TRIBUTE

Speech of Smt. Sonia Gandhi at the unveiling of Smt. Indira Gandhi's portrait at Somerville College, Oxford University, November 29, 2002
India was Indira's life, Passion : Sonia Gandhi

Smt. Sonia Gandhi presenting a portrait of Smt. Indira Gandhi to the Principal of Somerville College in London.

It is a matter of pride to all of us Indians that Somerville College is honouring Indira Gandhi today. She had returned to Oxford in November 1971 when an honorary doctorate was conferred on her.

There is something truly enduring about her. Eighteen years after her tragic death, she is still very much a living and powerful presence in our lives. Across the vast length and breadth of India she is still fondly remembered especially by the poor, the weak and the disadvantaged. Millions reminisce vividly about her concern for their welfare and well-being. It is indeed a remarkable tribute to her life’s work and mission that her legacy is still palpably felt and affectionately recalled.

Indira Gandhi’s place in history is assured. She was completely dedicated to making India a strong, a self-reliant and a self-confident nation. She was committed totally to giving our country and its people a political leadership that is clear in its vision an purposeful in its action. India was her life, her passion.

But although she was immersed in India, she was a citizen of the world in every sense of the term. She was a relentless crusader for disarmament and peace. She was one of the earliest leaders to champion the cause of the environment. She was a central figure in the Commonwealth and the Non-Aligned Movement. She made it a point to seek out and engage distinguished scientists, authors, scholars and artists and corresponded with men and women in all walks of life in different parts of the world.

Indira Gandhi, the statesman and the politician is well-known. Less well-known is the human side to her personality. She was an accomplished linguist. She was a voracious reader. She had a trenchant sense of humour. She was a gracious hostess and a doting grandmother. Elegant and stylish, she was also a tenacious fighter. Although no feminist, she became an icon to a large number of women in many countries.

Coming as she did from a most distinguished political family of India, Indira Gandhi stepped into her father’s shoes at a crucial juncture in India’s post-Independence history. Confronted with numerous challenges, she succeeded in consolidating the foundations of the Indian nation-state that had been laid by her great father. She made India self-sufficient in foodgrains production. She made India a major technological power. She gave hope to the aspirations of a whole new generation of Indians and devoted herself to alleviating poverty and distress.

Once again, let me express my gratitude and my personal pleasure at being given this honour of presenting Indira Gandhi’s portrait to her college.

Thank You

Indira Gandhi Peace Award for Prof. Ogata

The President APJ Abdul Kalam with Prof. Sadako Ogata winner of Indira Gandhi prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development, 2001. Also seen are Smt. Sonia Gandhi and Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee.

NEW DELHI: The President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on 19 November presented the Indira Gandhi International Award for Peace, Disarmament and Development, 2001, to the Japanese diplomat and human rights activist, Sadako Ogata. He said India should heed Prof. Ogata’s message of humanism.

The award, which consists of Rs. 33 lakhs and a plaque, was given to the former U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees at a function at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Dr. Kalam said she had been chosen for the prestigious award for alleviating the pain of millions of refugees all over the world. "Prof. Ogata has an excellent range of achievements from being an acknowledged expert on diplomatic history and international relations to having been very closely associated with the U.N. in the area of human rights and refugees. She protected and assisted millions of people who have to leave the country because of war, conflict and persecution."