21 May : A Memory Called Rajiv Gandhi

Certain  memories never fade with time. For me, one such memory is seeing Rajiv Gandhi for the first time at Kota Maidan, Kannur, during an election campaign in the 1980s. I had gone there with my mother, an ardent Congress sympathiser, carrying a VIP pass from her relative, which allowed us to sit near to the stage and see him up close.

I was a high school student then. Like many young Malayalis of that time, I was gradually drawn into politics through newspapers, magazines, and the strong current of left-oriented thoughts. Yet, that morning was not merely about politics. It was about emotion, excitement, and the arrival of a young leader, the interim Prime Minister, who had captured the imagination of the nation.

There was an energy in the crowd that is difficult to describe today. People waited for hours just to catch a glimpse of him. When he finally arrived, dressed in his simple white kurta-pyjama, the ground erupted with cheers. To many, Rajiv Gandhi represented youth, modernity, and a new India trying to move forward after a turbulent period in its history. Even as a student with different political inclinations, I could sense the charisma and hope he inspired among ordinary people.

The maidan was overflowing with people. Men stood on walls and trees, people waited patiently under the sun, and slogans filled the air. Then suddenly someone shouted, “Helicopter!” Within seconds, the crowd erupted into excitement as two helicopters appeared in the sky above Kota Maidan

When Rajiv Gandhi came onto the stage and waved, the response from the crowd was unbelievable. He looked young, confident, and modern ,very different from the traditional image of Indian politicians at that time. He spoke only for a few minutes, but people had come mainly to see him in person. The emotions of the crowd were tremendous.

What fascinated me most was that even my uncle and aunt, both Communist Party card holders, were present there among the thousands. They had not come to support Congress; they had come to witness the new young Prime Minister who had become a national phenomenon.

Rajiv Gandhi entered politics after the assassination of his mother, Indira Gandhi, and soon became the youngest Prime Minister of India. His tenure brought a new vision of modern India, computers, telecommunications, technological advancement, and administrative reforms. For many Indians, he symbolised youth, hope, and the promise of a changing nation. But his political journey was also marked by controversies, challenges, and turbulent national issues. Still, even critics often acknowledged his personal decency and calm nature.

Then came  21 May 1991.

Late that night, at around 11, our home phone suddenly started ringing. It was the school summer vacation, and the house was full of relatives and children. We had all been enjoying a lively evening together. My uncle attended the call. It was from one of his friends in the press.

As he slowly put down the receiver, he looked at all of us in silence for a moment and said, “Rajiv Gandhi… bomb blast.”

The room fell silent instantly. The joy and laughter of the evening disappeared in a moment, replaced by shock, confusion, and an uneasy fear none of us could fully understand then. His voice was tense and shaken.  He slowly said news had just come in that there had been a massive blast at Tamil Nadu during Rajiv Gandhi’s election campaign. In an instant, the laughter and noise in the house faded into stunned silence. Those days  TV and radio stations close by 11. That night, nobody slept. We waited anxiously for the morning newspapers, hoping to learn the full details of the tragedy. The entire country  drowned in grief. Beyond political lines and party differences, there was a shared sense of shock and sorrow.

Only a few years earlier, I had seen him smiling and waving before a massive crowd at Kannur. To hear of his sudden and violent death felt unreal.

I still preserve a book filled with newspaper clippings from those days  reports, photographs, editorials, and tributes connected with Rajiv Gandhi and his assassination. They are not merely old newspaper cuttings, but memories of a time when an entire nation stood shocked and heartbroken.

Even today, whenever I think of Rajiv Gandhi, two images come to my mind ,  the young leader waving before a roaring crowd at Kota Maidan in Kannur, and the tragic news from Sriperumbudur that silenced the nation.