Snippets of Information
Political Personalities / Freedom fighters
* 1 Feb 2022
Dr.Rajendra Prasad (3 December 1884 - 28 February 1963) served as the President of India from 1950 to 1962
Dr. Rajendra Prasad, son of Mahadev Sahai, was born in Zeradei, siwan,
Bihar on December 3, 1884. He was married when he was barely 12
years old to Rajvanshi Devi. In 1915, He passed the Masters in Law
examination with honors, winning a gold medal. Subsequently, he
completed his Doctorate in Law as well.
Gandhiji’s influence greatly altered many of his views, most importantly
on caste and untouchability. Whenever the people suffered, he was
present to help people affected by earthquake, flood, illness.
Dr. Prasad called for non cooperation in Bihar as part of
Gandhiji’s non-cooperation movement. He gave up his law practice and
started a National College near Patna,1921. The college was later
shifted to Sadaqat Ashram on the banks of the Ganga.
He presided over the Bombay session of the Indian National Congress in
October 1934. Following the resignation of Subhash Chandra Bose as the
President of the Congress in April 1939, he was elected President. He
did his best to heal the rifts created between the incompatible
ideologies of Subhash Chandra Bose and Gandhiji. Rabindranath Tagore
wrote to him, “I feel assured in my mind that your personality will help
to soothe the injured souls and bring peace and unity into an
atmosphere of mistrust and chaos…”
As the freedom struggle progressed, the dark shadow of communalism which
had always lurked in the background, steadily grew. To his dismay
communal riots began spontaneously burst all over the nation and in
Bihar. He rushed from one scene to another to control the riots.
Independence was fast approaching and so was the prospect of partition.
Dr. Prasad, who had such fond memories of playing with his Hindu and
Muslim friends in Zeradei, now had the misfortune of witnessing the
nation being ripped into two.
In July 1946, when the Constituent Assembly was established to frame the
Constitution of India, he was elected its President. Two and a half
years after independence, on January 26, 1950, the Constitution of
independent India was ratified and he became the nation’s first
President. Dr. Prasad transformed the imperial splendor of Rashtrapati
Bhavan into an elegant “Indian” home. He visited many countries on
missions of goodwill, as the new state sought to establish and nourish
new relationships. He stressed the need for peace in a nuclear age.
In 1962, after 12 years as President, Dr. Prasad retired, and was
subsequently awarded the Bharat Ratna, the nation’s highest civilian
award. With the many tumults of his vigorous and accomplished life, he
recorded his life and the decades before independence in manybooks,
among the more noted of which are “Satyagraha at Champaran” (1922), “India Divided” (1946), his autobiography “Atmakatha” (1946), “Mahatma Gandhi and Bihar, Some Reminisences” (1949), and “Bapu ke Kadmon Mein” (1954)
Dr. Rajendra Prasad spent the last few months of his life in retirement
at the Sadaqat Ashram in Patna. He died on February 28, 1963.
Source: siwan.nic.in
* 11 Sep 2021
Mahakavi Bharathiar
* Jul 2021
Dr.Ambedkar (14 April 1891 - 6 December 1956)
- Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, popularly known as Babasaheb Ambedkar
- Bhimrao Ambedkar was born on 14 April 1891 in Madhya Pradesh. He was
the fourteenth child of his parents. Ambedkar's father Ramji was a
Subedar in the Indian Army and posted at Mhow cantonment, MP.
- Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was one of the architects of the Indian
Constitution. He was a political leader, eminent jurist, Buddhist
activist, philosopher, anthropologist, historian, orator, writer,
economist, scholar and editor. Dr. Ambedkar fought to eradicate the
social evils like untouchability and for the rights of the dalits and
other socially backward classes throughout his life. Dr. Ambedkar was
appointed as India's first Law Minister in the Cabinet of Jawaharlal
Nehru. He was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest
civilian honour in 1990.
- Ambedkar, in wake of reaching to the people and making them understand
the drawbacks of the prevailing social evils, launched a newspaper
called "Mooknayaka" (leader of the silent)
- Well known director Jabbar Patel directed a movie on Ambedkar's life
and teachings in English which was later dubbed in Hindi and other
Indian languages.
- In 1955, he founded the Bharatiya Bauddha Mahasabha, or the Buddhist
Society of India. He completed his final work, The Buddha and His
Dhamma, in 1956 which was published posthumously.
- Chaitya Bhoomi is a memorial to Dr. B R Ambedkar, Chief architect of
Indian Constitution. Earlier known as Dadar Chowpatty it began to be
known as Chaitya Bhoomi after Babasaheb Ambedkar was cremated here after
his death on 6 December 1956.
- His birthdate is celebrated as a public holiday known as Ambedkar Jayanti or Bhim Jayanti.
Source: baou.edu.in/dr-br-ambedkar ; en.wikipedia.org
* Jul 2021
Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak (July 23, 1856 - August 1, 1920), was an
Indian nationalist, social reformer and independence fighter who was the
first popular leader of the Indian Independence Movement and was
described by the British as "Father of the Indian unrest."
His slogan, "Swaraj (Self Rule) is my birthright", inspired millions of
Indians. Gandhi called Tilak "The Maker of Modern India".
* Jul 2021
Gandhiji
- Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)
The Father
of the Nation
He fought
for India's independence through his policies based on non-violence, truth
and love. The entire nation followed him to achieve independence from the
British rule through non-violence and non-cooperation - 'Ahimsa'
and 'Satyagraha'.
Birth
- He was born in Porbandar, Gujarat to Karamchand Gandhi (alias Kaba Gandhi)
& Putlibai on 2nd October in the year 1869. Kirti Mandir, the
house where he was born has now been converted into a national monument.
His birth anniversary is celebrated as "Gandhi Jayanthi".
Autobiography
- The Story of My Experiments with Truth was written by Gandhiji in Gujarati.
The English translation was done by his secretary Mahadev Desai and was
published before Gandhiji's death'.
Read more
* 22 Feb 2022
Rani Velu Nachiyar (3 Jan 1730 - 25 Dec 1796) known as
Veeramangai Velu Nachiyar was the first queen to fight against the
British colonial power in India. She was the princess of Ramanathapuram
and the only child of Raja Chellamuthu vijayaragunatha Sethupathy and
Rani Sakandhimuthal of the Ramnad kingdom. Rani Velu Nachiyar was
trained in weapons usage, martial arts like Valari, Silambam, horse
riding and archery. She was a scholar in many languages and was
proficient in languages like French, English and Urdu. She married the
king of Sivagangai, with whom she had a daughter. When her husband
Muthuvaduganathaperiya Udaiyathevar was killed by British soldiers and
the son of the Nawab of Arcot, she was drawn into battle. She escaped
with her daughter and lived under the protection of Palayakaarar Kopaala
Naayakkar at Virupachi near Dindigul for eight years. In due
course, the Nawab made an agreement with Velu Nachiar and Marudhu
Brothers to return to Sivaganga and rule the country subject to payment
of Kist to the Nawab. An agreement was reached whereby Rani Velu Nachiar
was permitted to govern the Sivaganga region and Chinna Marudu, the
younger was appointed her minister and the elder Vellai Marudu as the
Commander-in-chief. Thus the widow queen Velu Nachiar succeeded her
husband in 1780.
Source: sivaganga.nic.in
* 22 Feb 2022
Marudhu brothers were the sons of Udayar Servai alias Mookiah
Palaniappan Servai and Anandayer alias Ponnathal, native of Kongulu
street of Ramnad. They belonged neither to the family of the ancient
poligars nor to their division of the caste. Servaikaran was the caste
title and Marudu the family name.
The Marudu Brothers served under Muthu Vaduganatha Thevar. Later they
were elevated to the position of Commanders. Boomerangs (Valari) are
peculiar to India. Two forms of this weapons are used in India. These
weapons are commonly made of wood. It is cresent-shaped, one end being
heavier than the other and the outer edge, sharpened called the VALARI
stick. It is said that Marudhu Brothers were experts in the art of
throwing the valari stick and used Valari in the POLIGAR wars against
the English.
The Marudu brothers with 12,000 armed men surrounded Sivaganga and
plundered the Nawab’s territories.The Nawab on the 10th of March 1789
appealed to the Madras Council for aid. On 29th April 1789, the British
forces attacked Kollangudi. It was defeated by a large body of Marudhu’s
troops.
Marudu brothers were in close association with Veera Pandiya Kattabomman
of Panchalankurichi. Kattabomman held frequent consultations with the
Marudhus. After the execution of Kattabomman in 17th October 1799 at
Kayattar, Chinna Marudhu gave asylum to Kattabomman’s brother Oomadurai
(dumb brother). He issued an epoch-making Jumboo Deweepa proclamation to
the people in the island of Jamboo the peninsular South India to fight
against the English whether they were Hindus, Mussalamans or Christians.
At last the Marudhu Pandiyars fell a victim to the cause of liberating
the motherland from the English supremacy. They were executed on the
ruins of fort at Tiruppathur in Sivaganga district on 24th October 1801.
Source: sivaganga.nic.in
|
