Born in Ghaziabad, Rajesh Pilot worked as a milkman in Delhi while continuing his education
In 1963, he joined the Army and later the Air Force, rising to Squadron Leader
He contested the 1980 Lok Sabha elections, adopting the surname “Pilot”
Rajesh Pilot, born Rajeshwar Prasad Singh Bidhuri on February 10, 1945, in Baidpura village, Ghaziabad, India, was an Indian politician, social worker, agriculturist, and former Indian Air Force officer. Despite his later fame, he was not originally named “Pilot”—that surname was adopted later under certain circumstances. But he made that name popular, and eventually his whole family used it as their 2nd name.
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As a young man, Rajeshwar moved to Delhi and worked as a milkman in his uncle’s dairy. In an interview with Rajeev Shukla, he recalled, “I used to sell milk.” He mentioned that he delivered milk in the neighborhoods of Delhi, including Rakabganj Road, where he used to sell milk to the prominent figures such as Professor Ranga, then an MP, Iqbal Singh, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, and Dr. Subhag Singh from Bihar. He also sold milk at the Parliament canteen.
Even while working, Rajeshwar pursued his education. He completed his higher secondary schooling at MB Higher Secondary School in Delhi but scored only 36 percent, slightly above the 33 percent passing mark. Unable to gain admission to colleges in Delhi, he moved to Meerut for further studies. Reflecting on this period in the interview, he said,
It’s all about time. Sometimes, whatever we do, we succeed, and sometimes, even with a lot of hard work, we fail.
He considered 1963 a turning point in his life, describing it as a year when everything he attempted seemed to work out. He joined the Army, was selected, and later applied to the Air Force, where he was also accepted, eventually rising to the rank of Squadron Leader.
Rajeshwar’s interest in politics grew out of a desire to help those who, like him in his youth, faced hardships. He explained that while his own family was not facing any hardship and he was living a good life with his two children and his wife, others were still going through the same struggles he once did. He could help himself but not them. This sense of responsibility led him to go to Indira Gandhi.
One evening, he received a call from the Congress party, urging him to contest elections from Bharatpur. Rajeshwar traveled there with his wife and discovered that thousands of people had gathered to witness the nomination process. During the filing, the officer asked him to write his surname as “Pilot.” Rajeshwar recalled, “Sir, my name is not Pilot; I just flew airplanes.” The officer instructed him to attach a two-rupee affidavit, officially registering him as Rajeshwar Prasad urf Rajesh Pilot. From that day on, he became widely known as Rajesh Pilot.
In 1980, he entered the 7th Lok Sabha from Bharatpur as an Indian National Congress candidate, defeating the former queen of Bharatpur. His victory marked the beginning of a steady rise in national politics.
He went on to win the 8th Lok Sabha elections from Dausa, Rajasthan, and later served as a Union Minister. During his career, he also founded the Jai Jawan Jai Kisan Trust and returned to Parliament with another win in the 10th Lok Sabha. From 1999 until his untimely death in 2000, he served on the Committee on Public Accounts, remaining committed to public service until the very end.
His remarkable journey—from selling milk in Delhi to serving as a Squadron Leader in the Air Force, and ultimately becoming a respected politician—stands as a testament to his resilience, ambition, and lifelong commitment to the nation. [Rh/VP]
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