Shri. Rajiv Gandhi – born on 20th August 1944 at Mumbai, who became the 6th Prime minister of India following his mother Smt. Indira Gandhi’s assassination on October 31st 1984 and survived till 1989. He is the youngest Indian Prime Minister at the age of 40.
On this day during the year 1991, Shri. Rajiv Gandhi who was almost through with the election campaign and widely expected to be sworn as a Prime minister on the conclusion of the 10th Loksabha election, Around 10pm, when he stopped at Sriperumbudur, garlanded his martyred mother’s statue on the highway and walked towards the dais cheering up the public, A young girl stopped at him to recite a line of poetry, he thanked her and when about to move, a woman bent as if to touch his feet, so too.. had another assassin bent in pretense to touch the feet of the Mahatma. A split second later, the woman who was a human bomb, detonated the charge hidden under clothes.
At exactly 10.20 PM, Rajiv Gandhi took his place among the martyrs who laid down their lives in the service of India.
Rajiv Gandhi was inspired by a vision of India as the treasure-house of the highest aspirations of humanity.From our ancient texts and the edicts of Emperor Asoka up to the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, India has directed humankind’s gaze to a moral order enshrined in the doctrine of non-violence.
The Rs. 21.15-crore memorial constructed by the Central Public Works Department, conceived and created by an array of eminent artists over the past decade, features seven pillars topped by a bronze capitol, each depicting a concept. Two children standing beside each of the pillars explained the seven ideals — Dharma, Truth, Justice, Science, Sacrifice, Shanti and Progress that remains for each of us to renew and reaffirm the value which Rajiv Gandhi lived and died.
This memorial took 12 years to construct and dedicated to Nation by President A.P.J Abdul Kalam on October 10, 2003.
