Remembering Rajiv Gandhi on his 23rd death anniversary

“Where do we go from here? We are imprisoned by the narrow domestic walls of religion, language , caste and region blocking out the clear view of a resurgent nation. Is this the nation Mahatma Gandhi and Indira Gandhi sacrificed their lives for?”              Rajiv Gandhi

Rajiv Gandhi, the legendary leader of the Congress party, the creator of modern India and the former Prime Minister, was one of the most visionary leaders India has ever witnessed. His insights and initiatives into liberalization of Indian economy, technological advancement and most importantly bringing the computer revolution in India, made him a futuristic leader of his times. India went through a lot of changes under Rajiv Gandhi’s leadership. He was posthumously awarded the Highest National Award of India, Bharat Ratna 1991. Rajiv Gandhi’s personality and leadership brought in a high level of dynamism in India’s foreign relations. He also left his own personal mark on India’s foreign policy. Rajiv Gandhi was a humble and polite leader as well as an extremely ambitious and dynamic Prime Minister. His mature and effective leadership and initiative led India to become one of the leading markets in telecommunication and Information technology. Rajiv Gandhi created a separate identity for himself and he also was successful in taking forward Indira Gandhi and Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru’s initiatives as well. He scripted a new vision for the Non-Alignment Movement (NAM) - Nuclear disarmament. He was a great believer of peace and this belief propelled him to propose the idea of disarmament. He championed the cause of NAM, which he saw as a very important pedestal to facilitating peaceful relations between nations. He realized the futility of spending millions on arms and ammunition, and the wild pursuit of arms race, when a huge section of the population was starving. Rajiv Gandhi played a vital role to improve the bilateral relationships with the United States of America and subsequently expanded the economic and scientific cooperation with it. A revived foreign policy, emphasizing on the economic liberalization and information and technology helped India to find a mark in the global map. Under his tenure as the Prime Minister, India also took up the cause of fighting against apartheid in South Africa. India’s role is considered instrumental in establishing the South Africa Fund under the cause of Non-Alignment Movement and thus provided support for many South African countries in their struggle for independence through this fund. Rajiv Gandhi’s farsighted initiative also resulted into formation of G15 countries for promotion of the non-alignment movement further enhancing and encouraging South-South cooperation and facilitating a collective dialogue of the South countries with the industrialized nation-states. Rajiv Gandhi was instrumental in modernizing the Indian armed forces. India developed missiles like Prithvi, Trishul, Agni, etc. during his leadership. The defense spending was one fifth of the total government expenditure. He helped India enhance her image and stature in world politics. India’s standing in the world had improved a great deal the only unresolved issue was that of SriLanka for which he lost his life. Rajiv Gandhi government took vigorous measures to reform the government bureaucracy and liberalize the country's economy. He is credited with promoting the introduction of computers in India. The economic policies adopted by Rajiv Gandhi were different from his precursors. His government’s measures to reduce the "Red Tapism" were remarkable. In 1986, Rajiv Gandhi announced a "national education policy" to modernize and expand higher education programs across India. Rajiv Gandhi brought a revolution in the field of information technology and telecom. The idea helped in originating the Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited, popularly known as MTNL. He was the man to transcend telecom services to the rural India or "India in true sense". Rajiv Gandhi introduced India to modern science and technology, which he considered as the very essence of development. He said, 'Freedom and racism cannot co-exist. Science and poverty cannot co-exist.' Rajiv Gandhi laid great emphasis on the green revolution which he looked upon as being extremely important for agricultural development. He spoke ardently about social justice. For him, equality among people was extremely important, because a society ridden with class and caste distinction was a hindrance to development.

Sonia Gandhi addresses the Indira Gandhi National Integration Award function

Needs at least Flash Player Ver.9 to Play Download Here

Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi while speaking at the Indira Gandhi National Integration Award function in New Delhi hit out at the RSS and BJP indirectly. “There is a danger from some ideologies, organisations and people who want to divide us”, said the Congress President without naming anyone. The award was given to noted agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan. Sonia Gandhi further said, “We have always kept national unity as our top priority. .. We need to remember Indira Gandhi’s courage and her sentiments so that we can fight that fear with conviction.” She also lauded the public sector’s efforts that connected people of various regions in the country.

Sonia Gandhi warns against divisive forces at Indira Gandhi National Integration Award function

Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi while speaking at the Indira Gandhi National Integration Award function in New Delhi hit out at the RSS and BJP indirectly. “There is a danger from some ideologies, organisations and people who want to divide us”, said the Congress President without naming anyone. The award was given to noted agriculture scientist M S Swaminathan.

Sonia Gandhi further said, “We have always kept national unity as our top priority. We need to remember Indira Gandhi’s courage and her sentiments so that we can fight that fear with conviction.” She also lauded the public sector’s efforts that connected people of various regions in the country,
Sonia Gandhi also commented that not much attention is paid to uniting different parts of the country and their people these days. While referring the difficult times of 1960s when India had faced foodgrain shortage and had to import foodgrains, Sonia Gandhi praised Indira Gandhi’s efforts and the role of Swaminatahan in making India self-reliant in the agriculture sector. “During that time too, there were people who would criticise and find faults and there were people who would not have trust. But despite all this, it was achieved well,” said the Congress President.

Sonia Gandhi recalled that among the challenges of independent India in terms of national unity was of creation of modern economic situation and institutions with special emphasis on agriculture production and distribution and development of agriculture techniques. The Congress President also reminded that that when most of the states were facing famine, Indira Gandhi took a pledge to achieve self-reliance in foodgrains.

While addressing the function, Prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh recalled the late Prime Minister’s contribution in the social and economic development of the masses and said she wanted to take the benefits of development to weaker sections of the society. ““There is a need to follow the path shown by Indira Gandhi as never before. Today, in some parts of the country, attempts are being made to divide the society on the basis of religion, caste and communities,” Singh said.. He added that it would not be wrong to say that India could achieve the Green Revolution due to Indira Gandhi’s leadership and Swaminathan’s efforts. “It was based on this foundation that today we have been able to bring in Food Security Act,” he said, referring to the legislation.

In his award acceptance speech, Dr. Swaminathan said when India had to import 10 million tonnes of foodgrain, Indira Gandhi planned creating a foodgrain reserve of the same quantity. He said food security helped India achieve an independent foreign policy. He said India’s help to people from the then East Pakistan and the nuclear testing were a result of its confidence it achieved through food security.

See more :- Indira Gandhi

Remembering Indira Gandhi on her 29th death anniversary

"I don't mind if my life goes in the service of the nation. If I die today every drop of my blood will invigorate the nation". In these last words of Indira Gandhi, India’s former Prime Minister, there was courage, belief and faith.

Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi, who served as the Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms (1966-77) and a fourth term (1980-84) was assassinated on 31 October in 1984. The assassination which changed the history of India was said to have been motivated by Operation Blue Star, an attack on Sikh separatists holed up in Golden Temple complex in Amritsar.

At twelve years of age, Indira Priyadarshini became the leader of a children’s group, whose purpose was to help end British control in India. In 1938, she joined the Indian National Congress Party, something she always longed to do. In 1942, she married Feroze Gandhi. Soon after the couple was married, they were sent to prison on charges of subversion by the British.

Noted for her charismatic authority and political astuteness, Indira Gandhi adhered to the progressive policies of industrial development that were begun by her father, Jawaharlal Nehru, who became the Prime Minister after India won its independence in 1947. As a minister, Indira Gandhi encouraged and started a family planning program. She also promoted the views of Nehru to establish India’s stability and security interests as independent from those of the nuclear superpowers, by authorizing the development of nuclear weapons in 1967.

On the international plane too she left her distinct imprint whether as the chairperson of the Non-Aligned Movement or as a champion of environmental protection at various global fora. In all such activities she came in direct conflict with international vested interests entrenched in the West. She was intensely disliked by the prevailing leaderships of the US under Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan who held her in profound distrust. She endeared herself to almost all the prominent leaders of the newly independent developing states of Africa, Latin America and the Arab world.

She was also the leader who transformed India’s chronic food shortages into surplus production of wheat, rice, cotton and milk through the Green Revolution. On Nehru’s death in 1964, Indira Gandhi was elected to Parliament in his place. After acting as Minister of Information and Broadcasting (1964-6), Indira Gandhi became Prime Minister on the death of Lal Shastri in 1966. In 1971, her popularity made her win again by an enormous margin. The second female in the world to hold the office of prime minister, after Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka, Indira Gandhi remains the world’s second longest serving female Prime Minister as of 2011.

Indira Gandhi is today best remembered for her ”Garibi Hatao” slogan during the fifth general elections in March 1971, the successful leadership during the 1971 war against Pakistan, the nationalization of all banks in the country in 1969, the ‘Green Revolution’ under her leadership, and the Lenin Peace Prize (for 1983-84) and as  India’s first women Prime Minister.

See MOre :- Indira Gandhi

Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi at 24 Akbar Road to pay tribute to Indira Gandhi

Indian on Thursday fondly remembered the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her 29th death anniversary. Congress President Sonia Gandhi and party Vice President Rahul Gandhi were present in the function at 24 Akbar Road to pay tribute to the departed leader. Earlier, President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi paid floral tributes to the late leader at her memorial 'Shakti Sthal' on the banks of river Yamuna.

Sonia Gandhi pays tribute to Indira Gandhi

Nation remembers former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her 29th death anniversary. Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi paid tributes to the departed leader at Shakti Sthal.