India observes National Anti-Terrorism Day on 21 May every year to commemorate the death of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. He was the youngest prime minister of India who came into power at 40. Gandhi, the sixth PM of India, was assassinated by a woman-a member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on 21 May 1991, at Sriperumbudur, a village near Madras. The VP Singh’s government announced that 21 May would be observed as Anti-Terrorism Day.
National Anti-Terrorism Day: History
At 40, Rajiv Gandhi was the youngest Prime Minister of India. For no one could have ascended to power in more tragic and tormenting circumstances than Rajiv Gandhi did in the wake of his mother Indira Gandhi’s brutal assassination on 31 October 1984.
However, it was on 21 May 1991 that the former prime minister was assassinated by an LTTE terrorist. It was a militant separatist group fighting for an independent homeland for the Tamils in the northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka.
Gandhi was killed during a rally in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. A bomber touched his feet and an explosion occurred that caused the death of Rajiv Gandhi.
ANTI-TERRORISM DAY: OBJECTIVE
Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations poses a direct threat to the security of the citizens of countries, and to international stability and prosperity. It is a persistent global threat that knows no border, nationality, or religion and is a challenge that the international community must tackle together.
The objective behind observing Anti-Terrorism Day is to spread the message of peace, humanity, unity, and harmony among the people, and to make them aware of the anti-social acts of terrorism.
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