Anti-Terrorism Day — May 21: Remembering Rajiv Gandhi's Assassination at Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu

Detailed Summary

Every year, May 21 is observed as Anti-Terrorism Day in India. This day marks the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who was assassinated on May 21, 1991 at Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, during an election campaign rally. He was killed by a human bomb (suicide bomber) named Dhanu (Thenmozhi Rajaratnam), who was associated with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The assassination also killed 25 others, including security personnel and bystanders.

In 2025, India marked the 34th death anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi. Political leaders across party lines, including Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, paid floral tributes to the former Prime Minister. Anti-Terrorism Day is observed with pledge-taking ceremonies in government offices, educational institutions, and public organisations across the country to reaffirm commitment to fighting terrorism and violence.

Historical Background

Rajiv Gandhi served as the 7th Prime Minister of India from 1984 to 1989, following the assassination of his mother, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, on October 31, 1984. During his tenure, Rajiv Gandhi signed the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord of 1987 and sent the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) to Sri Lanka, which became a source of conflict with the LTTE. After his Congress party lost the 1989 elections, he led the party in opposition. In 1991, he was campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections when he was assassinated.

The assassination was one of the most significant political events in India's modern history and marked a turning point in India's internal security and counter-terrorism policies. The Verma Commission and later the Jain Commission investigated the assassination. Seven persons were convicted by a Special Court in 1998, and later the Supreme Court commuted their death sentences to life imprisonment in 2014.

Tamil Nadu Relevance

The assassination of Rajiv Gandhi at Sriperumbudur in Kanchipuram district, Tamil Nadu has special significance for Tamil Nadu:

• Sriperumbudur is now a significant political pilgrimage site. A memorial has been built there.
• Sriperumbudur is also famous as the birthplace of the philosopher-saint Ramanujacharya.
• Today, Sriperumbudur is a major industrial hub — home to Nokia and other manufacturing units — near Chennai.
• The Rajiv Gandhi assassination investigation led to major changes in Tamil Nadu's political landscape and India-Sri Lanka relations.
• The incident contributed to the eventual end of LTTE as an organisation (defeated by Sri Lankan forces in 2009).

Key Highlights

• Anti-Terrorism Day observed on May 21 every year in India.
• Marks death anniversary of PM Rajiv Gandhi — assassinated May 21, 1991.
• Location: Sriperumbudur, Kanchipuram district, Tamil Nadu.
• Assassin: Dhanu (Thenmozhi Rajaratnam) — LTTE suicide bomber.
• Casualties: Rajiv Gandhi + 25 others killed.
• Rajiv Gandhi: 7th PM of India (1984–1989).
• 2025: 34th death anniversary.
• Rajiv Gandhi's mother: Indira Gandhi (3rd PM); father: Feroze Gandhi; grandmother: Jawaharlal Nehru's daughter.

Important Facts Table

Constitutional Relevance

• Anti-Terrorism Day is observed to reaffirm commitment to the constitutional values of peace, unity, and integrity of the nation.
• Article 355 — Duty of the Union to protect states from internal disturbance and external aggression.

Important Acts

• TADA (Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Prevention Act) — The Rajiv Gandhi assassination case was tried under this Act.
• POTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act) — Enacted in 2002; lapsed in 2004.
• UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act), 1967 — Currently the primary anti-terror law.

Related Static GK

• Rajiv Gandhi was the youngest Prime Minister of India at the time of assuming office (aged 40).
• He received the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1991.
• His technology legacy includes launching India's National Technology Mission and popularising computers.
• Sriperumbudur has a Rajiv Gandhi Memorial at the assassination site.
• The LTTE was finally defeated in Sri Lanka by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces in May 2009.

Exam-Oriented Notes

• Anti-Terrorism Day — May 21 — Rajiv Gandhi death anniversary.
• Rajiv Gandhi — 7th PM of India — 1984–1989.
• Assassinated at Sriperumbudur, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu — May 21, 1991.
• Assassin: LTTE suicide bomber Dhanu.
• Bharat Ratna (posthumous) — 1991.
• Youngest PM of India at time of assuming office.
• Mother: Indira Gandhi — 3rd PM of India.

MCQs

MCQ 1

Q: Why is May 21 observed as Anti-Terrorism Day in India?

• A) It is the date of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks
• B) It is the death anniversary of PM Rajiv Gandhi
• C) It is India's first counter-terrorism legislation anniversary
• D) It commemorates the Kargil War

Answer: B) It is the death anniversary of PM Rajiv Gandhi

Explanation: May 21 is observed as Anti-Terrorism Day in India to mark the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on May 21, 1991, at Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. He was killed by an LTTE suicide bomber during an election campaign rally.

MCQ 2

Q: At which location in Tamil Nadu was former PM Rajiv Gandhi assassinated?

• A) Chennai
• B) Madurai
• C) Sriperumbudur
• D) Coimbatore

Answer: C) Sriperumbudur

Explanation: Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on May 21, 1991 at Sriperumbudur in Kanchipuram district, Tamil Nadu, while campaigning for the 1991 Lok Sabha elections. Sriperumbudur is also the birthplace of philosopher-saint Ramanujacharya.

MCQ 3

Q: Rajiv Gandhi received the Bharat Ratna in which year?

• A) 1989
• B) 1991
• C) 1993
• D) 2000

Answer: B) 1991

Explanation: Rajiv Gandhi was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1991, the same year as his assassination. He was the 7th Prime Minister of India (1984–1989) and served as the youngest Prime Minister of India at the time of assuming office.