Rajiv Gandhi Memorial

On 27 July, we left Bangalore for Chennai to conduct some interviews and also to look around for some factory space in Chennai.

We arrived at Bangalore Central Railway Station to take the 11.30pm train to Chennai.
We had air-conditioned sleeping berth, very spartan and the space well utilised for basic needs, no luxury at all.

This was the hotel we stayed in Chennai, 10mins drive from the train station.

Breakfast at Abu Palace restaurant: Frank, Gurusamy, Shanker, Robert and Bala.

By the time we finished interviewing candidates for the Sales Engineer and Technician posts, we had lunch. After lunch, we headed to Sriperumbudur, 40km away from Chennai city centre along the Chennai-Bangalore Highway. Along the way to Sriperumbudur, multinationational companies like Hyundai, Nokia, Motorola, Flextronics, HonHai/Foxconn, Samsung, Dell can be seen operating there or in the midst of construction. The Rajiv Gandhi Memorial Park is also along the highway and we paid a visit to the park.

The stone wall plaque facing the entrance to the park. On it is engraved in Tamil, Hindi and English the following:

Rajiv Gandhi

Born on 20th August, 1944 in Bombay
Son of Feroze and Indira Gandhi

Grandson of Jawaharlal and Kamala Nehru

Friend of the Poor, Champion of Secularism

Beacon of our Youth, Votary of our Modernisation

Crusader for World Peace and Justice

Prime Minister of India 1984 - 89

Martyred at Sriperumbudur

21st May 1999

We were standing in the middle of the memorial park: Frank, Robert, Gurusamy and Bala.
This plaque, engraved in Tamil, Hindi and English that says:

India is an old country but a young nation. I am young and I too have a dream. I dream of an India, Strong, Independent,Self-Reliant and in the front rank of the nations of the world, in the service of Mankind. -Rajiv Gandhi

Robert and Frank standing in front of the stone wall that is sculptured with plants and animals.
A close-up view a pair of mother elephant and calf on the sculptured wall.

Stone sculpture of Rajiv.
Stalls outside the memorial park selling young coconuts for its water and pulp, a refreshing welcome for us especially when temperature is about 35 degrees C at 4.00pm.