Gandhi has only seconds to live as the suicide bomber Thenmozhi Rajaratnam approaches him while he engages local people in conversation at Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu State. Seven pillars surround the site of the blast, at the, Assassination in India; Rajiv Gandhi is assassinated in bombing at campaign stop; India puts off rest of voting, Supreme Court of India, State Of Tamil Nadu Through vs Nalini And 25 Others on 11 May 1999, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "1991: Bomb kills India's former leader Rajiv Gandhi", "Assassination in India; Rajiv Gandhi is assassinated in bombing at campaign stop", "A Chance To Be Near The People New Campaigning Style Put Gandhi In Crowds", "A look back at Rajiv Gandhi assassination: Rare images from the past", "The others who died with Rajiv Gandhi: Families talk of struggle, neglect", "Remembering Rajiv Gandhi: What exactly happened on that fateful night of May 21 in Madras and New Delhi", "LTTE key suspect in Rajiv Gandhi assassination probe", "Women Power: Living with grit and painful memories", "Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi and its aftermath", "Mastermind of Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, Sivarasan, is a man with many names", "Rajiv Gandhi assassination: Dhanu, the first-ever human bomb in Sri Lanka's history", "Rajiv Gandhi murder: Who are the 7 convicts the TN govt wants to free?-India News, Firstpost", "Death Reference Case No. Last Updated: 21st May 2020 11:22 AM. she joined the Tamil Tigers movement in hopes of establishing the independent state of Tamil Eelam on Sri Lanka. Another delegation met him around 14 March 1991 in New Delhi. Tobin Harshaw writes editorials on national security, military affairs and education. Harithra Murugan, daughter of Nalini Sriharan and Murugan interview, Template:Sri Lankan Civil War graphical timeline, https://en.bharatpedia.org/index.php?title=Assassination_of_Rajiv_Gandhi&oldid=375996, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, Kalaivani Rajaratnam (popularly known by her assumed names Thenmozhi Rajaratnam and Dhanu), Shivarasan alias Raghuvaran or Raghu-anna, Planning and executing the plot of the assassination, Standby to accompany the human bomb she was also the back-up bomber, K.S Mohammed Iqbal, police superintendent, Latha Kannan, Mahila Congress worker, who was with her daughter Kokilavani, Kokilavani, ten-year-old daughter of Latha Kannan, who sang a poem to, Darryl Jude Peters, attendee and observer, Munuswamy, former member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Council, Saroja Devi, seventeen-year-old college student, Pradeep K Gupta, personal security officer of Rajiv Gandhi. The Commission report stated that the year 1989 signified "the perpetuation of the general political trend of indulging the Tamil militants on Indian soil and tolerance of their wide-ranging criminal and anti-national activities". The agency created a special investigation team under D. R. Karthikeyan[18] to determine who was responsible for the assassination. Arrested on 14 June 1991, she was sentenced to death, along with the other 25 accused. She was from Kupukullai in Jaffna, and studied until middle school in Batticaloa. Marital status of Thenmozhi at the time of her death, is not known to the general public. Very difficult. This was evidence to the Jain Committee's report and suspicions that the LTTE had contacted Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala along with Jagjit Singh Chohan to plan the plot. [25] Additionally, the Rajiv Gandhi administration had antagonised other Tamil militant organisations like PLOTE for reversingthemilitarycoup in Maldives back in 1988. The assassination was caught on film by a local photographer, Haribabu,[9] whose camera and film was found intact at the site despite him also dying in the blast. [5][6], Rajiv Gandhi was busy election-campaigning with G.K. Moopanar in southern states of India. The assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India, occurred as a result of a suicide bombing in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu, India on 21 May 1991. The final report, submitted in June 1992, concluded that the security arrangements for the former PM were adequate but that the local Congress party leaders disrupted and broke these arrangements.[14]. Follow us for updates, India's manufacturing PMI hits four-monthhigh in April, Tamil Nadu government withdraws contentious bill on flexible working hours. All the comments will be moderated by the newindianexpress.com editorial. In the Jain report, various people and agencies are named as suspected of having been involved in the murder of Rajiv Gandhi. Careers, Home | Nation | World | Cities | Business | Columns | Entertainment | Sport | Magazine | The Sunday Standard. [1] She was born on 1 January 1974 in Sri Lanka. She was from Kupukullai in Jaffna, and studied until middle school in Batticaloa. Under the TADA an accused can appeal only to the Supreme Court. The bomber bent down to touch the former PM's feet during a poll rally and detonated an RDX explosive-laden belt tucked below her dress at 10.10 pm. The attack was carried by . Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines. Appeal to the HighCourt is not allowed as in normal law. (Photo | CC-by-sa PlaneMad/Wikimedia), Now we are on Telegram too. In Image: Rajiv Gandhi with Panrutti Ramachandran having talks with LTTE supremo Prabakaran | PTI, Prabhakaran (2nd from right) is seen along with other LTTE leaders in Jaffna after they announced a surrender of arms to the Indian Army under a peace accord | PTI/AP, The VP Singh-led National Front government, which came to power in 1989 was short-lived and the LTTE feared the comeback of Rajiv Gandhi. Nalini, who is the wife of an LTTE operative known as V Sriharan alias Murugan, another convict in the case who had been sentenced to death, later gave birth to a girl, Harithra Murugan in prison. Thenmozhi was survived by her mother, brother Sivavarman and two sisters, one of whom moved to France.[23]. The attack was carried by Thenmozhi Rajaratnam aka Dhanu, a member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a terrorist organisation of Sri Lanka. Terms of Use | Thirumavalavan with VCK have supported Congress under Sonia Gandhi in the past. The Supreme Court held that the decision to eliminate Gandhi was precipitated by his interview to Sunday magazine (2128 August 1990), where he stated that he would send the IPKF to disarm the LTTE if he returned to power. [17] He was cremated on the banks of the river Yamuna, near the cremation spot of his mother, brother and grandfather. Sana'a Mehaidli, a Syrian who blew herself up next to an Israeli convoy in Lebanon in 1985, was not only the first female suicide bomber but also one of the first terrorists to make a so-called martyr video, now the de rigueur way of expressing one's devotion to the cause posthumously. If you continue to interfere, your comrade Parasuraman of Ambattur who sneaked to the police about our presence there, will not be alive", In a 2011 interview, Kumaran Pathmanathan, who was the Treasurer of LTTE and its chief arms procurer, apologized to India for Velupillai Prabhakaran's "mistake" of killing former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Also other strong LTTE sympathizers Vaiko with MDMK and Thol. These messages, which were decoded later, are directly related to the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi", the report stated. The Congress subsequently brought down the United Front (UF) government of I K Gujral after the report was leaked in November 1998. Subsequent accusations of conspiracy have been addressed by two commissions of inquiry and have brought down at least one national government, the government of Inder Kumar Gujral. | Express Photo, In 1990, the LTTE, under Veluppillai Prabhakaran, reportedly summoned four of his trusted lieutenants to physically eliminate the Indian Prime Minister. (Photos from the Jain Commission. At the time, India had just ended its involvement, through the Indian Peace Keeping Force, in the Sri Lankan Civil War. Since that terrible day, women are known to have carried out at least 185 suicide attacks, killing 2,130 people and wounding nearly 5,000 others. Mallikarjun Kharge's son Priyank calls PM Modi 'nalayak', Locals remember 'doctor sahib' and his family killed in Ludhiana gas leak incident, Police stop A R Rahman's Pune concert citing 10 pm deadline, 'Reduce our working hours! You will get the updates within 24 hours. To install click the Add extension button. Wynk Music brings to you Thenmozhi MP3 song from the movie/album Thiruchitrambalam (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack). [50][51], Months before the assassination, Vazhappady K. Ramamurthy, who served as the president of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee from 1989 to 1994, produced a letter, purportedly from the LTTE threatening to kill him and Rajiv Gandhi, who had called for a tight clamp down of the LTTE activities in Tamil Nadu. Rajaratnam's eldest daughter from the second marriage was Kalaivani, also known as Thenmozhi or Dhanu. [30][31] This created a storm in India. Legal experts were divided. Blakeslee, David S. "Politics and public goods in developing countries: Evidence from the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.". The assassination was caught on film by a local photographer, Haribabu,[9] whose camera and film was found intact at the site despite him also dying in the blast. in. Vaiko left the UPA alliance before the 2009election, partly due to the Sri Lankan issue. They are currently undergoing life imprisonment in prisons in India. "Killing Rajiv Gandhi: Dhanu's sacrificial metamorphosis in death. [33] Confessions given by the accused to the Superintendent of Police are taken as evidence against the accused under TADA. The assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India, occurred as a result of a suicide bombing in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu, India on 21 May 1991. Thenmozhi Rajaratnam. [52] In an interview in 2017, Justice K.T. She was born on 1 January 1974 in Sri Lanka. However, the MadrasHighCourt intervened and stayed their execution for eight weeks based on their petitions. With Wynk Music, you will not only enjoy your favourite MP3 songs online, but you will also have access to our hottest playlists such as English Songs, Hindi Songs, Malayalam . Reported By:| Edited By: Nikhil S Dixit |Source: DNA |Updated: Oct 04, 2011, 01:40 AM IST. [23] Thenmozhi was the daughter of a Sri Lankan Tamil man named A. Rajaratnam[22] and his second wife. Globally, the particular circumstances that lead terrorist movements to take up suicide bombings are well known. It's a familiar cocktail seen in the previous conflicts riven by suicide attacks. Nalini is a citizen of India. Feroz Rashid Khan was lodged in the Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai and was facing trial in the 1993 serial bomb blasts case. Also other strong LTTE sympathizers Vaiko with MDMK and Thol. The CBI spokesperson did not respond to text messages and email sent by DNA requesting the agency for its reaction on the goof-up. Boko Haram seems to have made a science of preparing women for this ultimate sacrifice: Ms Amos described a six-tiered daily education track for the women that she called Primary One, Primary Two and so on. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on May 21, 1991 at Sriperumbudur, near Chennai, in Tamil Nadu by a woman suicide bomber. As per the Supreme Court of India judgment, by Judge K. T. Thomas, the killing was carried out due to personal animosity of the LTTE chief Prabhakaran towards Rajiv Gandhi arising from his sending the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) to Sri Lanka and the alleged IPKF atrocities against Sri Lankan Tamils. If you continue to interfere, your comrade Parasuraman of Ambattur who sneaked to the police about our presence there, will not be alive", In a 2011 interview, KumaranPathmanathan, who was the Treasurer of LTTE and its chief arms procurer, apologized to India for Velupillai Prabhakaran's "mistake" of killing former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Another delegation met him around 14 March 1991 in New Delhi. "Why Rajiv Gandhi's Death Saved the Congress: How an Event Affected the Outcome of the 1991 Election in India." They are: On November 11, 2022, the Supreme Court of India ordered the release of six convicts in the 1991 Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, after the Tamil Nadu government controversially recommended their remission in March 2016. ': On May Day, workers rally for betterlabor conditions, Karnataka polls: BJP releases manifesto,promises UCC, freegas cylinders, milk packet, SC says it can dissolve marriage on grounds of 'irretrievable breakdown', The Morning Standard | Dinamani | Kannada Prabha | Samakalika Malayalam | Cinema Express | Indulgexpress | Edex Live | Events Xpress, Contact Us | | AFP, The Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) contingent that was set to sail off for home from Trincomalee on 29 November 1989, is seen arriving on board M V Akbar. Thenmozhi was survived by her mother, brother Sivavarman and two sisters, one of whom moved to France.[22]. [1] He allegedly was described as Velupillai Prabhakaran 's mentor; and he played a vital role in moulding the LTTE chief's thinking during the movement's formative years between 1972 and 1975. About two hours after arriving in Madras (now Chennai), Gandhi was driven by motorcade in a white Ambassador car to Sriperumbudur, stopping along the way at a few other election campaigning venues. In terms of competence, he said, "coercion brings the worst you have to offer"; in contrast, many of these women are -- like Dhanu -- highly capable. Alongwith Gandhi and Dhanu, several others too were killed in the explosion. Bloomberg View. Blakeslee, David S. "Politics and public goods in developing countries: Evidence from the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.". She argued that even life convicts were released after 14 years. This page was last edited on 24 December 2022, at 11:46. Despite no action, the findings raised vital questions that have previously been consistently raised by political analysts. Judge Wadhwa further stated there was nothing on record to show that the intention to kill Rajiv Gandhi was to overawe the government. Aditya Mehta is a writer, musician and vedic astrology researcher who also studies palmistry and numerology. Nalini was treated as a class 'A' convict from 10 September 1999 till the privilege was withdrawn in May 2010 after a mobile phone was allegedly recovered from her cell during a surprise check. The party also demanded the removal of DMK from the UF government, arguing that it had played a key role in the death of Rajiv Gandhi. newindianexpress.com reserves the right to take any or all comments down at any time. They are currently undergoing life imprisonment in prisons in India. [31] Human rights groups protested that the trial did not meet the standards of a free trial. She "regrets" the killing of the former Prime Minister and claims that the real conspirators have not been booked yet. These messages, which were decoded later, are directly related to the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi", the report stated. The letter signed LTTE written in Tamil said that they had received orders from the leadership to eliminate people opposing their "Eelam struggle". Two other retrieved messages showed how he was in touch with Budhsinghwala about the assassination as well, and they were originally trying to find Haryanvis to assassinate Rajiv Gandhi instead of Tamils and Sikhs. She then bent down to touch his feet and detonated an RDX explosive-laden belt tucked below her dress at exactly 10:10 PM. (2 votes) Very easy. The assassination was carried out by Kalaivani Rajaratnam. She then bent down to touch his feet and detonated an RDX explosive-laden belt tucked below her dress at exactly 10:10 PM. Others were given various jail terms, the website says. Jayakumar - The brother in law of Robert Pious. The grainy tape shows not a pawn but a woman eager to kill Israelis. Ms A. Athirai, an accused, was 17 years old when she was arrested. However, this latest goof-up by the central agency indicates that little has been done to correct the errors. [27][28] Judge Thomas further stated that conspiracy was hatched in stages commencing from 1987 and that it spanned several years. The assassin, Dhanu (Thenmozhi Rajaratnam), approached and greeted him. The LTTE decision to kill him was perhaps aimed at preventing him from coming to power again. Dhanu, whose hair is adorned with jasmine flowers, is the belt bomber who killed Rajiv Gandhi in the explosion | Express Photo, Seven pillars surround the site of the blast at the Rajiv Gandhi Memorial. Nalini - Wife of Murugan. And like the men who take that path, many of the women choose it for themselves. Thank you for subscribing our enewsletter. [35], On appeal to the Supreme Court, only four of the accused were sentenced to death and the others to various jail terms. The final report, submitted in June 1992, concluded that the security arrangements for the former PM were adequate but that the local Congressparty leaders disrupted and broke these arrangements.[14]. The Congress subsequently brought down the United Front (UF) government of I K Gujral after the report was leaked in November 1998. But we could kill your leader (Mr.Gandhi) no matter where we are based. Advertise With Us | [20], The interim report of Justice MilapChandJain, looking into the conspiracy angle to the assassination, indicted the DMK for colluding with the LTTE. The SIT probe confirmed the role of the LTTE in the assassination,[19] which was upheld by the Supreme Court of India. Published: 21st May 2018 07:29 AM| Nalini - Wife of Murugan. He allegedly was described as Velupillai Prabhakaran's mentor; and he played a vital role in moulding the LTTE chief's thinking during the movement's formative years between 1972 and 1975. After garlanding Rajiv, Rajaratnam evidently stooped to touch his feet and activated the explosive. "There is evidence to show that, during this period, some of the most vital wireless messages were passed between the LTTE operatives based in Tamil Nadu and Jaffna. Roberts, Michael. The report concluded that the DMK had provided sanctuary to the LTTE, which made it easier for the rebels to assassinate Rajiv Gandhi.[20]. The assassin, Kalaivani Rajaratnam, approached and greeted him. StateofTamilNaduthroughSuperintendentofpolice,CBI/SITv/sNaliniand25others. However, the court confirmed that the death sentence was given to only four of the convicts, including Nalini, on 11 May 1999. About two hours after arriving in Madras (now Chennai), Gandhi was driven by motorcade in a white Ambassador car to Sriperumbudur, stopping along the way at a few other election campaigning venues. Evidence was gathered from charred flesh and bones found at the site of the explosion. Would you like Wikipedia to always look as professional and up-to-date? The party also demanded the removal of DMK from the UF government, arguing that it had played a key role in the death of Rajiv Gandhi. [22][23] She was inspired by the Tamil militant group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Tamil Tigers) at a young age, and joined the Black Tigers (suicide bombers). | Express Photo, In this 8 June 2015 photo, Perarivalan, one of the convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, is seen being brought to the RGGGH for a master health check up | Express Photo by P Jawahar, The final moments of Rajiv Gandhi's life and the event were captured by Hari Babu, a photographer present at the event. [48] The interim report of the Jain Commission created a storm when it accused M. Karunanidhi the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu of a role in the assassination, leading to Congress withdrawing its support for the I. K. Gujral government and fresh elections in 1998. Seven years later in 1998, an Indian court convicted twenty-six people in the conspiracy to assassinate Rajiv. [2] At least 14 others, in addition to RajivGandhi, were killed. On 29 July 1987, the extremist group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam entered into a peace agreement with the Sri Lankan government that was brokered by India. Sources have indicated that Gandhi was repeatedly informed that there was a threat to his life and that he should not travel to Tamil Nadu. The message conveyed to Rajiv Gandhi by both these delegations was that there was no threat to his life and that he can travel to Tamil Nadu without fearing for his life. Upon the intervention of Rajiv Gandhi's widow and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who petitioned for clemency for the sake of Nalini's daughter in 2000, the death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. However, the court confirmed that the death sentence was given to only four of the convicts, including Nalini, on 11 May 1999. Themozhi Rajaratnam was born in 1974 in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka to a family of Hindu Tamils; she was the daughter of a man named Rajaratnam and his second wife. [citation needed], In the 2001 Norway peace talks, Prabhakaran told the press that the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi was a sorrowful event. Hence it was held that it was not a terrorist act under TADA (Act). Tucked under the bunched fabric of dresses or religious gowns, explosives are easy to conceal." But this idea that women are reluctant to kill themselves for a cause -- instead tricked or brainwashed or forced by husbands or male family members -- is being gradually debunked by researchers looking at the phenomenon on a global scale. [26] Additionally, the Rajiv Gandhi administration had antagonised other Tamil militant organisations like PLOTE for reversing the military coup in Maldives back in 1988. [1] He allegedly was described as Velupillai Prabhakaran's mentor; and he played a vital role in moulding the LTTE chief's thinking during the movement's formative years between 1972 and 1975. "Killing Rajiv Gandhi: Dhanu's sacrificial metamorphosis in death.
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