Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award to Nirmala Deshpande

New Delhi, Aug 20 (UNI) Veteran Gandhian Nirmala Deshpande was today honoured with the Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award for her contribution to the cause of national unity.

The award, carrying a cash prize of Rs 2.5 lakh and a citation, was given to her at a function organised on the occasion of the 62nd birth anniversary of the former Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, cabinet ministers, senior Congressmen and many eminent citizens attended the award function.

Speakers at the function paid tributes to the late leader while hailing the work of Ms Deshpande.

''Rajivji often said that the resurgence of communalism was the greatest challenge to national unity. We must meet the challenge head on and protect our unity,'' the Prime Minister said.

''Nirmalaji has done this boldly by highlighting the commonalities of our shared heritage. I believe that one of the initiatives she took in this regard was the creation of Sanjhi Virasat a forum of writers and artists, and the Adhyatma Jagaran Manch, a forum to counter misuse of religion. Through each of these initiatives, Nirmalaji emerged as a brave and sincere exponent of Sadbhavna,'' Dr Singh said.

The Prime Minister said the Sadbhavana award was a celebration of the humanism, modernism, secularism and patriotism of Mr Rajiv Gandhi and Ms Deshpande was a ''fitting and worthy recipient'' of the award.

In her acceptance speech, Ms Deshpande dwelt on the threats to the country's social fabric and on Gandhiji's message of non-violence. The message of non-violence was all the more relevant in this age wracked by terrorist violence, she said.

She was the 14th recepient of the award which has gone in the past to such stalwarts as Mother Teresa, K R Narayanan, Ustaad Bismillah Khan and Lata Mangeshkar.

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