shimla: Chief Minister, Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu inaugurated the exhibition 'Rajiv Gandhi–21st Century Visionary' on 33rd death anniversary of former Prime Minister Bharat Ratna Rajiv Gandhi at Gaiety Theatre, today.
In his address, the Chief Minister reminisced about his student days and his association with Rajiv Gandhi through the NSUI (National Students' Union of India). He said that due to due to Rajiv Gandhi's support he became the NSUI State President. He also highlighted a significant achievement of Rajiv Gandhi's tenure as Prime Minister, which was granting the right to vote on attaining 18 years of age after a delegation from NSUI made the demand.
The Chief Minister also praised Rajiv Gandhi's contributions, including the computer revolution and his vision of making India a leader in the IT sector. He emphasized Rajiv Gandhi's commitment to women empowerment and mentioned the constitutional amendment providing 33 percent reservation for women in Panchayati Raj institutions.
The Chief Minister noted the positive changes in society due to these policies. He said that after 30 years, almost 58 percent of seats have been won by women candidates in Panchayati Raj institutions, while 21 out of 34 women have been elected in Shimla Municipal Corporation election.
He called upon everyone to draw inspiration from Rajiv Gandhi's life and his contributions to society. This event serves as a tribute to Rajiv Gandhi's contributions and an opportunity to remember his vision for India's progress, he said.
The Chief Minister acknowledged Rajiv Gandhi as a historical figure and highlighted the importance of documenting and preserving his legacy. The event also included the screening of a documentary on the life and contribution of Rajiv Gandhi to society.
The chief minister also paid floral tributes to Rajiv Gandhi on the occasion.
During the program, students from Government Senior Secondary School Lakkar Bazar presented a cheque of Rs. 5,500 from their own savings for Mukhyamantri Sukh-Ashray Kosh to the Chief Minister.
Congress State President, Pratibha Singh, Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dr. (Col.) Dhani Ram Shandil, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Sanjay Awasthi, MLAs Harish Janartha, Nand Lal and Sudarshan Bablu, Political Advisor to Chief Minister, Sunil Sharma, Principal Media Advisor to Chief Minister, Naresh Chauhan, Mayor Shimla, Surendra Chauhan and Deputy Mayor, Uma Kaushal, Chairman State Cooperative Bank, Devendra Shyam, OSD, Ritesh Kapret, Principal Secretary, Bharat Kheda, , Director Information and Public Relations, Kiran Bhadana and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.