Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s contributions to women empowerment and national unity were recognized at the 25th Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award. During the event, Sonia Gandhi, the former Congress President and Rajiv Gandhi’s wife, highlighted his achievements and stated that his political career was tragically cut short.
Sonia Gandhi emphasized Rajiv Gandhi’s sensitivity towards the diversity of the country and his dedication to women’s empowerment. She credited him with the establishment of 1/3 reservation of women in Panchayat and Municipals, which has led to over 15 lakh elected women representatives in rural and urban bodies today. Additionally, Sonia Gandhi mentioned that his government reduced the voting age from 21 to 18 years.
Rajiv Gandhi took over as the Prime Minister of India in 1984 after the assassination of his mother, Indira Gandhi. He served as the youngest Prime Minister of India until December 1989. However, his life was tragically cut short when he was assassinated by an LTTE suicide bomber during an election rally in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, in 1991.
At the award ceremony, the 25th Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award for 2020-21 was presented to Banasthali Vidyapith, a residential institution for women in Rajasthan. The former Vice President, M Hamid Ansari, awarded the honor to Siddhartha Shastri from the institution. The event was attended by Sonia Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and other party leaders.
Sonia Gandhi also highlighted the importance of communal harmony, peace, and national unity, especially in the current times when forces promoting hatred, division, and bias are becoming more active and receiving support from the ruling dispensation.
Furthermore, she praised Rajiv Gandhi’s support for protecting and conserving the polymorphism present in India. His belief in strengthening India’s unity through the celebration of different religions, ethnicities, languages, and cultures was also acknowledged.
On Rajiv Gandhi’s 79th birth anniversary, Sonia Gandhi, along with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Robert Vadra, and Mallikarjun Kharge, paid tribute to the former Prime Minister at his memorial in Delhi.
