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Sadbhavana Diwas is observed on August 20 every year in the memory of late erstwhile Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi who dreamed about developed India.
‘Sadbhavana’ means goodwill and bonafide. Rajiv Gandhi as the youngest Prime Minister of the nation tried to propagate communal harmony, peace, and national integrity within India and was known as a goodwill ambassador to the world. Being young, his thought process was modern, and he had the vision of a developed nation through many national as well as international projects that he pioneered.
Importance of Sadbhavana Diwas:
The day is celebrated to mark the birth of our sixth and youngest Prime Minister. Contributions to the betterment of our society are made on this day, paying respect to Gandhi and his vision for the country. He left a deep imprint on several hearts, not just with his persona, but also his inspiring words.
On this day, citizens of India also take a pledge- “I take this solemn pledge that I will work for the emotional oneness and harmony of all the people of India regardless of caste, region, religion or language. I further pledge that I shall resolve all differences among us through dialogue and constitutional means without resorting to violence.”
Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award:
A year after Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, the Indian National Congress instituted Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award in 1992. It was established to accredit outstanding contributions in promoting national integration, peace, and harmony.
Apart from the citation, the award also includes a cash award of Rs 10 Lakh, and it is presented every year on Rajiv Gandhi’s birth anniversary. A few of the renowned recipients of the award are as follows
- Mother Teresa
- Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan
- Freedom fighter Subhadra Joshi
- Lata Mangeshkar
- Former President K R Narayanan.
- Nirmala Deshpande
- Maulana Waheuddin Khan
About Rajiv Gandhi
He was the youngest Prime Minister of the country. He became Prime Minister at the age of 40. India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru was his grandfather. Indira Gandhi was his mother who was the Prime Minister of India. After the assassination of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi became the Prime Minister. He had served from 1984-89.
He contributed greatly to the development of the country. He announced a National Policy on Education in 1986 to modernise and expand higher education programs across India. He founded a central government based institution namely Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya System in 1986 for the upliftment of the rural section of the society providing them free residential education from 6th till 12 class. Due to his efforts, MTNL established in 1986 and also created public call offices (PCOs) for spreading telephones in rural areas.
