KKN Gurugram Desk | On May 21, 1991, India was stunned by the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in a suicide bombing orchestrated by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. His assassination, which occurred during an election campaign, not only changed the trajectory of Indian politics but also marked one of the most high-profile political assassinations in modern South Asian history.
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Was Rajiv Gandhi Aware of His Impending Fate?
In her book The Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, journalist Neena Gopal recounts how she interviewed Rajiv just hours before his death. During the interaction, Rajiv Gandhi reflected on a pattern of political violence in South Asia. He reportedly said:
“Have you noticed how every leader in South Asia—Indira Gandhi, Sheikh Mujib, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Bandaranaike—when they begin to accomplish something significant, they are brought down, attacked, or killed?”
Hours later, he was assassinated, his words turning prophetic.
Intercepted LTTE Communications Had Exposed the Plot
Rajiv Gandhi’s decision to send the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) to Sri Lanka to combat Tamil insurgency, on the advice of Indian diplomats and intelligence officials, had drawn sharp resentment from the LTTE. The mission, although strategically significant, failed to dismantle the LTTE and resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Indian soldiers.
By the late 1980s, the LTTE viewed Rajiv Gandhi as an adversary. Between April 1990 and May 1991, Indian intelligence agencies intercepted several LTTE messages suggesting clear intentions to eliminate Rajiv.
According to Colonel R. Hariharan, who led a team monitoring LTTE communications, tapes included phrases like:
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“Rajiv Gandhi avarand mandalai addipodalam” (Let’s blow up Rajiv Gandhi’s convoy)
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“Dump pannidungo” (Execute him)
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“Maranai vechidungo” (Kill him)
These intercepts were clear indicators of an imminent threat. Yet, despite this knowledge, security measures around Rajiv Gandhi remained insufficient, especially during his campaign trail in Tamil Nadu.
The Night of the Assassination: What Went Wrong in Sriperumbudur
On May 21, 1991, Rajiv Gandhi arrived in Sriperumbudur, about 40 km from Chennai, for a late-night election rally. As he walked down the red carpet, greeting supporters and accepting garlands, a young girl recited a poem to him. Nearby stood a woman named Dhanu, posing as a supporter with a sandalwood garland.
As Rajiv paused to engage with the crowd, Dhanu approached and bent down as if to touch his feet, activating a suicide belt laden with RDX explosives. The blast killed Rajiv Gandhi instantly, along with several others present.
Constable Anusuya, part of his security detail, later testified that Rajiv had gestured to control the crowd moments before the explosion, suggesting he sensed something unusual.
Security Failures Despite Intelligence Warnings
What makes the assassination even more tragic is the fact that multiple intelligence reports explicitly warned of a potential LTTE plot. Still, Rajiv’s security during the Tamil Nadu campaign was shockingly inadequate.
This lapse is attributed to the political turmoil of the time. After the fall of the Chandra Shekhar government, interim arrangements led to a reduction in VIP security protocols, despite the former PM’s high threat perception.
A Young Leader with Record-Breaking Electoral Mandate
Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister following the assassination of his mother, Indira Gandhi, in 1984. At just 40 years old, he remains India’s youngest Prime Minister.
In the 1984 general elections, his party, the Indian National Congress, secured a landslide victory, winning 414 out of 543 Lok Sabha seats—a record that remains unmatched in Indian electoral history.
The Congress party headquarters at 24 Akbar Road in Delhi reportedly remained illuminated for three straight days in celebration, a first and last of its kind in the party’s history.
Rajiv Gandhi and the Ram Janmabhoomi Dispute: A Contested Decision
One of the most controversial decisions during Rajiv’s tenure was the unlocking of the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi site in February 1986. While some political analysts have interpreted this as a tilt toward “soft Hindutva”, aimed at balancing the backlash from the Shah Bano case, others argue it was an administrative decision made without the Prime Minister’s explicit knowledge.
Former IAS officer Wajahat Habibullah, who served in Rajiv’s PMO, claims in his memoir My Years with Rajiv Gandhi: Triumph and Tragedy:
“When I asked Rajiv if he was aware of the decision to unlock the site, he categorically said no. He believed governments should not interfere in religious matters and had only learned about the unlocking after it had happened.”
Rajiv Gandhi’s Enduring Legacy
Though his tenure was marked by bold reforms, including the digital revolution, telecom liberalization, and pushing for Panchayati Raj empowerment, it was also marred by political controversies like:
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Bofors scandal
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Assam Accord
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Punjab insurgency
Yet, Rajiv is remembered as a modernizer who attempted to transition India into the 21st century, both technologically and diplomatically.
Global and Domestic Impact of His Assassination
The assassination of Rajiv Gandhi had far-reaching implications:
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Election campaigns across India were halted temporarily.
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The LTTE was globally condemned and later banned in India.
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India’s foreign policy towards Sri Lanka underwent a recalibration.
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It also led to heightened focus on VIP security protocols and the formation of the Special Protection Group (SPG).
On this 34th death anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi, India remembers a leader whose life and career were cut short by the very extremism he once attempted to contain. His death serves as a reminder of the fragility of democracy, the cost of peacekeeping, and the need for stronger intelligence coordination.
As India continues to face modern threats, Rajiv’s assassination remains a tragic case study in security oversight, international diplomacy, and the price of political courage.
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