ID :
61781
Thu, 05/21/2009 - 23:37
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/61781
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Nation remembers Rajiv
New Delhi, May 21 (PTI) Rich tributes were Thursday
paid to former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his death
anniversary with Congress workers thronging his memorial in
Sriperumbudur, people taking anti-terrorism pledges and party
supporters in Amethi reminiscing their association with him.
President Pratibha Patil, Vice-President Hamid Ansari,
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the departed leader's widow
and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi were among the first to pay
floral tributes to the late leader at 'Veer Bhumi', the
memorial of Gandhi here in the national capital, on his 18th
death anniversary.
Children of Gandhis, Congress MP Rahul and Priyanka
along with her husband Robert Vadra were also present at the
remembrance ceremony at the memorial, which was decorated with
hundreds of white lotuses on the occasion.
By sheer coincidence, the death anniversary of Rajiv
Gandhi comes three days after the elimination of LTTE chief
Velupillai Prabhakaran, who was responsible for his death.
At his memorial in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu, where
he was assassinated by an LTTE woman suicide bomber this day
in 1991, Congress workers paid homage to him.
Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy, who was among
others who paid homage to the departed leader in
Sriperumbudur, said Rajiv was an "investment" of the nation.
Speaking on the killing of the LTTE chief, he said the
"LTTE chief robbed India of an investment. A national
investment. Its very difficult to get leaders like that. So,
in a sense, it is vindication, reaffirmation in the memory of
Rajiv Gandhi that he (Prabhakaran) has been killed just before
his martyrdom day."
In Chennai, an anti-terrorism pledge was administered
by Finance Minister K Anbazhagan to employees at the
Secretariat.
Rich tributes were also paid to Rajiv in Amethi from
where he was elected in 1981, 1984 and 1989.
Local resident Sardar Balwant Singh said, "We will
always be missing Rajiv Gandhi, but the fact that LTTE chief
Velupillai Prabhakaran has been killed gives us some relief
that justice finally prevailed. And the people of this place
are quite happy on this."
In Delhi, the remembrance ceremony began with the
entry of 18 children signifying the 18th year of martyrdom of
Gandhi.One of the children offered a length of Red Khadi in
remembrance of the sacrifice of the late leader while another
placed a 'diya' on the samadhi.
Pandit Madhu Mudgal's recital in ragas Todi, Desi and
Bhairavi harmonised well with the mood on the occasion.
A speech of Gandhi emphasising the need of secularism
and fight against communalism was also played at the function.
The ceremony ended with two young athletes taking
round of the memorial with tricolour in hand.
Several Congress supporters paid tributes to Rajiv in
Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh and remembered his contribution
to the Panchayati Raj system. PTI
paid to former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his death
anniversary with Congress workers thronging his memorial in
Sriperumbudur, people taking anti-terrorism pledges and party
supporters in Amethi reminiscing their association with him.
President Pratibha Patil, Vice-President Hamid Ansari,
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the departed leader's widow
and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi were among the first to pay
floral tributes to the late leader at 'Veer Bhumi', the
memorial of Gandhi here in the national capital, on his 18th
death anniversary.
Children of Gandhis, Congress MP Rahul and Priyanka
along with her husband Robert Vadra were also present at the
remembrance ceremony at the memorial, which was decorated with
hundreds of white lotuses on the occasion.
By sheer coincidence, the death anniversary of Rajiv
Gandhi comes three days after the elimination of LTTE chief
Velupillai Prabhakaran, who was responsible for his death.
At his memorial in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu, where
he was assassinated by an LTTE woman suicide bomber this day
in 1991, Congress workers paid homage to him.
Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy, who was among
others who paid homage to the departed leader in
Sriperumbudur, said Rajiv was an "investment" of the nation.
Speaking on the killing of the LTTE chief, he said the
"LTTE chief robbed India of an investment. A national
investment. Its very difficult to get leaders like that. So,
in a sense, it is vindication, reaffirmation in the memory of
Rajiv Gandhi that he (Prabhakaran) has been killed just before
his martyrdom day."
In Chennai, an anti-terrorism pledge was administered
by Finance Minister K Anbazhagan to employees at the
Secretariat.
Rich tributes were also paid to Rajiv in Amethi from
where he was elected in 1981, 1984 and 1989.
Local resident Sardar Balwant Singh said, "We will
always be missing Rajiv Gandhi, but the fact that LTTE chief
Velupillai Prabhakaran has been killed gives us some relief
that justice finally prevailed. And the people of this place
are quite happy on this."
In Delhi, the remembrance ceremony began with the
entry of 18 children signifying the 18th year of martyrdom of
Gandhi.One of the children offered a length of Red Khadi in
remembrance of the sacrifice of the late leader while another
placed a 'diya' on the samadhi.
Pandit Madhu Mudgal's recital in ragas Todi, Desi and
Bhairavi harmonised well with the mood on the occasion.
A speech of Gandhi emphasising the need of secularism
and fight against communalism was also played at the function.
The ceremony ended with two young athletes taking
round of the memorial with tricolour in hand.
Several Congress supporters paid tributes to Rajiv in
Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh and remembered his contribution
to the Panchayati Raj system. PTI
