Rajiv Gandhi was an Indian politician who was the prime minister of India from 1984 to 1989. He took office after the assassination of his mother, then–prime minister Indira Gandhi, to become at the age of 40 the youngest Indian prime minister. He served until his defeat at the 1989 election, and then became Leader of the Opposition, Lok Sabha, resigning in December 1990, six months before his own assassination.
Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam was an Indian aerospace scientist and statesman who served as the president of India from 2002 to 2007.
Events in the year 1991 in the Republic of India.
Sriperumbudur, also known as Thiruperumbudur, is a town panchayat and the headquarters of Sriperumbudur taluk located in Kanchipuram district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Located 40 kilometers southwest of the capital city of Chennai on the National Highway 4, it falls under the Chennai Metropolitan Area. Since 2000, Sriperumbudur has seen rapid industrialisation. It is known for being the birthplace of Sri Ramanuja, one of the most prominent Hindu Vaishnava saints. The former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated here in 1991.
10, Janpath is a public-owned house on Janpath, New Delhi. Currently, it serves as the residence of Sonia Gandhi, who has lived there since 1989, and her son Rahul Gandhi, who lived at 12, Tughlak Lane until April 2023.
Major A. K. Raveendran SM is a retired officer of the Indian Army, former National Security Guard commando, film actor and film director predominantly works in Malayalam cinema and some films in Tamil and Hindi. He was awarded the President's gallantry medal in 1991 and 1992 for his contributions in fighting terrorism in Punjab and Kashmir. After retiring from the army, he began his career in Indian cinema as a consultant for military-based films. He made his independent directorial debut in 2006 with Keerthi Chakra for which he won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Screenplay.
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. At least 14 others, in addition to Gandhi and the assassin, were killed. It was carried out by 22-year-old Kalaivani Rajaratnam, a member of the banned Sri Lankan Tamil separatist rebel organization Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). At the time, India had just ended its involvement, through the Indian Peace Keeping Force, in the Sri Lankan Civil War.
Maragatham Chandrasekhar was an Indian politician and Member of Parliament from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
The eighth legislative assembly election for Tamil Nadu was held on 24 December 1984. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) won the election and its general secretary, incumbent M. G. Ramachandran (M.G.R) was sworn in as Chief Minister, for the third time. The election victory was mainly attributed to the sympathy wave created by Indira Gandhi's assassination and M.G.R's illness coupled with Rajiv Gandhi's popularity. This is the last election M.G.R contested as he died in office in 1987. This is also the only General Election which M. Karunanidhi did not contest since 1957 until his death. As now, this is the last election where the ruling party gained seats.
The 1991 Indian general election polls in Tamil Nadu were held for 39 seats in the state. The result was a repeat landslide victory for Indian National Congress, and its ally All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, winning all 39 seats. The opposition party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which was part of the National Front, lost heavily, not winning a single seat. During this election, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated, when campaigning for Margatham Chandrasekar for the Indian National Congress, in the Sriperumbudur constituency.
David Pandian was an Indian Tamil politician who served as Member of Parliament elected from Tamil Nadu. He was elected to the Lok Sabha as an Indian National Congress–United Communist Party of India (UCPI) candidate from North Chennai constituency in 1989 and 1991 elections. He was the Tamil Nadu State Secretary of the Communist Party of India for three consecutive terms from 2005 to 2015, when he was succeeded by R. Mutharasan.
Sri Lankan Tamils in India mainly refer to Tamil people of Sri Lankan origin in India and non-resident Sri Lankan Tamil. They are partly who migrated to India and their descendants and mostly refugees from Sri Lanka because of the concluded Sri Lankan Civil War. In general socio economically they are living below poverty line, except few people who settled in India during early times, rich businessmen, and professionals. In Tamil Nadu they are also known as Ceylon Tamils or Jaffna Tamils.
Tamil Nadu is known for its ancient temple architecture. Nearly 33,000 ancient temples, many at least 800 to 2000 years old, are found scattered all over Tamil Nadu. As per Tamil Nadu Hindu Endowments Board, there are 38,615 temples. Most of the largest Hindu Temples are located in Tamil Nadu. Studded with complex architecture, a variety of sculptures, and rich inscriptions, the temples remain the very essence of the culture and heritage of Tamil land, with historical records dating back to at least 3,000 years.
A. G. Perarivalan is a former convict in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. He was on life imprisonment along with Murugan and Santhan who were other two convicts of the same case. The Supreme Court ordered the release of Perarivalan on 18 May 2022 after he spent over 30 years in jail.
Dr. Gayatri Sankaran is an Indian Carnatic musician and vocalist specialising in Carnatic vocals and violin performances. She is a recipient of the Kalaimamani award from Tamil Nadu Eyal Isai Nataka Manram, a unit of the Directorate of Art and Culture, Government of Tamil Nadu. The Government of India honoured her in 2006 with the award of Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award for her contributions to music, making her the first visually impaired woman to receive the award.
The Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Award, named after the 11th President of India and aerospace scientist A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, is awarded by the Government of Tamil Nadu in recognition of contributions on scientific development, humanities and students' welfare.
Pakkiriswamy Chandra Sekharan was an Indian forensic expert, writer and a former director of the Department of Forensics Sciences of the Government of Tamil Nadu. He was best known for his contributions in the investigations in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam National Memorial is a memorial dedicated to the former president of the Republic of India A. P. J. Abdul Kalam located in Peikarumbu, Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, India. The memorial was designed and constructed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as a tribute to Kalam and to display the cultural heritage and ethnic diversity of India. It was officially inaugurated by the prime minister of the Republic of India Narendra Modi on 22 July 2017. A symbol of national integration, the memorial is an amalgamation of Mughal and Indian architecture.
Kalaivani Rajaratnam was a prominent Sri Lankan Tamil militant associated with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Born in Kaithady Nunavil in the Jaffna Peninsula, she is notably recognized for her role as a suicide bomber in the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. She is also known by her aliases Dhanu, Thenmozhi, Gayatri and Anbu. Rajaratnam's involvement in this high-profile act of violence marked her as a significant and controversial figure in the Tamil separatist movement and South Asian political history.
