Milestones-3: October 31, 2009

October 31. Today morning I looked up Wikipedia to know about the milestones of the day. Wikipedia had a lot to say about Oct 31. But I chose only the names known to me and thought I would reminisce about them.

1. SARDAR VALLABHAI PATEL
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First comes Sardar Vallabhai Patel, the Iron Man of India, who prevented India from going to pieces immediately after Independence. Unifying and Integrating India was his greatest achievement. Thinking of the India of today, I wish he were there. Selfish politicians have encouraged fissiparous tendencies for their own selfish interest. We don't know how long India will hold together. What is there to stop India going the USSR way?

The great Sardwar was born on this day in 1875 and passed away on December 15, 1950 at the age of 75. Like Gandhiji, he hailed from Gujarat.

For a detailed article from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vallabhbhai_Patel

For another article from PIB, the Govt of India's portal:
http://pib.nic.in/feature/feyr98/fe1098/f1510981.html


2. INDIRA GANDHI
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She was Prime Minister of India for 15 years, till she was assassinated on this day in 1984 at the age of 66.

Bold, strong-willed, she stood up to the male politicians and showed the world her capabilities. My grievance is she did not bother about ways and means, which has resulted in damaging the democracy carefully built up by people like her father, Jawaharlal Nehru and Vallabhai Patel. She paved the way for hereditary rule at the centre and in the states.

She visited India and her helicopter landed in our office campus. She also delivered a talk to the staff members of our organisation. This was the only occasion when I could see her in person.

For a detailed article on Indira Gandhi from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indira_Gandhi

For an article about her assassination from the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/1119.html


3. SWAMI DAYANANDA SARASWATI
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One of the great spiritual leaders of India and founder of the Arya Samaj. According to Wikipedia, he was the first to give the call for Swarajya in 1876. He championed equal rights for women and supported educating women of India. He translated the scriptures from Sanskrit to Hindi so that the masses can read them.

According to Wikipedia, he was poisoned to death on this day in 1883 at the age of 59. It was Diwali. He magnanimously forgave the man who poisoned him and helped him to escape the wrath of the king.

For a detailed article from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swami_Dayananda_Saraswati

4. JOHN KEATS
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The famous English poet was born on this day in 1795 and passed away on February 23, 1821 at the young age of 25. He was one of the heroic figures of Romanticism along with Byron and Shelley. Tennyson and Wilfred Owen were influenced by his works.

I studied his poem, 'On his first looking into Chapman's Homer', as a prescribed text in college. Later I also read his 'To Autumn' and "Ode to a Nightingale'.

For reading a detailed article on Keats from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Keats

For reading his poems from Project Gutenberg:
http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext05/pkt1710h.htm
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/23684/23684-h/23684-h.htm

For a List of Poems by Keats from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Poems_by_John_Keats


5. CHIANG KAI-SHEK
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One of the powerful leaders of Kuomintang and an associate of Sun Yat-sen, father of Nationalist China, was born on this day. He was the first and third Chairman of the Nationalist Govt of China. He fought a long-standing war with Mao's communists and retreated to Taiwan, which he ruled with an iron-hand.

He passed at Taipei, Taiwan, on April 5, 1975 at the age of 87.

For a detailed article from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiang_Kai-shek


6. SEMMANGUDI SRINIVASA IYER
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The great legendary Carnatic vocalist, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, passed away on this day in 2003 at the ripe age of 95. He received many honours and accolades like 'Padma Bhushan', 'Padma Vibhushan', 'Sangeetha Kalanidhi', 'Isai Perarignar' and 'Kalidas Samman'. He was considered as the grand-sire of Carnatic music.

For a detailed article from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semmangudi_Srinivasa_Iyer

For his interview which appeared in 'Frontline' of Oct.24-Nov.6, 1998:
http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1522/15220650.htm

7. SACHIN DEV BURMAN
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Popular Hindi Film Music director, singer and father of Rahul Dev Burman (equally famous as a composer of Bollywood) passed away on this day in 1975 at the age of 69.

I have enjoyed some of his beautiful songs from films like 'Tere Mere Sapne', 'Guide', 'Abhimaan', 'Aradhana', 'Sharmilee', 'Jewel Thief' and many more. Some of the films I have seen just for the sake of his songs.

He has won several national awards and the Filmfare award several times. He was awarded 'Padma Sri' in 1969.

For a detailed article from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SD_Burman


8. HARRY HOUDINI
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Magic shows have a charm not only for children. Hungarian, Harry Houdini was the greatest magician the world has seen. He was a skeptic and did not believe in the supernatural.

It is said that he died when a student delivered several blows to his abdomen when he was reclining without allowing him to prepare himself for it. As a result of this, he died of peritonitis on this day in 1926.

For a detailed article from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Houdini

Grateful thanks to Project Gutenberg, PIB, Govt of India, 'Frontline' and Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
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