Hyderabad: We commemorate National Anti-Terrorism Day this wednesday (May 21), a day dedicated to raising public awareness about the devastating impact of terrorism and violence on society and the nation. The day also serves as a tribute to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, on his death anniversary. The day is marked by Anti-terrorism or anti-violence pledge taking ceremony in all government offices, public sector undertakings and other public institutions.
Rajiv Gandhi assumed office as Prime Minister following the assassination of his mother, Indira Gandhi, in 1984, serving until 1989. In 1987, his decision to deploy Indian peacekeeping forces to Sri Lanka, aimed at fostering peace, drew considerable criticism both domestically and internationally. This move fostered animosity with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the organization believed to be responsible for his assassination during an election campaign in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. National Anti-Terrorism Day was established in India by the VP Singh government.
The observance seeks not only to honor the memory of the late Prime Minister but also to underscore the destructive consequences of terrorism and violence, encouraging a collective commitment to peace, unity, and harmony. The day also pays homage to the victims of terrorism, with the hope of achieving a world free from its destructive influence.
Rajiv Gandhi's assassination occurred while he was campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections in Sriperumbudur. As he approached a gathering to deliver a speech, a female assassin, Kalaivani Rajaratnam, approached him under the guise of a well-wisher. Accounts vary, with some suggesting she detonated an RDX explosive while attempting to touch his feet, and others claiming the explosion happened as she garlanded him. The blast, which occurred around 10:20 pm, resulted in the deaths of at least 14 others, including a senior police officer. Maradadam Chandrashekhar, the parliamentary candidate accompanying Gandhi, survived the attack.
In a legal aftermath, the Supreme Court in 1999 upheld the convictions of seven individuals in connection with the assassination. Initially, a TADA court sentenced 26 people to death in 1998, but by 1999, only four faced death sentences, which were later commuted to life imprisonment. In 2022, all seven convicts were released. Santhan, one of the convicts, passed away in February 2024, while Murugan, Jayakumar, and Payas were repatriated to Sri Lanka in April.
India has several anti-terror agencies dedicated to countering terrorism, including the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), National Investigation Agency (NIA), National Intelligence Grid (NatGrid), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Intelligence Bureau, and National Security Guards (NSG).
Here are seven powerful quotes on Terrorism:
“Terrorism is the war of the poor, and war is the terrorism of the rich.” - Peter Ustinov
“With guns, you can kill terrorists. With education, you can kill terrorism.” - Malala Yousafzai
“An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.” - Mahatma Gandhi
''Fight war-mongers, religious hatred, and fake nationalism. Terror will die of starvation.''- Anand Patwardhan
“We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other's children.” - Jimmy Carter
“Terrorism has no religion, no nationality, and no humanity. We must all come together to fight against this evil." – Manmohan Singh.
“Terrorism is vicious, ugly, and dehumanizing for its perpetrators as well as its victims. But so is war. You could say that terrorism is the privatization of war. Terrorists are the free marketeers of war. They are people who don't believe that the state has a monopoly on the legitimate use of violence.”- Arundathi Roy
