For the longest time it seemed as if Rajiv Gandhi would stay out of politics. The son of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi attended college in the United Kingdom and, in 1966, came to India to work as a pilot for the state-owned Indian Airlines.

And then his brother, Sanjay Gandhi, who had until then been Indira's right-hand man, died in a plane crash in 1980. Sanjay had been the young face of the Indian National Congress, as well as one of the bigger players in the country's political structure particularly during the Emergency. As the short-lived Janata Party government collapsed towards the end of the 1970s, Indira had hoped Sanjay would be a part of her comeback bid.

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Instead, that task fell to Rajiv, who was advised not to fly planes after his brother's death in a crash, and who came under severe pressure from across the party to join politics. Rajiv would eventually contest elections from Amethi, his brother's constituency only to rise in stature within the party, being put in charge of the 1982 Asian Games.

Tragedy continued to pilot Rajiv's political future: On the morning of 31 October, 1984, his mother was assassinated by her bodyguards to avenge Operation Blue Star and he had to immediately step up and swear in as the Prime Minister of India – the youngest one India had seen so far. He served the office from 31 October 1984 till 2 December 1989.

He is remembered fondly by some, although his tenure was full of controversy, including everything from the 1984 anti-Sikh riots to the Babri Masjid controversy, the Shah Bano affair and the Bofors corruption case. Among the most serious was the Indian Peacekeeping Force sent to end the civil war in Sri Lanka, which turned out not only to be a military disaster, but also the cause of Rajiv's own death: at the hands of a Tamil Tiger suicide bomber.

Rajiv was survived by members of his family all of whom continue to play a major role in the politics of the country: wife, Sonia Gandhi, now the president of the Congress; son, Rahul Gandhi, vice president of the party and daughter Priyanka Gandhi, who many believe could follow in the footsteps of her illustrious father and grandmother.