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TRIBUTE TO THE

LATE SHRI RAJIV GANDHI

FORMER PRIME MINISTER

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Resolution moved by the Hon'ble Chairman,Dr. Shanker Dayal Sharma and adopted by the

R1\iya Sabha on Monday, 3 June 1991

* MR. CHAIRMAN: Hon'ble Members, I rise to propose the following aResolution on the demise of Shri Rajiv Gandhi on May 21, 1991. d

"This House deeply mourns the passing away of Shri Rajiv Gandhi, anoutstanding world leader, who, with prescient vision, indomitable cour-age and tremendous determination, dedicated himself to the sacred task mof building a new India, representing the dreams of generations of ldpatriots in our glorious struggle for freedom, an India-strong, united. 'npeaceful and progressive, an India evolving, in the genius of her time- Iehonoured ethos of oneness and synthesis, towards modernity, an India pmaking her contribution to the building of a better, more humane, world 1-

environment. ;-d

"This House expresses the sense of profound shock and remorse felt byour nation, and the people around the world, that Shri Rajiv Gandhi wasassassinated and our nation so deprived.

"The horrendous assassination of Shri Rajiv Gandhi is recognised by usas a blow inflicted on democracy, secularism and our national goal ofgrQwth with social justice. This is the time when India must ponder over,and fully comprehend, the ramifications of this great tragedy. The nationmust beware of any further attempt to convulse and disrupt national life.

"This House condemns the diabolical and premeditated conspiracythreatening the very foundations of our civilization, culture and identityas a free, sovereign and independent nation-State, a nation' whichnurtured Rajiv and which in turn he served, and sought to help transcendto new horizons, with his inimitable stamp of decency and distinction.

"It is vitally necessary that the nation responds to that dreadful deed bythe manifestation of resolute determination upholding our nationalvalues unitedly and fearlessly, and by our rededication to the task of

• Dr. Shanker Dayal Sharma, Vice-President of India and ex-officio Chairman. Rajya Sabha.

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national reconstruction and the building of a better future for the worldas a whole. Nothing less would be an appropriate tribute to the memoryof Shri Rajiv Gandhi."

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The hope of the countrymen

Dr. Shanker Dayal SharmaVice-President of India andChairman, Rajya Sabha

Shri Rajiv Gandhi fell victim in a most gruesome and ghastly tragedy onthe night of May 21,1991, at Sriperumbudur near Madras where he hadgone to address an election meeting. His death in a bomb explosionshocked and benumbed the entire nation and decent people around theworld. Rajiv Gandhi lived in the shadow of death ever since he picked upthe gauntlet in 1984 as Prime Minister of India in awesome circum-stances. Yet he retained a youthful exuberance and courageously dis-charged his onerous responsibilities till the end. The country had reposedhigh hopes in the youthful and charismatic leadership of Rajiv Gandhi.The assassination had dealt a mortal blow to these hopes of millions ofour countrymen for whose welfare and progress Shri Rajiv Gandhi hadpledged his life.

Born on ~ugust.72, ..i .19~4, Shri. Rajiv Gandhi was. the eldest. son .of _Shrirriati Indira Gaiiohiand Shri Feroz Gandhi. He grew up in an envi-ronment steeped in the glorious ethos of our freedom struggle. Shri RajivGandhi went to the Doon School, Dehra Dun, and Trinity College,Cambridge, and did a course in Mechanical Engineering. As a youngman, he was not inclined towards a career in politics. His greatest passionwas flying. After his return from England, he obtained a commercialpilot's licence and joined the Indian Airlines. His younger brother,Sanjay's death in an air accident was a turning point in Rajiv's life. It wasthen that he entered the political life. He came into the Lok Sabha for thefirst time in 1981 from the Amethi Parliamentary Constituency fromwhich he was returned again in 1984 and 1989. and was contesting thecurrent election as well.

In 1982, Shri Rajiv Gandhi played a pivotal role in successfully organi-sing the Asian Games in New Delhi. He became Prime Minister at the

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age of 40, hours after the assassination of Shrimati Indira Gandhi in1984. He had to shoulder the challenging burdens of office whilst stillcoping with his grief. Courage, fortitude and determination inheritedfrom his distinguished forbears stood him in good stead at those criticalmoments in the history of our country.

Shri Rajiv Gandhi was a visionary and an idealist. He wanted that Indiashould enter the 21st century as a strong, stable, secular, democratic and I

united nation. His fiveyears as Prime Minister were '!larked by a decisivedrive for modernization and economic growth and sensitiv'e handling ofproblems despite various natu.ral calamities. Recognizing the impor-tance of providing responsive administration, he personally led a nation-wide initiative to gear up the apparatus for district and ruraladministration. All matters concerning the day to day life of the masses,received his attention. He envisaged massive induction of science andtechnology and acceptance of modern methods of management. Thetechnological missions he set up to accelerate development in suchcritical areas aswater, edible oils and telecommunications, were a daringinnovation. He encouraged endeavour in the field of Science and Tech-nology with a view to addressing the problems of poverty, disease andimbalanced development. Agriculture, industry and the tertiary sectorsof the economy, received creative impetus. He hurtured and promotednation-wide awareness of our rich cultural heritage with a view tostrengthening the emotional unity of the people of India. His directapproach towards solution of vexatious problems resulted in the Punjaband Assam Accords in 1985. He was able to find a settlement of theGorkha and Mizo agitations. Untiringly, he stressed the need for Secu-larism which he emphasised as the very basis of our nation. With regardto the functioning of our Parliamentary Democracy, the lowering of thevoting age and the passage of anti-defection legislation comprise crucialcontributions towards magnifying the ambit of our democratic systemand providing wholesome parameters to political dynamics. Towardsthis objective he also struggled for democratic decentralization andPanchayati Raj.

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Sh~iRajiv Ga~dh~ responded to the calls of neighbouring countries forassistance by slgmng the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord in 1987with a view tobringing peace to the troubled island and providing succour to the belea-guered Ta~ils of Sri Lanka. In the case of The Maldives he despatchedemer~en~ aid to forestallthe attempt to disturbthe peace and tranquilityof this. fnendly neighbour. Shri Rajiv Gandhi had a deep and abidingcommitment to SAARC and played a major role in defusing tensions andpromoting regional cooperation between the member countries. Hisvisit to Beijing in December 1988 is recognized by the Chinese peopleand the world as a turning point in the history of our relations with thisgreat neighbour of India.

Th~.Six-Nati?n five-conti,nent initiative on disarmament initiated byShriRaJIVGandhi was a practical and time-bound framework for dealing withone ~f the ~ost important problems facing the world. The warming ofrelatl?ns ~Ith :he USA, and th~ sense of maturity that Rajiv Gandhi'spremiership witnessed m the bllateral relations with the United Statesare a major contribution which will have continuing significance in they~ars to co~e. ~uildin~ on stron~ existing foundations, Rajiv GandhiSigned the hlstonc Delhi DeclaratIOn of November 1986,proclaiming to~heworld t~at Ind~-Soviet friendship was a constant and abiding factorm t~e f?r~l.gn.polIcy paramete~s of both countries and reflecting asemmal mltlatlve towards the bUildingof a non-violent world. He set upthe AFRICA Fund of which he was Chairman to assist the front-lineStates to fight the pernicious system of Apartheid. It was Shri Rajiv .Gand.hi's personal effort which led to the hastening of the process ofgrantmg freedom to Namibia. On North-South issues, South-SouthCooperation and issues relating to the environment, Shri Rajiv Gandhiasse.rted India's voice which was listened to with respect at UnitedNatIOns, NAM and Commonwealth forums. He was instrumental inlaun.chi~~ the Planet Protection Fund and obtaining wide endorsement. of hiS VISIOnaryplans at both Belgrade NAM of September 1989 andCHOGM at Kualalampur in October 1989.

The pr~~ence of world le,a~ersf~omas many as 63 countries at Shri RajivGandhi s funeral was a flttmg tnbute to the unprecedented contribution

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that he made to international affairs in the short space of five years thathe was Prime Minister.

Who can ever forget the radiance of his personality, the warmth in hiseyes and his smiling face? His youthful charm, zeal and cheerfulness en-thused everyone who met him. He was a deeply caring and thoughtfulperson who had a clear vision of the goals for national progress.

As we mourn the tragic death ofShri RajivGandhi, our thoughts go to hiswife Shrimati Sonia Gandhi and children Priyanka and Rahul. We fullyshare their agony and distress and assure them that this House and thenation is with them in their sorrow and grief.

This is also the time to reflect once again about how we can preserve andprotect our democratic system. Shri Rajiv Gandhi was the third martyrat the altar of Peace, Non-violence and Secularism. Some elementswhich do not wish us well pursue the cult of violence. This poses achallenge to all of us who believe in the peaceful methods of ballot anddebate to attain our goal of progress and development. The challenge hasto be met with all our might. Then only will it be possible to fulfil thecherished dream of Shri Rajiv Gandhi - a strong and secular, developedand democratic India progressing to the 21st Century.

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A believer in modernism

Yashwant SinhaMinister of Finance andLeader of the House

The cruel assassination of Shri Rajiv Gandhi has shocked the consciencenot only of the whole nation but also the whole world. It is a tragedy ofunparalleled proportions and a murderous assault on our democraticsystem. Shri Rajiv Gandhi was not only the President of the CongressParty but he was also a statesman and a national leader of unquestionedpatriotism, unflinching commitment and indomitable courage. He wasyoung, dynamic and full of promise. Shri Gandhi contributed immenselyto the creation of a new international order and worked incessantly forthe cause of international peace. Shri Gandhi's contribution, both asPrime Minister and as the leader of his party, ismanifold. He really caredfor the down--trodden and upheld secular values. He was an ardentbeliever in modernism, and added vigour to our democratic way of life.His vision of the future shall continue to be valid for a long time to comeand shall continue to inspire future generations.

The assassination of Shri Rajiv Gandhi is an attack on our system, ourway of life, our democracy and our long established traditions. Violencecan have no place in our society. We are committed to settling all ourdifferences peacefully and democratically. It is time for all of us, there- .fore, to reiterate that commitment. Violence in all forms must becondemned strongly and in unambiguous terms.

I deeply mourn the death of Shri Gandhi and place on record hisinvaluable services to the country and to the international community.The people must face the challenge of violence and separatism unitedlyand with courage and determination. The journey must go on, forjourney's end has really no end.

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A protagonist of the secular ideal

P. Shiv ShankerLeader of the Congress (I) Partyin the House

It is axiomatic that death is the necessary end of life but the gruesome,shocking and unparalleled tragic manner in which death laid its icyhandson Shri Rajiv Gandhi is traumatic. He has been eliminated from thenational scenario at a time when the Prime Ministership was within hisreach, nay, he was assassinated by the opponents of this nation to deprivehim of the office of Prime Minister. The whole nation is aghast. I considerthis session of the Rajya Sabha to have been specially summoned imdconvened to pay our grateful homage to the lamented leader. But for hisassassination we would not have assembled here. On my part consider-ing the disparity of age, little did I dream that I would be called upon topay my tributes to our lamented leader. In fact, I seem to question mycredentials to do so. He strode like a colossus and I can only rememberhis greatness and give him mytears run from a stricken heart. On the partof our party men, we have lost the Captain of our ship. But the ship mustsail on, however turbulent the sea. Our new Captain will steer the ship bythe light that his name and memory willshed.

It is not given to everyone to give a name to an age. Shri Rajiv Gandhi wasone such.ln:<iia,the Commonwealth, the Non-Aligned and the world willnever be the same without him. Seldom does the world produce such-ayoung leader of the stature and calibre of Shri Rajiv Gandhi and seldomdoes it lose its great leader in such a brutal manner. His life was rare, buteven rarer was the manner of his going.

The whole world shares our grief, and despite the fact that he did notadorn any governmental office, the manner the foreign dignitaries havevisited his funeral and the words of sympathies which have come to usfrom lands far and near are a matter of immense solace. In his martyrdomthe humanity undoubtedly stands impoverished irreparably. He joinedthe ranks of the immortals of history.

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Originally an unwilling player to enter the pool of politics, once he joinedthe ranks, he took it like fish taking to water. His span of life in the worldof politics is one of dedicated service in the nation's relentless fightagainst economic and social ills. He was a valiant fighter. As PrimeMinister of this vast and diversified country he proved himself equal tothe task--though young in years--and took a series of s'ocio-economicreformative steps. In his tenure as Prime Minister significant advanceswere made in diverse fields, including that of science and technology. Hisvalour and fortitude, decisiveness and dynamism were superb and excel-lent.

He was a visionary who dreamt of an India of the 21st century. He wasa symbol of the continuity of the past with the present envisioning thefuture. A passionate champion of the cause of the world peace, who as-siduously tried for nuclear disarmament and elimination of cold war.

While historians and political thinkers will continue to assess and deter-mine the impact and the imprints of the personality ofShri Rajiv Gandhi,many often feel that he did not get a fair deal at the hands of hisopponents and was forced to undergo trials before the bar of the peopleon unsubstantial charges with practically no credible evidence againsthim. It is for the conscience of this Parliament to assess and determine asto how far we were fair to him on various occasions when he was thePrime Minister.

Essentially a many-splendoured personality with a proper sense of,culture, Rajiv Gandhi's sense of tolerance, understanding and belief inhuman dignity made him a protagonist of the secular ideal. His eschew-ing us only proves the adage: 'Whom Gods love die young.' Every dropof blood that he spewed will strengthen our commitment to the unity andintegrity of our country. The soul of this great leader will rest only if webring about a secular, harmonious, tolerant, dignified, purposeful andegalitarian society in this country.

At this moment our hearts go out in sympathy and affection to ShrimatiSonia Gandhi and children Rahul and Priyanka. We share their sorrowintensely and wish them the strength and the courage.

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A man with values

M.S. GurupadaswamyLeader of the JanataDal in the House

Words fail me to express mysorrow and anguish over the tragedy that hasovertaken this nation. The death of Rajiv Gandhi has shaken everybody'sheart and mind not only in India but elsewhere. It is not a smallmisfortune, it is not a small tragedy but it isa great calamity that hascreated ~ feeli?g of horror and grief in the young and old, and it conveysa. very dlsturbmg message to the nation. Rajiv Gandhi, we all knew,Virtually lived under the shadow of death, but none of us thought that hewould be snatched away so soon from our midst. And what a tragedy forthe family to suffer three deaths in a matter of a decade! The wholenation is with the family of Rajiv Ga'ndhi today and that family hassuffered which very few families in the country have suffered.

It is really sad, sad and sad that such a death has come to such a youngman with a long future. He had dreams, he had hopes, he had aspirations,he had visions to fulfil. He did strive when he was in office and also whenhe was out of office, to realize the goals. Which he set for himself and forthe country. You have rightly said, and my friend, the Prime Minister,also has said rightly that he symbolized modernism against all tendenciesof revivalism in this country. He tried to rationalize and bring aboutsome rationality into the political system in India. In this he made someenemies. Any politician or leader makes some enemies and that is thefate of a politician, that is the fate of a leader, but this cannot be carriedtoo far. Rajiv Gandhi fell victim to barbarism, to violence. This countryis drifting from barbarism to degeneration. That is the meaning of thedeath of Rajiv Gandhi today. The country has become sick. We havebrutalised politics. Rajiv Gandhi's death, his passing away should send a .message, give a message to the whole country that violence and brutalityand criminality in politics should not be encouraged by any party or any

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group in this country. That is the message. All of us who have assembledhere should remember this poignant occasion. Let the martyrdom ofRajiv Gandhi create a new atmosphere, a new environment in public life.All of us should unreservedly condemn terrorism and violence. There isenough Violence in the country, and the country is in a very critical stage.There is a threat to democracy and democratic institutions.

My party and I deeply mourn the passing away of Rajiv Gandhi. Ourheart-felt condolences will go to Sonia Gandhi and her children. This isan occasion when we certainly remember the contribution he has madeto Indian public life and the contribution he has made to the world. Hewas a leader. He was a patriot. And he was an administrator. Above all,he was aman, a man of values. This country and we miss him, and we misshim very much indeed. And all of us, whatever may be our differences inthe past, we always look at Rajiv Gandhi as a person who could lead thiscountry to the 21st century. He was dreaming of the 21st century. Weshould carry forward his example, and we should emulate his spirit.Only thereby can we pay adequate tribute to his memory.

With these words, once again I convey my condolences to the family ofRajiv Gandhi.

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A great leader and a world statesman

Dr. (Smt.) Najma HeptullaDeputy Chairman,Rajya Sabha

Thank you, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to join you and the Housein paying myhumble tribute to the beloved, respected, honoured leader,Shri Rajiv Gandhi. I have nowords to express mygrief and condemnationof this ghastly crime. While I stand here to pay my homage to thatdeparted noble soul, I remember him in this House and outside where Ihad the honour to serve him. I am one of those fortunate ones who hadthe privilege of knowing him from his young age and his grandfather,Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru; and his mother, the great daughter of India,who also made a supreme sacrifice like her son, Rajivji, for the unity andintegrity of the country.

Many a time in this very House he made historical statements and attimes kept us amused with his humour, but when things were not tranquiland smooth h~.sat with dignity and utmost serenity and with a smile onhis face which re'mainecf on his lips till the last moment of his life andwhich will remain in our memory for ever.

In spite of all adversaries and allegations, difficulties and obstacles in hispath, this young man and dynamic leader gave inspiration and courageto young and old alike.

He had the vision for a modern India, a scientifically and technologicallyadvanced India, where youths and women, poor and down-trodden incities and villages will get their share and opportunity to serve the nation.

He advocated the cause of peace in India and abroad. Whether itwas theDelhi Declaration or his address to the United Nations, he talked ofdisarmament and peace. Is it not an irony of fate that the one who talkedof peace, became the victim of violence? Our hearts go out to his family,

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Madam Sonia Gandhi and children Rahul and Priyanka, who haveshown great courage and dignity at this hour of tragedy and loss. MayGod give them solace.

This great son of India will be remembered, not only in India, but beyondour shores, throughout the world, for his concern and action for all thosewho are fighting for their rights and dignity, may it be in South Africaagainst Apartheid, or Palestine against Zionists. No wonder, leaders andHeads of Government came from far and near to share the nation's griefand pay homage not to a former Prime Minister, nor a former M.P., butto a young, yet a great leader and a world statesman, who made a placefor himself in history and who lived and died for a noble cause.

He wanted an India free from hunger and ignorance, a united India withno barriers of caste, creed or religion. He believed in action andperfection and he listened to the voices of reason.

I am reminded here of the verses of Rabindranath Tagore, perhaps hesaid what Rajivji's dream was.

"Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;Where Knowledge is free;Where the world has not been broken up into fragments bynarrow domestic walls;Where words come out from the depth of truth;Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into thedreary desert sand of dead habit;Where the mind is led forward by Thee into ever-wideningthought and action.Into the heaven of freedom, my father, let my country awake."

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The memory of Rajivji will remain with us--his voice and laughter, hisdeeds and, above all, his sacrifice and martyrdom. We pledge to followthe path he showed us and fulfil his dreams.

To conclude, I recite a couplet of a poet who said:

"Live so beautifully that if death is the end of life, -God may Himself feel sorry for having ended thy career."

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A leader of great stature

Samar MukherjeeLeader of the CommunistParty of India (Marxist)

My party and myself fully share the shock and anguish expressed by theentire country and this House. The way the tragedy has come to us, itshould not be looked as an isolated event. It has a background and it hasalso some future. That is why great lessons are to be drawn so that thewhole country can face the attack, the offensive, of the forces which areworking behind this tragic action.lfwe miss this simply by paying homageand expressing shock and anguish, it will not lead us to the objectives forwhich Rajiv was fighting and we all are now fighting. We think it is anattack not only on Rajiv as a person, but it is an attack on the very unityand integrity of our country; it is an attack on secularism and it is anattack on democracy. And the person who is responsible for this tragedy,is not individually a criminal, but he is acting as an instrument of thoseforces which are very much interested in the destabilisation and disinte-gration of our country.

There are ramifications not only inside our country but in foreigncountries also and foreign imperialism is also very much interested inutilising these forces. This tragedy has come in a background when the .forces of disintegration are trying to create chaos in the country and

-above that, communal forces, fundamentalist forces are raising theirheads in a big way and everyday murders bf innocent people are takingplace in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and in other parts of thecountry. In this background this tragedy has taken place.lfwe do not takeserious lessons out of this, simple homage to the memory of this greatman, Rajiv, who has raised himself not only to the stature of a national

- leader but to an international leader, will remain purely formal.

Personally, I had some occasions to discuss with him both internationaland national issues informally. Iknew that he had some dreams. He had

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some ideas. No doubt we differed on some points but we agreed on manypoints. Whenever he took a bold initiative to solve these problems, weextended our full support to him. In the case of Rajiv-Longowal accord,we extended our full support. In the case of Indo-Sri Lanka accord, weextended our full support. When he visited China, we gave our fullsupport to him. Before he visited China, he called me personally and toldme what he was going'to discuss there. I told him "Our full support isbehind you. You go ahead." He assured me that the border dispute willbe settled in course of time. Then after coming back he called me. I hada long discussion with him. With the help of a diagram he ~howed mewhat he had discussed with the Chinese Government. Then, he assuredme that within a short period the border dispute would be settled andsolved. But the main thing is that now our country is passing through asevere crisis, economically, socially and politically. Our country is nowpassing through a stage where disruptive and divisive forces are on theoffensive. Rajiv became a victim of these forces. In this context ifwe lookat this tragedy, no doubt we feel it is a great tragedy. Then after drawingproper lessons we have to prepare the whole country to face thesechallenges. I agree with the spirit of the resolution that our secularism,the question of national unity, the question of democracy, the questionof social justice, all these have to be upheld in a big way. For that,rethinking and reconsideration is absolutely essential. So, in this contextwe pay our heartfelt homage to Rajiv Gandhi and expect that at least hissacrifice will bring out a very big positive contribution in fighting theforces of disruption and secessionism. These forces are anti-national,reactionary, and imperialism is fullybehind them. This should always bekept in mind because the ramifications are international. Withoutinternational ramifications this type of tragedy cannot take place. Thatis quite obvious.

The way this blast was organised, the way the arrangements were made,suggests that big ramifications are there. That is a very serious danger.And ifwe become conscious of that -- 'we' means the people of the wholecountry--then, that will be the real homage to Rajiv Gandhi.

With these words, we convey our heartfelt condolence to the family ofRajiv Gandhi.

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19

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20

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A fine leader, a decent and lovable person

Parvathaneni UpendraLeader of the TeluguDesam Party in the House

The nation has yet to recover from the shock and it is very difficult tobelieve that Rajivji is no more with us. It is a quirk of fate that just likehis beginning in the political arena, the end also came in very tragiccircumstances. He was a reluctant entrant into politics soon after thetragic death of his brother. He took up the Prime Ministership when hismother, Shrimati Indira Gandhi had a tragic death and ultimately hisdeath also came in very tragic circumstances and in a barbaric manner.When we think of Rajivji we are reminded of his courtesy, politeness, hisgood manners, his gentleness, consideration for others and we rememberhim as a man with a class and his own style. He had natural elegance andimmense charm. He was a fine leader, a decent and lovable person. Weare constantly reminded of his open and cheerful smile. Whenever wemet him and saw his charming disposition, it was difficult to criticise himand attack him and it is an irony of fate that we could not have even a lastlook at that beautiful face which had charmed millions all over thecountry and the world.

When he came into politics, leaving his job of pilot people had doubtsabout his capacity to handle the affairs. But he was very quick in graspingthe matters and we saw him day-to-day and ever since he became thePrime Minister, we saw him shaping into an able administrator and agreat statesman.

Though he became the Prime Minister in October, 1984 as a son ofShrimati Indira Gandhi, but in December, 1984 he won a massivemandate in his own right and establised his sway over the masses. Hisadvent in the political arena represented a chance for the youngergeneration and his stirring speech in the centenary celebration of theCongress at Bombay in 1985 still rings in the ears of the people.

21

Assessments may differ of his performance as a Prime Minister duringthose five years he held that office but his sincerity of purpose and hisefforts to raise the standard of living of the people and to solve theproblems of the country will go down in the history of this countryforever. He had a great vision of the problems and the future of India. Itwas not just a hollow thing, but borne out of conviction. He had ascientific and modern outlook and the various modernisation schemesundertaken by him in telecommunications and electronic media standtestimony to his modern outlook. The experiments he made in theeconomic field and industrial sector also stand out.

His greatest contribution was in the field of foreign relations and I haveno hesitation ot say that after Jawaharlal Nehru he was the only PrimeMinister who established close personal contacts with world leaders andbrought a great name for this country.

People know that he was fond of many western things. He was equally athome with Gucci shoes, Cartier sunglasses and designer jeans, but he wasalso equally at home with the kurt a-pyjamas and sometimes even thefungi and Angavastrams whenever he visited the South. He was fond ofmusic, fine arts, photography and several other good things in life. Healways had the right instinct, but sometimes he had to listen to othersalso.

As Atalji has said, people had doubts about his adjustment to the newrole when he lost power, but we were all pleasantly surprised at the wayhe adjusted himself to the new role of the leader of the Opposition andI had perosnal experience of the same. I was one of the bitterest criticswhen he was alive but I also had verywarm and personal equations withhim and particularly when Iwas the Minister of Parliamentary Affaris, Ihad occasions to meet him and to talk to him almost on a daily basis andI had the good fortune of receiving very considerate treatment and warmaffection from him. It was a great personal loss to me. On that night whenI heard the news of his death, I could not contain myself and I tried to goto his house at 1.45 AM. But I was prevented by the police becauseagitated crowds were preventing even the President from going in. So I

22

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1,

had to come back. I consider Rajivji's death as a great loss to mepersonally. Atalji has mentioned about some other features which wewillhave occasion to discuss tomorrow, particularly the security lapses andthe circumstances which led to his assassination. On behalf of my party,my leader and my party members I convey our heartfelt condolences toShrimati Sonia Gandhi and her children on this great loss, which isindeed a great loss for the nation as a whole.

23

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A noble son of India

S. Viduthalai VirumbiDravida Munetra Kazhagam

The whole world was shocked to hear about the brutal assassination ofa noble son of India, Shri Rajiv Gandhi. Such a tragedy should not havehappened in our country. It is a fatal blow to Ind!an democra.cy. T?isdastardly act has brought a perennial stigma to the Image of India whichis the land of the Mahatma.

We strongly condemn violence in all aspects of life, especially in thepolitical arena. We, on behalf of our party President, Dr. Kalignar, andthe DMK Party, pay our respectful homage to the departed leader. Weshare the grief of the bereaved family.

26 27

A champion of unity and integrity of India

N.E. BalaramLeader of the Communist Partyof India in the House

Mr. Chairman, Sir, I share the sentiments expressed by you and my col-leagues on both the sides.

This is for the third time that our country is passing through agony arisingout of a national tragedy at the demise of Rajiv Gandhi. Earlier it waswhen Mahatma Gandhi and Shrimati Indira Gandhi were assassinated.Nowwe are experiencing the same agony.Of course, we should condemnand also join others in condemning the creed of violence. But, Sir,thepeople of this country are eagerly waiting. They would like to know thehands behind this crime. At least, this time we should think very seriouslyabout this sort of a thing, how they are repeating inside the country andwhat forces are behind this nefarious, dastardly deed. This must beseriously considered.

Rajiv Gandhi's contributions have been very well explained by mycolleagues from both sides. He was an outstanding patriot. He was achampion of the unity and integrity of our country. He was a championof peace and non-violence. His contributions have been manifold. Iagree with that though I sometimes differed with his political philosophy.I agree that he has made a valuable contribution for the development ofour country. I think the befitting tribute to the memory of Shri RajivGandhi should be our affirmation to stand united to defend the unity andintegrity of our country.

28

A very good Prime Minister and a great opposition leader

G. SwaminathanLeader of the All India AnnaDravida MunetraKazhagam in the House

Rajivji was scheduled to visit Pondicherry on 22nd morning. He wastouring Tamil Nadu at that time and on the 22nd morning he was to bein Pondicherry. And after going to so many places, he was to visitKrishnagiri and many other constituencies. On 21st night, at about 11.30we heard the news that he was shot. We were shocked because only theprevious evening, myself on behalf of myParty and some of the Congressfriends there have been planning how to receive him at the helipad andhow to give him a big welcome. We were discussing this. so, it was a rudeshock to us to hear this news. It was more shocking to us, because wenever expected this thing to happen inTamil Nadu; we have been pridingourselves that Tamil Nadu is one of the peaceful States. And we neverthought that this kind of a thing would happen in Tamil Nadu. And wewere very much shocked about this.

I had some personal occasions to meet and discuss with Rajivji after Ibecame a member of the Rajya Sabha. After I became a Member her~,when I was the Vice-Chairman of the House, I had many occasions tomeet him privately and also as a Leader of the party to which I belonged.And I still remember on many occasions when I met him how str()ngly hefelt, how courteous he was to the Members of the Opposition. And as ithas been said, he was always very kind and he was always very courteouswhenever we used to meet him either at the party thrown by theChairman of the House or whenever he invited me to his house to discussmatters as a Leader of a particular Party or whenever he invited me tohis own room when he was the Prime Minister to discuss matters relatingto Tamil Nadu. I always found that he was courteous. During those daysin 1986,when I became a Member, he caught my imagination as a person

29

I,I\I

moving with the people, as a human being and as a very soft-spokenperson. And 1 had great admiration for Rajiv Gandhi in that way.Another very important thing about him was that whenever he took upa matter, he always discussed it threadbare with others. Our respectedMember Shri Samar Mukherjee just now said that even though they haddifferences of opinion, they used to talk to him on many matters ofimportance. 1still remember an occasion when in 1986,he was invited bythe Chairman to a usual dinner where I was also pr,esent in my capacityas member of the panel of Vice-Chairmen. There was a heated discus-sion. I think Samar Mukherjee will remember this. After his visit toSoviet Russia he was discussing about USSR. He was discussing aboutcommunism and what his view was on communism. He felt after his talkwith Gorbachev that the very system might have a lot of difficulties infuture. There was a heated discussion. Our revered friend could notagree with what he was saying. The discussion was so heated that all ofus left the dinning table and went near them. At one point SamarMukherjee said, "Rajivji you are too young to understand all thesethings". It was shocking to us that a senior member could tell the PrimeMinister that 'you are too young to understand all these things; you maynot know about it; you cannot know about it'. This is what he said to himon his face. With calm Rajivji said 'I understand it'. With great regard hetold him so. He would argue on his perception of communism, how it isoperating and what is going to happen. He used to invite us to discusssome important matters. Before the discussion he used to study about thematter and during the course of the discussion he used to throw light onmatters concerning Tamil Nadu about which we ourselves did not know.He used to think logically and argue with his friends before coming to aconclusion. One day I went to his house and 1was surprised to see onething. He was talking to another person to get a matter from thecomputer which was in his house. This gentleman who was close to himand who was also from Tamil Nadu and was a former Minister asked himhow to enter in the computer and get the figures from it. He immediatelypointed out proper words. He said 'you put these words you will receivethe message from the computer and then give it to me'. This was the kindof attention he was giving to every matter. He was that kind of person.

30

This kind of ghastly crime that has been committed raises so manyquestions in the mind of everybody. He proved himself a great leader. Sir,we also found in this House, :-vhenIndi~ajiwa~~live, h?w much.~ir.htwasgoing on in the House. Dunng the Pnme Mimstership of RaJivJi therewas so much of apprehension and tempers were rising all the time.Inspite of that and in spite of accusations he remained calm. We h~d awonderful person in him as the Prime Minister. We also found hi~ agood opposition leader. He proved himself not only a very good PnmeMinister, but a great opposition leader as well. Generally these twothings do not go together. One may be a very good Prime Minister b~t.hemay not be a good opposition leader. One may be a very good OppOSitiOnleader but when he becomes the Prime Minister he may not be a verygood administrator and a good Prime Minister. 1have seen in my careerof22 years in the Tamil Nadu Legislature, very good Chief Ministers butwhen they were in the opposition they were not able to acquit themselveswell. They may be good as Chief Ministers but bad as opposition leaders.One may be a good opposition leader but when he becomes a PrimeMinister or Chief Minister he may not be able to do well. He was a verygood Prime Minister and he was also a very good opposition leader thatway.

Then, there is the main question which we may discuss tomorrow i.e. thecult of violence. Before 1end 1would like to point out about the greatfriendship that was there between him and our great leader MGR. 1st\lIremember, whenever our great leader MGR came to Delhi, Raji~jialways gave an appointment to him. He used to feel very happy mmeeting him. Sometimes he would even talk with Rajivji for hours.

1remember an occasion when MGR came here. Rajivji was to unveil thestatue of Bharati. On that particular day when MGR came, he was notable to articulate well; we were all waiting for Rajivji to come and unveilthe statue. We were expecting him to come in a l?ig car with securityaround. But we were surprised to see that Rajivji himself drove the car.

, MGR never expected a Prime Minister driving his car and he asked himas to why he himself drove the car and he replied, "I am the Prime

31

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Minister and in charge of the country; I have to drive the country as aPrime Minister and as a person I am driving the car. There is not muchdifference". Everybody laughed.

Politically we were an alliance party and two or three times he came toMadras. He addressed bigmeetings with Jayalalitha on the beach and welooked forward to a long period for him not only as a politician but alsoas the Prime Minister of the country. But all our hopes have been belied.I, on behalf of my party and my own personal behalf, associate myselfwith the sentiments expressed by you and by other leaders of the House.I coiwey, on behalf of my party and my own behalf, our heartfeltcondolences to the bereaved family.

32

A great loss to the nation

Prof. Sourendra BhattacharjeeRevolutionary Socialist Party

This is a very solemn occasion. When in Calcutta, at about midnight afriend told me, it was unbelievable to myentire family. What I felt at thatmoment was, it was a sad end to a very young and promising life. Un-doubtedly it was a great loss not only to his party, but to the nation atlarge, and I think, on this point, there is not just consensus but unanimity.

But I would like to draw the attention of the House to another aspect ofour national life. The point of late being raised in different quarters is asto how far this proves that ours is a country of non-violence. IndependentIndia was born out of bloodbath and the vivisection of the country.Independent India began its journey with the assassination of --who wascalled and perhaps is called -- the Father of the Nation. There has beenviolence galore and it started, perhaps, in the North-East with insur-gency, secessionism and other things and nowwe find that insurgency orsecessionist movement practically in all parts of the country, in theNorth-East, in the North-West, and communal and caste battles inbetween, and a complete picture of violence has been created in thecountry. Unless we can combat this violence which seems generic to ourcountry we may face disasters. See the tragedies that happened on 30thJanuary 1948, on 31st October 1984or 21st May 1991, and this may not,be the last unless steps are taken to bring back the country to senses. I amnot referring to violence inherent in an exploitative system in which welive, but violence of a different nature. This is something which has to betaken care of. At the same time, we must come to grips with those evilforces which are continuously striking at our nation in diverse formsthrough violent methods.

I express my heartfelt sympathy with the family members of Shri RajivGandhi - Shrimati Sonia Gandhi and her children Rahul and Priyanka.

33

A leader of the emerging new world order

Shabbir Ahmad SalariaNational Conference

Mr. Chairman, Sir, I thank you very much for having afforded me anopportunity to speak.

I confess that I did not know Shri Rajiv Gandhi personally. But like thecrores of other people of India, I have seen him as the leader of thebiggest Party in India and as the Prime Minister of India. In his demise,the country has suffered a great loss. Firstly, he not only stood for thecherished values of secularism and democracy in our polity, but he alsofought for these values to the end. Secondly, he was one of the greatleaders of the emerging new world order, the SAARC and the NAM,which envisage the freedom and development of the under-developedcountries so as to rid them of poverty, hunger, disease and foreigninterference. Thirdly, he had the vision and the dream of a happy andmodern India, free from hunger, injustice and unemployment, an India,which has its pride of place in the comity of nations. These are the reasonswhy the teeming millions of India, on his sad and sudden demise, feel asif they have lost a near and dear one.

''l!~ VlGf~ ~ \il1Ttm ~ iltl,~~~q~~\il1T~ I"

This is an occasion on which we must realise that the cult of violence istrying hard to shatter the values of democracy, debate and tolerance inour country. We must recall that it was against such evil forces that, forty-one years ago, Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the National, laid downhis life. We must, therefore, pledge ourselves to continue the struggle fordemocracy, secularism and non-violence -- values for which Shri RajivGandhi laid down his life.

34

AsWi~ston Ch~.rchillhad.said: 'Gras~ does not grow on the gallows'. Theassassl~s of ~a~lv G,andhl are not gomg to gain anything. On the other?and, his sa.cnflce will strengthen the mission of democracy and secular-Ism, for which he stood.

"~ ~ mWl q 1Rit ~ t-. ,~~mt-~~t"GlT<I' I"

We must, therefore, no.tlose heart, but pledge ourselves to do all in ourpower to ~o ahead with the task of rooting out communalism andst~engthemng the forces of democracy and non-violence in our countryLives of gr~at men remind us that we can also make our lives sublime:And dep.artmg leaves behind footprints on the sands of time so that someother shipwrecked-brother seeing them may take heart again.

I convey my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and pray thatthe departed soul may rest in peace.

35

Aoman with commitment and clear vision

Dr. Nagen SaikiaAsom Gana Parish ad

India's mOanof destiny

R. K. DhawanCongress (I)

IiIi

'III

Mr. Chairman, Sir, I associate myself with what has been said by yourhonour and by my colleagues in the House.

The naOtionhas been confronted with some violent events during the lastfifteen days. Of these violent events, the gruesome and heinous killing ofShri Rajiv.Gandhi is an event of the most dangerous dimensions. It was!1o~justan attack on an individual. It was an attack on our democracy. Itwas an attack on the policy of rion-violence. This has shocked theOwholenation, nay, the whole world. A dynamic personality with a broaderunderstanding of the national and global problems, a man with commit~ment and clear vision, a man with youthful vigour and high hopes anddreams, a man with all the niceties of human behaviour, Shri RajivGandhi became not only an unparalleled national leader but an interna- \tional figure within a short span of about ten years. He fought for thecause of the humanity and for the global peace. Without Rajivji therewould not have been the Assam Accord in 1985 to find out a solution tothe problems of the State of Assam.

I, on my own behalf and on behalf of my party, condemn the gruesome 0

killing. I pay homage in the memory of Rajivji and pray for eternal peaceto the departed soul.

My heart is filled with deep sorrow, 0 pain and anguish at the brutalassassination of our dear and respected leader Shri Rajiv Gandhi. Wordsfail me to express my feelings and to express them fully and, if Imay sayso, the Oxford dictionary will have to find new words to eXpress myfeelings at this juncture. . 0 0 0 • •

I have the distinction of being associated with hiin for almost 30 years: Ihave seen him grow from school days as a bright, alert, energetic' am!smart youngman. The qualities of his calmness, coolness, tenderness arebeyond description. From all that I have seen, I can say that he was a verycool, calm, generous and a very large-hearted person; He had the highestrespect for values and system. He was a man of his word. I would like toshare with this House my experience, how he demonstrated his highestrespect for the values and the system. Of course, it was a very sadoccasion. At the time of the death of Shri Sanjay Gandhi it was decidedthat the ashes of Shri Sanjay Gandhi would be immersed in the rivers ofvarious States. Pradesh Congress(I) Presidents of various States were ,sitting in my room and in the adjacent room. When they were about totake away the ashes, Shri Rajiv Gandhi gave them certairiinstrudions.You can say that they were sort of guidelines or in the form of guidance.He said that since Sanjay Gandhi did not belong to or did not hold anyGovernment office, no Government rules should be violated and w~should go by the system. At this, one of the PCC Presidents -- and Iwouldlike to mention his name because he can vouch for it -- Shri Jagarinath

o Mishra quipped :~ ~ mefiR t I This visibly annoyea Shri RajiyGandhi and he immediately told him: ~2l~, 3lJllCf>1 mefiR ;fflf l <n! 'qJ«fq,1 mefiR t; 31J1:Jfcfim ~ CfiT~ ;fflf CR, ~ I 0 0 • 0

This is how I am trying to explain that he had the highest respect" forvalues and system. .

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He was a man of hisword. When he said something, he meant it and keptit. To prove that Iwill quote myown case. It was on 31st December, 1984,at about 10.30 in the night, he told me and to put it in his words, he said:"Mr. Dhawan, Thakkar Commission has decided to look into your

. conduct and they want you to proceed on leave, but I promise you that ifafter investigation nothing comes out against you, I will take you back."I would like to inform you and this august House that I have had twomeetings with him before I joined him--one in Parliament House -- hehad sent for ,me--and another at the Prime Minister's House. Then hesaid only twowords to me: "Mr. Dhawan, do you remember the promisewhich I made to you at the time when I asked you to proceed on leave?"I said, "Yes, Sir, I do." He said, "I am fulfilling that promise. There isnothing against you, and J have decided to take you back." This is how Ican say that he was a man of hisword. That ismy experience with him andI am sure the experience of others with him is also equally the same.

He was a meticulous person, a thorough gentleman who liked to go deepinto the root cause of each and every problem and tried to find a solution.He did not believe in or accept any excuses. The way he stood by hismother during her difficult times between 1977 and 1980, and the poiseand dignity with which he conducted himself at the time of the death ofhis younger brother, Shri Sanjay Gandhi, and the solace which heprovided to his mother at that time are a matter of record.

I would say that he was full of love for his countrymen and he was totallycommitted to secularism, not in the cold political dictum but as a part ofhis very being. He always looked towards the welfare of the downtrod-den, the weaker sections, harijans, backward classes, women and chil-dren. I had a number of meetings with him along with my othercolleagues when he was Opposition Leader, and he always felt con-cerned that his touring throughout the country as the Leader of theOpposition has made him feel and realize, in a better way, the difficultiesand problems that the downtrodden people of this country were facingand how to .resolve them. The killings that were going on in Punjab,Jammu and Kashmir and Assam were always paining him and he was

38

always thinking of how to solve this problem, how to come forward withsome ideas of how to save the situation so that all the'se things were notthere.

He emerged on the Indian political scene at a time of seeing India asadvanced, with a vision of a forward-looking and one of the mostprosperous countries in the world, a nation committed to peace, a nationwedded to ,secularism,' with respect for all religions, equality for allcitizens without distinctions of race, caste, region or sex.

I can say--and I think all of you will share my view--that he will beremembered as India's Man of Destiny who was snatched away at theprime of his life when he was full of life. He was full of dreams, he was fullof vision, he had the dream of seeing India as one of the most prosperouscountries in the world. He was snatched away cruelly from our midst. Weall will miss him and history will miss him. He was snatched away by theforces of violence and hatred which he faught relentlessly. These are thetributes Ipay to him.

39

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A beloved leader

B.V. Abdulla KoyaMuslim League

The crores and crores of people in India and abroad have not yetrecovered from the shock of the dastardly and cruel assassination of ourbeloved leader, Shri Rajiv Gandhi. Even though this great man has livedonly for a short period in our midst, he, within that period, had earned aperpetually loving place in our hearts and life. It is a pity to have suchcalamities, forgetting the advice of great Indians like Mahatma Gandhi.It is our bounden duty to see that political and social violence is stoppedat any cost, and those human devils who perpetrated this crime are to beidentified, isolated and suitably punished.

I, on behalf of my party, the Muslim League, and on my own behalf,express sorrow and convey our heartfelt condolences to the bereavedfamily of the departed leader.

40,

A great tragedy

Jagjit Singh AuroraAkali Dal

I would like to express my deep sorrow and shock at the untimely andviolent death of Shri Rajiv Gandhi, our ex-Prime Minister an-dPresidentof the Indian National Congress (I). I condemn this dastardly actunequivocally. Shri Rajiv Gandhi's assassination isa great tragedy. It hasshocked not only us but the whole world. I consider that it has alsodiminished us by giving such a violent turn to our politics.

The roots of democracy are still tender in our country. We have tonurture them, not destroy them. No democracy can survive the malice,hatred and vendetta that have become the order of the day these days.The loss of this valuable and young life is an immense jolt to us. Are wemanly enough to turn back to follow the example of the Father of theNation, eschew violence and jingoism in politics and create a peacefuland non-violent and wholesome society where real Ram raj wouldprevail?

My heart goes out to the bereaved family, and I take this opportunity toconvey my heartfelt condolences to Shrimati Sonia Gandhi and the chil- .dren.

41

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45

The brightest star

Karma TopdenSikkim Sang ram Parish ad

I rise to pay homage with everybody else in this House to the memory oflate Shri Rajiv Gandhi and also to strongly condemn this heinous act ofmurder. We live in a civilised age. Ours is a civilised society and in acivilised society nobody deserves to die in such a cruel, senseless, brutalarid barbaric manner, least of all, Shri Rajiv Gandhi, who was theyoungest and brightest star in the Indian firmament. He was a good man,a gentle person, a noble soul, a loving husband and a caring father. Hewas a leader of international stature who was totally committed to thecause ofIndia. He was a young man, modern in outlook and with a youngman's dream for the future of India. I knew him in his younger andhappier days when we were both working in a bakery in Cambridge.

Though, he was the grandson of Pandit lawaharlal Nehru, who was thethen Prime Minister of India, yet he had the humility of mind and theseriousness of purpose to take on a job during his holidays and even earnhis pocket money. At this sad hour my heart goes out to Shrimati SoniaGandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi who have impressed thewhole world by the dignity and courage with which they have borne thisirreparable loss.

On behalf of myself, my leader Shri Nar Bahadur Bhandari, ChiefMinister of Sikkim and the whole State of Sikkim, I extend to ShrimatiSonia Gandhi and her family our deepest and sincerest condolences.

46

)

The whole of India loved him

Jayanthi NatarajanCongress (I)

Mr. Chairman, Sir, the fact that I stand here before you and before thisaugust House is itself by the grace of my leader, Rajivji.

I was standing right next to him when this terrible tragedy occurred ~ndfor some reason, he sent me away to his car and that had saved my hfe.This is yet another debt, an eternal one, which I will never be able torepay.

He brought me into politics. He was the sustenance that I found inpolitics. And to me and to countless others of the post-Independen~egeneration, he represented all that is good, honest, decent and young mpolitics. History willbear testimony to his manifold achievements. Thosewho are more competent than I am to talk about his achievem~nts ineconomy, in administration, in foreign affairs and towards the umty andintegrity of this country have already spoken about him. My loss is deeplypersonal in the sense that my faith in him was unquestioning an~unshakable. I believed implicitly that myown future and the future of thIScountry were safe in his hands. I have lost the source of n:y g~ida.nce, th.erock of my sustenance and the fountain - head of my 1~~lratlOn. HISintegrity was of crystalline purity and equally uncompro~l1smg. I ~ant toplace on record that on several occasions I had gone to him for gUIdanceon various sensitive issues and his answer had always been: "Always dothe right thing. We have nothing to hide. Go and do your duty. Don't beafraid of anything." He was uncompromisin~ in his integrity and he ?adalways shown us the path to do the right thmg, to never fear anythmg.Because of him, my colleagues and I, some of us who had no otherintroduction, no other sustenance, nobody else to guide us in p~litics,were able to walk with our heads held high; we were able to walk WIthoutfear that we might slide into the various pitfalls that faced us in politicallife. His smiling countenance and unfailing good humour and the fact

47

that he was a human being are some of the details that haunt us, those ofus who were fortunate enough to work with him. Above all, he was allthings to all Indians. To me, the greatest appeal, the reason why Iconsidered him to be my leader, was that he was not confined to anyoneregion; he was not confined by linguistic, regional or even by genderchauvinism. He belonged to all the parts of India, to all the States ofIndia, to all the languages of India, to all the religions, to all the castes,to all the communities, to men and to women. It is particularly poignantfor me and for all women in the country and in politics to'say, 'Here wasa man who genuinely believed that women were his equals.' Every time

. I worked with him, I could see that he genuinely believed in the equalityofwomen. He did not simply pay lip service to them. This was why he wasa repository of all our hopes and aspirations.

It saddens me beyond words that this terrible tragedy should haveoccurred in my peace-lovingState, at the veryplace where Saint Ramanujawas born. So much has been said about him. As I said, he was so manythings to so many people. As we were walking through the streets ofMadras in procession, in memory of Rajivji, a vegetable seller whorecognised that I was present, caught hold of my hands and said, "I sellvegetables. Everybody who comes to buy cabbage or beans wants some-thing that is young and tender and this is the story of the way I sell myvegetables. I didn't realise that God himself was so greedy that he shouldtake away even a leader from the people of this country, he should takeaway a leader who was young and tender, warm and had the best to offerfor the future." The people of Tamil Nadu and the whole of India lovedhim. They loved him for his warmth, for his smiling countenance becausehe represented so much to them-the very future of this country. Today,he is no longer here. But the final tribute that I can pay to him is that I willcertainly try to stand strong, keep my head held high as I was able to dowhen he was here and stand for whatever is good, peaceful andhonourable. Although he is not here to sustain me, at least his spirit, his~emory and the words that he shared with us,will sustain me through thisJourney.

48

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The champion of the poor

Madhavsinh SolankiCongress (I)

We are all assembled here to mourn the sudden passing away of our greatleader who was till yesterday in the midst of us. Shri Rajiv Gandhi was noordinary human being. Not only have we, but the whole world has nowrecognised that he was a highly intelligent person with a keen eye forperfection, possessing indomitable strength and courage, a far-sightedvisionary, full of dynamism and at the same time a genuine charismaticpersonality. In a very short period of the Indian history he had risen tobecome the symbol of the hopes and aspirations of the youth of thiscountry and the coming generations find their hopes in thisextra-ordinary young man. He had done and wanted to do so much in soshort a time. Let me say,Mr. Chairman, the teeming millions of the ThirdWorld saw in him the champion of the poor and the down-troddenpeople of the whole world. By losing Shri Rajiv Gandhi we do not knowwhat we have not lost.

51

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