It was with a deep sense of shock and outrage that I received the terrible news of the murder yesterday of Rajiv Gandhi. It was a cruel and devastating blow to his immediate family, to whose members, first of all, I extend profound condolences on behalf of the Government and people of Ireland. Rajiv Gandhi had distinguished himself as a leader of his party, a leader of his people and an international statesman. His premature death and the appalling circumstances surrounding it are, indeed, profoundly tragic.
The atrocity has robbed India of one of its foremost political leaders and we share in the grief that has descended on the Indian people. It is a grim and bitter irony that this savage event has deprived India of one of its most distinguished sons during the current democratic election. This brutal assault on the Gandhi family, and on Indian democracy, has evoked worldwide revulsion and the most heartfelt sympathy for the Indian people. The Government condemn this atrocity in the strongest possible terms.
It is particularly distressing that this act of violence occurred during an election campaign of great importance for the world's most populous democracy. This reprehensible act was not only a murderous attack on Rajiv Gandhi but a direct assault on the very foundations of India's democratic system. I have no doubt that the deeply rooted democratic traditions of the Indian people will withstand this effort to subvert democracy.
Rajiv Gandhi was born into one of India's most respected and prominent families. He followed in the footsteps of his grandfather Jawarharlal Nehru and his mother, Indira Gandhi, herself the tragic victim of assassination in 1984. Coming to power in the wake of his mother's murder, Rajiv Gandhi provided a vital link of continuity and stability which permitted the Indian people to unite under his leadership at that crucial time.
Rajiv Gandhi's political philosophy was underpinned at all times by an exemplary commitment to the welfare of his people, whom he led from 1984 until 1989. Despite the many challenges which he faced as leader of that vast and multifaceted country, his lifelong attachment to democracy and the rule of law was never in question. As Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi sustained India in its role as a leader state in the South Asia region, as a major participant in the non-aligned movement and as a loyal member of the United Nations.
The peoples of India and Ireland have long enjoyed strong ties of friendship and mutual respect, forged in the quest for independence of both our countries. We share in common with the Indian people many historical experiences and maintain excellent relations with that country, with which we share a deep commitment to democratic values, and to peace, justice and equality.
The sad passing of Rajiv Gandhi now means that India has lost a conciliatory leader with the capacity to guide his country's progress towards the goal he had set of achieving a genuinely developed and modern society. However, I have no doubt of the capacity of the Indian people and its leaders to overcome their tremendous sense of loss and to translate his vision into reality.
On behalf of the Government and people of Ireland I extend our most sincere condolences to the Government and people of India on this sorrowful occasion. I have arranged that the Tánaiste, Deputy Wilson, will represent the Government at the funeral.