Rajiv Gandhi Death Anniversary 2023: Inspirational quotes by India’s former Prime Minister

During his time in office, Rajiv Gandhi made key decisions to expand India’s education system and make crucial improvements for the bright future of the Indian youth. Photo Courtesy: File Picture

Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LLTE) in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu on May 21, 1991. He was killed by a woman suicide bomber named Dhanu during a poll rally in Chennai. Along with him, over 13 people were killed and 40 injured.

Gandhi became the country's youngest Prime Minister at the age of 40 and is also one of the few to have passed away during office. Rajiv Gandhi is known to have entered politics reluctantly after the death of his mother and India's former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. During his time in office, Rajiv Gandhi made key decisions to expand India's education system and make crucial improvements for the bright future of the Indian youth. The Indira Gandhi Open University was established under his guidance.

On his 32nd death anniversary, let's remember Rajiv Gandhi by taking a look at some of his inspirational quotes:

1. Education must be a great equaliser in our society. It must be the tool to level the differences that our various social systems have created over the past thousands of years.

2. The freedom movement transformed the status of women. Women fought along with men as comrades. In the process, the shackles that had bound them fell away.

3. I didn't have any personal goals when I came, but after being in politics - after seeing people, their difficulties, their wants - I think our goal has to be to eliminate poverty from India.

4. There has to be a national consensus. We cannot legislate without overwhelming national consensus that religious and communal groups should be totally banned from politics.

5. For some days, people thought that India was shaking. But there are always tremors when a great tree falls.

6. Civilizations are built by the ceaseless toil of a succession of generations. With softness and sloth, civilizations succumb. Let us beware of decadence.

7. Women are the social conscience of a country. They hold our societies together.

8. To the nameless and unsung heroes of our freedom struggle, we offer our humble tribute. Their life-blood nourishes the body of independent India.

9. India is an old country, but young nation; and like the young everywhere we are impatient. I am young, and I too have a dream. I dream of an India strong, independent and self-reliant and in the front rank of the nations of the world in the service of mankind.

10. Development is not about factories, dams and roads. Development is about people. The goal is material, cultural and spiritual fulfilment for the people. The human factor is of supreme value in development.

Also Read: Rajiv Gandhi Death Anniversary 2023: Timeline of events that led to the assassination of India's youngest PM