Nation remembers Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary

Rich tributes were paid to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary with Congress workers thronging to 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, on his 18th death anniversary.

Rajiv's children, 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 running around the memorial with the tricolour in hand.

Several Congress supporters paid tributes to Rajiv in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh and remembered his contribution to the Panchayati Raj system.