• 18 May, 2024

When and why is Anti-Terrorism Day 2024 in India

When and why is Anti-Terrorism Day 2024  in India

India observes Anti-Terrorism Day on May 21st each year. We commemorate this day to draw attention to the suffering of common people and demonstrate how it is against the interests of the country in order to wean young people away from terrorism and the cult of violence.

When and Why is Anti-Terrorism Day 2024 in India

Every year on May 21, India observes National Anti-Terrorism Day to remember former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. At forty, he became India's youngest prime minister ever. Gandhi, the sixth prime minister of India, was killed on May 21, 1991, in Sriperumbudur, a village close to Madras, by a female member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The administration of Vice President Singh declared May 21 to be Anti-Terrorism Day. The day emphasises how important it is to end terrorism and advance harmony and peace.

 

Past Events

Rajiv Gandhi became India's youngest prime minister at the age of forty. Because no one could have come to power under more horrific and tragic circumstances than Rajiv Gandhi did following the horrific assassination of his mother, Indira Gandhi, on October 31, 1984. Nevertheless, an LTTE terrorist killed the former prime minister on May 21, 1991. It was a violent separatist organisation that fought for the Tamil people in Sri Lanka's northern and eastern provinces to have their own independent homeland. At a rally in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, Gandhi was slain. Rajiv Gandhi was killed when a bomber touched his feet and a blast ensued.

 

Global Terrorism Index

Of the 120 countries surveyed, none of the respondents chose war and terror as the greatest threat to their daily safety. India, therefore, was ranked not only among the 25 worst-hit countries, but also among 56. The majority of India's population does not reside in these border regions, despite a number of low-level conflicts in some of the country's border areas, according to a report by a think tank with its headquarters in Sydney. The report stated that in 2022, there were 6,701 terrorism-related deaths worldwide, a 9% decrease. A similar decline in incidents attacks fell by nearly 28% from 5,463 in 2021 to 3,955 in 2022 mirrored the decline in fatalities. Pakistan was still one of the ten nations most severely hit by terrorism in 2022, with 643, a 120% increase in fatalities from 292 in 2021, being the highest number.

 

2024 theme 

Though the official theme for India's National Anti-Terrorism Day in 2024 has not yet been revealed, the following themes fit with the day's objectives of action, reflection, and remembrance: 


Unified Against Terror: Constructing a Safe and All-encompassing Future 
Honouring the Legacy and Remembering the Fallen: Stopping Future Disasters 
Building Resilience and Empowering Communities: Combating Extremism at its Source with Technology for Good: Fighting Misinformation and Radicalization Online 
Fairness to Sufferers, Love for All: Redressing the Scars of Terror 


Recall that the theme should encourage group action towards a safer and more peaceful future while also being inclusive and respectful. 

The spirit of National Anti-Terrorism Day never changes, regardless of the official theme: let's unite in remembrance, contemplation, and action to build a world devoid of terrorism.