Latest news with #Anti-TerrorismDay
Express Tribune
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Incredulous India
Listen to article In 1991, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a suicide bomber representing the banned separatist organization, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Subsequently, 21st May was declared Anti-Terrorism Day in India. A day dedicated topromoting peace through awareness and education by conducting trainings and workshops to curb the spread of terrorism. The 1991 assassination, however, was not the first time a terroristattack (even in the modern sense of the word),had occurred in India. The first Indo-Pak War was fought from 1947 -1948 over the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir, marking the birth of separatist movements and militant groups in the country, regardless of alleged external support. Insurgent groups in the Northeastern states have fought for greater autonomy since the 1970s. The Meenambakkam Bombing was yet another terror attack by the Tamil Eelam Army in 1984. A plethora of terror incidents to draw from, in particularthe Bombay Bombings (1993) followed by the post 9/11 attacks (Indian Parliament Attack (2001), Mumbai Train Bombings (2006) and Mumbai Attacks (2008). Across the border, Pakistan too has bledin its fight against terrorism -losing more than 70,000 (The South Asia Terrorism Portal) people to terrorist incursions, regardless of who's 'war' was/is being fought. The fallout from the Afghan conflict in the late 70's and 80's sowed the seeds of extremism. Since then, not only has Pakistan fought homegrown militant groups but faced the reality of sectarian violence and weathered the storm of insurgencies with outside influence. The sacrifices of the soldiers, the unwavering spirit of the people facing a very real threat to life and the resulting heavy toll on the economy are undisputed facts. To brand a nation that has lost countless lives - both civilian and military - to terrorism as a 'terrorist state' isn't just insensitive; it's a blatant twisting of the truth. An example of 2009, Pakistan's worst hit year, with 2,586 terrorist, insurgent and sectarian related incidents reported, killing 3,021 people and injuring 7,334 according to the 'Pakistan Security Report, 2009' published by the Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS). Armed with decades of such experience, in the immediate aftermath of the Pahalgham attack, Pakistan volunteered to allow an independent investigation into the matter; a call that fell on deaf ears. While the fight for terrorism within the two neighbouring countries is alive, it is rife with contentious statements of the other country's deep state machinations. The age-old blame game gives birth to patriotic fervor, which has sky rocketed post the latest skirmish in the decades long Indo-Pak patriotismin Pakistan played out with an explosion of nihilistic memes and TikTok videos taking jabs at our institutions and the neighbouring state machinery in equal parts. Another extreme, however, was on full theatrical display in India with calls for the annihilation of the state of Pakistan, fueled fervently by the national media itself. Suffice it to say, the root cause being the rise in tensions. What has also been on therise is Hindutva nationalism in India since Modi's election in 2014. The extreme hate for the Muslims, especially in Pakistan stems from a narrative that is very old and equally dangerous. The term 'Hindutva' was coined by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in his writings, through which he changed the narrative Swami Vivekanandaestablished in late 1800s where Vivekanandastatedthat Hinduism was the only universal religion. Savarkar then traced the word Hindu to not be inclusivist, but exclusivist in nature. He prescribed that there are three essentials to Hindutva – a common nation, a common race and a common civilization in turn - making religious belief and practice secondary in nature and thereby excluding Muslims and Christians altogether. M.S. Golwalker, a prominent advocate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), further exploited the ever evolving Hindudtvaideology by declaring that Hindus came 'into this land (Hindustan) from nowhere, but are indigenous children of the soil always, from times immemorial and are natural masters of the country specifically referencingthe example of Nazi Germany and how it had shown that it was impossible for 'for Races and cultures, having differences to the root, to be assimilated into one united whole, a good lesson for use in Hindustan to learn and profit by.' The RSS is the ideological mentor of The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Not surprisingly then, the recent attack on Pakistani soil, killing civilians, including two children by attacking civilian areas in the dead of the night has been dubbed by many as anattack reminiscent of the Israeli tactics being used in Palestine. Equally preposterous, and again seemingly taken directly from the Israseli textbook was the justification peddled out, when the Indian representatives, both state and media, deemedall the civilian casualties as terrorists, even children. Hence, hateful tweets from the Indian citizenry followed – one such asking for Pakistan to be flattened just like Gaza. What then, one may ask, is the significance of 21st May when the BJP and the ruling class presents terror and hate in the mainstream? To see the practical effects of such hateful rhetoric, one does not need to go too far back. The 2002 Gujrat massacre holds all the key elements of terrorism, played out under Modi, Chief Minister at the time, whose controversial role in the incident itself has been widely debated. So much so, he was even denied visa to the United States in 2005, reportedly based on serious concerns surrounding human rights issues. Bilawal Bhutto's words, if ever appropriate, certainly may be used in this context, 'Osama Bin Laden is dead, but the butcher of Gujrat lives. And he is the Prime Minister of India'. What then does the future hold for the new Hindutva-led Bharat and subsequent Indo-Pak relations?
The Hindu
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Rajiv Gandhi death anniversary observed
Chief Minister N. Rangasamy led the observance of the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi as 'Anti-Terrorism Day' on Wednesday. The Chief Minister garlanded the statue of the late leader at Rajiv Gandhi Square, Thattanchavady and administered a pledge on the occasion. Among those who joined the observance were A.K. Sai J. Saravanan Kumar, Minister for Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare, P. Rajavelu, Deputy Speaker, AKD Aroumougame, Government Whip, R. Bhaskar, MLA and Shalini Singh, DGP. Patriotic songs were rendered by the teachers of Jawahar Children's Home and interfaith prayers recited during the programme. At the Chief Secretariat, Ashish Madhaorao More, Development Commissioner and Secretary to Government (Finance), read out the pledge to Secretaries to Government, Secretariat officers and employees. L.S. Sathyamoorthy, Law Secretary, read out the Tamil version on the occasion.
The Hindu
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
SCR Vijayawada division observes Anti-Terrorism Day
Officials of the South Central Railway (SCR), Vijayawada division, observed National Anti-Terrorism Day on Wednesday. National Anti-Terrorism Day is observed every year on May 21 in India, commemorating the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Speaking on the occasion, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Narendra A. Patil said that Anti-Terrorism Day was aimed at raising awareness about the devastating impact of terrorism, to honour those who lost their lives to terrorism, promote peace, harmony, and national unity. Mr. Narendra A. Patil administered the Anti-Terrorism Day pledge to the staff and branch officers at the Divisional Office Compound in Vijayawada. Additional DRMs Srinivasa Rao Konda and P.E. Edwin, Senior Divisional Personal Officer Prem Kumar Lakawat and officers of other wings participated.
India Gazette
21-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh pays tributes to Rajiv Gandhi on his 34th death anniversary
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], May 21 (ANI): Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu paid rich tribute to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary in Shimla. He garlanded the statue of Rajiv Gandhi at Sadbhawana Chowk, Chhota Shimla. Sukhvinder Singh said, 'Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed his life for the unity and integrity of this country. Whenever there was a crisis in the country, Rajiv Gandhi never stepped back from making sacrifices. Today's 21st century India, the India of information revolution and digital revolution, was imagined by Rajiv Gandhi 40 years ago... The digital age started with his thinking, and the benefits we are getting today. Rajiv Gandhi was the thinking of the youth of this country, and today we are getting the benefits of his thinking...' The Chief Minister also stated, 'The present state government was committed to realising the vision of former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi in the state to uplift the weaker and marginal sections of the society'. Recalling his immense contributions, he said that Rajiv Gandhi laid his life for the unity and integrity of the country and laid the groundwork for several transforming initiatives that propelled the progress and prosperity of the Nation' Sukhvinder Singh said that the present state government has introduced the Rajiv Gandhi Day Boarding School Yojna to improve education standards. He said that in each assembly constituency, these schools were being established with modern facilities and other infrastructure to benefit the students residing in the rural areas of the State. He said the state government was also implementing the Rajiv Gandhi Swarojgar Start-Up Yojna, where youths would be provided loans to start their avocations. Under the Scheme, unemployed youth were also offered a 50 per cent subsidy for purchasing e-taxis. The Chief Minister also administered a pledge of national unity and integration of the country. Later, he also paid floral tributes to former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi at H.P. Secretariat and administered the oath of Anti-Terrorism Day to the officers and officials on the occasion. Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, PCC Chief Pratibha Singh, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dhani Ram Shandil, Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi, Minister Vikramditya Singh, Chairman, Tourism Development Corporation R.S. Bali, Mayor, Shimla Municipal Corporation Surender Chauhan, Deputy Mayor, Uma Kaushal, MLA Vivek Sharma, Vice Chairman, State Forest Development Corporation Kehar Singh Khachi, Chairman, State Cooperative Bank Devender Shyam, Chairman, Kangra Central Cooperative Bank Kuldeep Singh Pathania, Principal Advisor Media to Chief Minister Naresh Chauhan, Vice Chairman, HIMUDA Yashwant Chhajta, former MLA Satpal Raizada and other dignitaries also paid rich tributes to former Prime Minister. Congress leaders Ashok Gehlot and Govind Singh Dotasara also paid homage to Rajiv Gandhi at a memorial. They remembered his vision for a modern India and his contributions to its development(ANI).
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Anti-Terrorism Day - Santosh Sivan reflects on 'The Terrorist': "The film wasn't inspired by Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, but I was there when...."
On Anti-Terrorism Day , when we focus on the world of cinema to examine significant films that reshape our understanding of violence and human nature, one notable name that comes is 'The Terrorist.' Directed by the skilled Santosh Sivan . Renowned for his exceptional talents in both cinematography and filmmaking, Sivan's 1998 film delves into the mind of a suicide bomber, providing a poignant investigation into the reasons behind such drastic actions. In an exclusive conversation with us, Sivan shares his experiences in bringing the film to life, including casting decisions, the filming process, and more. Here are the excerpts from the conversation: Was Tabu your first choice for the movie? 'Actually, I told Tabu about the script when I was shooting Iruvar for Mani Ratnam. But later on, I thought that she was looking too imposing to do a role like that because she is also built very big and all that, though I love her as an actress.' That's when Ayesha Dharker came in? 'Then we did some screen tests and then got hold of Ayesha Dharker, who was very committed, and her father (the late journalist Anil Dharker), of course, also told her, I think he warmed her up to the fact that it was a very interesting role and all that.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Extraspacious 3 and 4 BHKs from 6.76 Cr* in Mahalaxmi 7 Mahalaxmi Book Now Undo Was it tough shooting such a volatile film? 'It was actually a very simple film, we shot only for some sixteen days, continuously. And most of the people who were working in the film were students. One of them who was assisting me was Vishnu Vardhan, who is now a director. And then I think we just went with the flow.' Was the film inspired by Rajiv Gandhi's assassination? 'Not inspired. I was there when Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated. The suicide bomber and Rajiv Gandhi's assassination happened, and there was a lot of trauma following that. I and my doctor friend were stuck in place. So, I was asking him and I was thinking, how can anyone do something like this? And then I thought, what would make someone think twice suddenly, before actually doing it (acting as a human bomb)? First, I thought, if she sees a mother there, then maybe she won't do it. Then I thought, why mother, why not? She realises she is pregnant. Then how will she do it? So, that is how the story started.' Were you worried about the political backlash? 'No, I was not worried about backlash and all that. I just treated it like a story that I would see, I would like to see, that's all. And of course, we didn't have any big budget, which made things much simpler and more organic and more real. We shot it in real rain and everything. And so, when I went to Sundance, it was also picked out as the visually most exciting film at that time.' Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
