50 Magnificent Indians of the 20th Century

332 Pages·2014·1.61 MB·English

by  S. Lal

Published by Jaico Publishing House
A-2 Jash Chambers, 7-A Sir Phirozshah Mehta Road
Fort, Mumbai - 400 001
[email protected]
www.jaicobooks.com
© S. Lal 50 MAGNIFICENT INDIANS OF THE 20TH CENTURY
ISBN: 978-81-7992-698-7
First Jaico Impression: 2008
Third Jaico Impression: 2011
No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in
any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any
information storage and retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publishers.
Printed by
Kaveri Printer, Delhi -92
DEDICATION
I most affectionately dedicate this book to the sweet and revered memory of my
grandmother, Smt. Rukmini Dew, who truly loved me since my birth till she
breathed her last on April 12, 1960.
Contents
PREFACE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
PART I
LEADERS OF THE INDIAN INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT
1 Dadabhai Naoroji
2 Surendranath Banerjee
3 Bal Gangadhar Tilak
4 Madani Bhikhaiji Cama
5 Gopal Krishan Gokhale
6 Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
7 Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
8 Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose
9 Jai Prakash Narayan
PART II
INDUSTRIALISTS
10 Jamnalal Bajaj
11 Ghanshyam Das Birla
12 Mohan Singh Oberoi
13 J. R. D. Tata
14 Dhirajlal Hirachand Ambani
15 Dr. Verghese Kurian
PART III
STATESMEN
16 M. Visvesvaraya
17 Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
18 C. Rajagopalachari
19 Jawaharlal Nehru
20 Lal Bahadur Shastri
21 C. Subramaniam
22 Indira Gandhi
PART IV
SCIENTISTS
23 C. V. Raman
24 Homi Jehangir Bhabha
25 M. S. Swaminathan
26 A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
PART V
LEGAL LUMINARIES
27 Motilal C. Setalvad
28 M. C. Chagla
29 Nani Palkhivala
PART VI
SOCIAL REFORMERS
30 Mahadev Govind Ranade
31 Maharishi Annasaheb Karve
32 Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
PART VII
WARRIORS
33 Sam Manekshaw
34 Admiral S. M. Nanda
PART VIII
FILM PERSONALITIES
35 V. Shantaram
36 Mehboob Khan
37 Raj Kapoor
38 Dilip Kumar
39 Nargis
40 Amitabh Bachchan
PART IX
SPORTS PERSONS
41 Dhyan Chand
42 Milkha Singh
43 Kapil Dev
44 P.T. Usha
PART X
POET AND PHILOSOPHER
45 Rabindranath Tagore
46 Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
PART XI
EXCEPTIONALLY EXCLUSIVE ICONS
47 Annie Besant
48 Swami Vivekananda
49 Amartya Sen
50 Julio Francis Ribeiro
PREFACE
n selecting the fifty magnificent Indians, every effort has been
I
made to maintain the secular character of India. The featured
personalities represent almost all the major religions and regions
of the nation. Some of them were born in the nineteenth century
and lived through a part of the twentieth century; while others were born and
lived to be an integral part of the twentieth century. However, there is one
exception: hotelier-industrialist, Mohan Singh Oberoi, who was born on August
15, 1898, and died on May 3, 2002.
The first nine magnificient Indians have played a pioneering role in the
Independence Movement. The remaining have made outstanding contributions
in various other fields. The work and performance of each one of them, put
together, has had a power-packed impact on the development and
modernization of the country, besides adding to the nation’s overall strength.
Most of the magnificiant Indians encountered hardships, which they overcame
by their drive, determination and resourcefulness. Their importance, as a source
of inspiration for future generations has grown manifold.
A Curtain Raiser
The British rule over India began in 1757, with the victory of the forces of the
East India Company, against Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula, in the battle of Plassey. The
main objective of the Company in India was to make money. This was achieved
through their clever manipulation, with regards to the monopoly of trade. With
the advent of the industrial revolution in the early nineteenth century, Britain
had emerged as a leading industrial country, in the world. India was transformed
into an ideal colony that became a major market for British products, as well as a
supplier of raw materials and food to Britain. In 1866, Dadabhai Naoroji was in
London to propagate India’s economic misery in order to influence the British
public opinion. He demonstrated that poverty and economic backwardness in
India were actually fostered by colonial rule, which had been draining her
wealth.