New Delhi:
This year's anniversary would have special significance for the Gandhi family coming as it does after Sonia and Rahul led the Congress to a magnificent victory in the general elections.
A year ago, it was only the Gandhi family and a close few who paid their respects in Vir Bhoomi. But as a sharp contrast this year, on Rajiv Gandhi's 18th death anniversary, from those who were denied a ticket this elections, to those who came out with flying colours -- all of them lined up to show support to the Congress' first family.
This comes just days after the Congress won its biggest election victory since 1991.
As they remember Rajiv, the Gandhi family is only too aware that this is a watershed moment. They have the people's mandate and Rahul Gandhi has clearly emerged as the future of the party.
For the Gandhis, the wheel has come full circle with the man believed to have plotted Rajiv Gandhi's assassination -- LTTE chief Prabhakaran's own violent death earlier this week.
Speaking to NDTV about her father's death, Priyanka Gandhi said, "In the beginning when my father was killed I didn't realise it, but I was furious; absolutely furious inside. I wasn't furious with a particular individual but I was furious with the whole world. When you're younger you're angry and you don't understand things and as you grow up the anger passes. And of course it's been a lot of time it's been 17 years."
Thus, it's a closure at last and a chance to move on to a secure and stable political future.