Kumar Bahukhandi
Rajiv Gandhi Jayanti: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and many other senior leaders on Tuesday August 20 paid tribute to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his birth anniversary and remembered his contributions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid tribute to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his birth anniversary. Modi said in a post on ‘X’, ‘Tributes to our former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi ji on his birth anniversary.’
Rahul and many other Congress leaders visited ‘Veer Bhumi’ and paid tribute to the former Prime Minister’s samadhi. Kharge posted on ‘X’, ‘Today the country is celebrating Sadbhavana Diwas. Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was a great son of India. He lit a ray of hope in crores of Indian citizens and brought India into the 21st century with his unprecedented contribution.’
Rajiv Gandhi Jayanti: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and many other senior leaders on Tuesday paid tribute to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his birth anniversary and remembered his contributions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid tribute to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his birth anniversary. Modi said in a post on ‘X’, ‘Tributes to our former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi ji on his birth anniversary.’
Rahul and many other Congress leaders visited ‘Veer Bhumi’ and paid tribute to the former Prime Minister’s samadhi. Kharge posted on ‘X’, ‘Today the country is celebrating Sadbhavana Diwas. Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was a great son of India. He lit a ray of hope in crores of Indian citizens and brought India into the 21st century with his unprecedented contribution.’
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Many pleasant steps of Rajiv brought about transformational changes in the country
The Congress President said, ‘Many pleasant steps of his like reducing the voting age to 18 years, strengthening Panchayati Raj, telecom and IT revolution, computerization program, continuous peace agreements, women empowerment, universal vaccination program and new education policy emphasizing inclusive education brought about transformational changes in the country.’
Gave a new approach to economic policy
Kharge said, ‘We pay emotional tribute to Bharat Ratna, Rajiv Gandhi ji on his birth anniversary.’ Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh wrote on ‘X’, ‘It is Rajiv Gandhi’s 80th birth anniversary. His political life was short, but very important. He played a very important role in the March 1985 budget, which gave a new approach to economic policy.’
He put national interest above the immediate interests of his party
Ramesh said, ‘A few weeks before attaining martyrdom, Rajiv Gandhi spent many hours preparing the Congress Party’s manifesto for the 1991 Lok Sabha elections, which laid the foundation for the historic reforms brought by Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh in June-July 1991.’ He said that peace agreements in the troubled areas of the country like Assam, Punjab, Mizoram and Tripura were possible due to the governance skills of Rajiv Gandhi, who put national interest above the immediate interests of his party.
Had a vision for the social utility of science and technology
Ramesh said, ‘He had a vision for the social utility of science and technology, which was reflected in impressive technology missions in drinking water supply, vaccination, literacy, oilseed production and telecommunication and dairy development.’ He said, ‘In 1985, 1,65,000 villages were identified where there was no easy access to any source of drinking water. By 1989, 1,62,000 of these villages were provided with at least one safe source of drinking water. Facilities for making polio vaccine were established.’
Financial institutions also came into existence during that period
The Congress General Secretary said, ‘The first direct step towards making India a superpower in software exports was taken during Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure. Institutions like C-DAC, which we are proud of today, were established in the late 1980s. Financial institutions like National Housing Bank and Small Industries Development Bank of India also came into existence during that period.
Swami Vivekananda’s birthday declared as National Youth Day
He said, ‘Rajiv Gandhi’s personal stamp was on the new education policy of 1986 based on progressive values. Today’s Navodaya Vidyalayas came into being under this initiative. The voting age was reduced to 18 years and Swami Vivekananda’s birthday was declared as National Youth Day.’
According to Ramesh, ‘Article 243 of our Constitution is a tribute to his firm commitment to empower elected panchayats and municipalities. Today, there are more than 30 lakh elected representatives in these institutions of self-governance, of which more than 40 percent are women.
He did not want self-glorification or self-praise
He said, ‘Today we remember not only a Prime Minister, but also a very good-hearted and caring person, who had no malice, no feeling of vengeance and revenge, no pomposity, and no desire for self-glorification or self-praise.’ Rajiv Gandhi was born on 20 August 1944. He led India as Prime Minister from 1984 to 1989. He was assassinated by militants during the Lok Sabha election campaign in 1991.
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