Then came Asiad and Rajiv was vehemently for Colour TV while the I and B minister Vasant Sathe was against it as he considered it elitist. But Rajiv got his way inspite of opposition from the usual leftists who considered it elitist  and it was a boon to sports lovers like me who purchased our first colour TV , a BPL set.in which we used to enjoy seeing Krishi darshan also in colour.
   4. Then came his decision to introduce Computers into Indian life especially Government life. The usual chorus started from the left as well as all those who might not want India to progress.But I think here Rajiv showed exemplary leadership qualities and pushed through his IT vision. This singular act of his has changed the vision of India and also India's future that we have some semblance of confidence to compete with China and its hardware.For this alone I give my vote to Rajiv as the best Independent India's Prime Minister ahead of Indira Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and also Vajpayee. In fact the enemies of our nation killed him for this very reason that he will ensure India's rise as an Independent power.It is the same powers outside and within India who are trying to stop Modi from becoming PM. It has nothing to do with BJP or its ideology but the man who may make India a strong power independent of western nations.
  5.Rajiv's  SMILE which is infectous is not seen in Rahuls face while one can see it in Priyanka.
  6. I want to add a titbit about his view on a platform which was to be installed in a Boeing 707. The Airforce and Police top brass were happy that we are buying this platform.But Rajiv asked them one simple question. When you guys are spending almost twice the cost of a new Boeing 747-400 aircraft, why not buy  a new Boeing 747 instead of the free 707 which will ensure steady spares, Pilots training and simulator lessons with Air India and also ensure support from Air India in case of any emergency.But our Myopic bosses who did not have his vision only talked about  saving money as Boeing 707 is coming free with all spares and ground equipment etc.But today the Boeing 707 and the equipment are lying as junk and ofcourse none can blame our bosses or for that matter anyone and that is how Government functions.This also showed to me how he must be questioning the Babus of Government of India on various other issues.

   7.Establishment of  National transport safety board (NTSB) under a retirred Air India Pilot who was doing wonderful job of investigating accidents. But this raised alarm bells in our civil aviation babudom in DGCA and AAI who wanted to kill it.
   8. Panchayat Raj. I just do not have the knowledge about this issue unlike Mani Shankar Iyer who was very much supportive of this plan.
      Now I have not seen Rahul Gandhi except in TVs but he just do not have his father's spontaneous smile, so My vote for this Parliament election is going to be for Modi while I will vote any day for Congress of Siddaramaih in Karnataka who is doing a yeoman job as Chief minister.
    But then the powers who killed Rajiv are still in action within and outside India and they may ensure some way Modi  is stopped.AAP,Lalu Yadav,Advani are all part of the same group whose guide is from the west.
    9.Defence deals.a) Bofors
                            b).HDW submarine deal
                             c) Airbus 320 deal
    One can talk about Winchadda, Quotorochi, AE services etc etc but none will talk about HInduJa brothers who I felt were the real king pins in this deal as well as scuttling of it by exposing the role of Qotorochi and Ardbo etc.Did Rajiv get the commission? Some one pocketed the commission but I believed Rajiv when he said He was not involved. But all these deal have proved their worth when it was needed.
    Now VP Singh who took over from Rajiv was a stickler for protocol that he did not believe any of the Industrialists and he was personally clean to a T but then he was so suspicious of Rajiv's decisions that he scrapped almost all the aircraft and defense deals of Rajiv, His Janvani programme, NTSB and I donot know what else.This cost our Indian nation.dear  Indian Airlines just could not recover from grounding of Airbus 320 for nearly 2 years is still languishing.
      Mr.Subramania swamy who was part of the one of the most corrupt regime of Chandrashekhar as PM is basically a man who loathes Sonia Gandhi and Rahul. He is great at spinning yarns which sound true to any cursory reader.But it may be interesting to many who are young that he covertly supported Rajiv Gandhi by trying to implicate spotless VP Singh and his NRI son in bogus St.Kitts scandal.The link is below.
 http://www.nytimes.com/1989/11/19/world/foe-of-gandhi-stung-by-accusations-of-cia-role.html
     Inspite of all the History gaffes, Mr.Modi is making, I feel India needs a man like him now and the people have made up their mind on this one. It will take a historical blunder from him or the BJP  to be out voted in 2014.