Preface...

This book is an endeavour to discover the true significance of the many sided contributions of Rajiv Gandhi – the former Prime Minister of India– in different areas of national life. This theme has been chosen for the book because I believe that the nation is yet to fully grasp the momentousness of his contributions. It will be a tragedy if these are allowed to be obscured or lost sight of. These contributions have been highlighted
unswayed by the adulatory or condemnatory writings already available about the man and his time.

Rajiv Gandhi’s emergence on the Indian political scene as a reluctant entrant unsullied by ‘political experience’ had a unique charm about it.

The freshness of his mind and his modern outlook in general were happily welcomed by an India in the throes of transition. He created a new mood in the jaded politics of the country. He compelled people to think of the
next century, its challenges and possibilities. He was in a hurry to catch upwith the rest of the world in scientific and economic advancement. He
tried to recast education to meet the needs of a fast-changing society. He
was as conscious about the need to protect the environment as he was about providing clean drinking water to the people. He initiated the
liberalization of the economy so that India could reach a higher stage of development. He brought a new dynamism into India’s foreign-policy orientations.

The title of this book, Resurgent India, has been chosen after careful study of the contributions Rajiv Gandhi made during his five-year tenure,setting the trend for the country’s economic and technological development. By any yardstick, this period can be described as a period of resurgence.

From the nation’s point of view, the contributions Rajiv Gandhi made and
the trend he set in modernizing a traditional, slow-paced and lethargic society are phenomenal. This book picks up and highlights this truth for the benefit of future generations.

To be continued....