Personalities in News

Source: The post is based on the article “Amid VHP row over song in school, recalling Muhammad Iqbal, also the poet of Saare Jahan Se Achcha” published in Indian Express on 24th December 2022

What is the News?

Police in Uttar Pradesh has booked the principal of a government school for hurting religious sentiments by making students recite “Lab Pe Aati Hai Dua” poem during a morning assembly.

Who wrote Lab pe Aati Hai Dua?

Lab pe Aati Hai Dua was written by Iqbal in 1902. It has been sung at several educational institutions in India and Pakistan including some prestigious schools which sing it in their morning assembly.

Who was Muhammad Iqbal?

Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938) was a writer, philosopher and scholar and politician whose poetry in the Urdu language is considered among the greatest of the twentieth century.

Iqbal is commonly referred to as Allama, which is a title given to Islamic scholars.

Important work: The most celebrated work of Iqbal is the immortal ‘Saare jahan se achcha Hindustan hamara’ written in 1904. This beautiful poem to India became one of the songs that inspired the freedom fighters against British rule.

The idea of Pakistan: In his later life, Iqbal came to favour the idea of a separate nation for Muslims, and is believed to have been the influence behind Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s vision of a separate nation of Pakistan.

In Pakistan, Iqbal is regarded as the ideological founder of the nation — the man who envisioned the state that Jinnah gave physical shape.

Source: The post is based on the article “Sri Aurobindo inspired generations, left his mark wherever he went: PM Modi” published in The Hindu on 14th December 2022

What is the News?

The Prime Minister has virtually released a commemorative coin and postage stamp to mark the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Sri Aurobindo.

Who was Sri Aurobindo? 

Sri Aurobindo was born on August 15, 1872. He was an Indian philosopher, yogi, maharishi, poet, and Indian nationalist.

Aurobindo’s pragmatic strategies to get rid of British rule marked him as “the Prophet of Indian Nationalism”.

Education: His education began in a Christian convent school in Darjeeling.

He entered the University of Cambridge, where he became proficient in two classical and several modern European languages.

In 1892, he held various administrative posts in Baroda and Calcutta.

Freedom Movement: The partition of Bengal in 1905 provoked Aurobindo to leave his job in Baroda and plunge into the nationalist movement. 

He started the patriotic journal Bande Mataram to propagate radical methods and revolutionary tactics instead of supplication. 

He was arrested thrice by the British — twice for sedition and once for conspiring to “wage war”. 

In 1908, he was arrested on the charge of the Alipore bomb conspiracy case but was acquitted in 1909 after a long trial.

Integral Yoga: Though acquitted, Aurobindo faced a constant threat of jail or exile to the Andamans, forcing him to seek refuge in Pondicherry, a French enclave.

At Pondicherry, Sri Aurobindo developed a spiritual practice called Integral Yoga. The central theme of his vision was the evolution of human life into a divine life in the divine body.

Aurobindo’s Ideas on Second World War: Several Indians saw the Second World War as an opportune moment to get rid of colonial occupation; Aurobindo asked his compatriots to support the Allies and ensure Hitler’s defeat.

– In 1943, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize for literature and then again in 1950 for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Literary works: He was also a journalist and his first philosophical magazine called Arya was published in 1914. Among his many writings are The Life Divine, The Synthesis of Yoga and Savitri.

Source: The post is based on the article “Ministry of Culture organizes International conference on the contributions of J C Bose: A Satyagrahi Scientist” published in PIB on 5th December 2022.

What is the News?

The Ministry of Culture has organized an international conference on the contributions of J C Bose: A Satyagrahi Scientist” on his 164th birth anniversary.

Who is Jagdish Chandra Bose?

Jagadish Chandra Bose (1858 – 1937) was an Indian physicist and plant physiologist. 

He earned a B.Sc. from University College London, which was connected with the University of London in 1883, and a BA (Natural Sciences Tripos) from the University of Cambridge in 1884.

Contributions

In 1917, he established Bose Institute – Asia’s first modern research center devoted to interdisciplinary studies. 

He discovered wireless communication and was named Father of Radio Science by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering.

He invented the crescograph, a device for measuring the growth of plants. He for the first time demonstrated that plants have feelings.

He was the first to demonstrate radio communication with millimetre wavelengths, which fall in the 30GHz to 300GHz spectrum.

Bose is considered the father of Bengali science fiction. A crater on the moon has been named in his honour.

In 1896, he published Niruddesher Kahini, first work of science fiction in the Bengali language

Bose was the first Asian to be awarded a US patent. In 1904, he was awarded a patent for his invention of a detector for electrical disturbances.

Books: Response in the Living and Non-Living, The Nervous: Mechanism of Plants etc. 

Source: The post is based on the article “400th birth anniversary of Assam’s war hero Lachit Borphukan to be celebrated” published in The Hindu on 23rd November.

What is the News?

A three-day celebration of the 400th birth anniversary of the legendary Assamese general and folk hero Lachit Borphukan began in New Delhi on November 23.

Who was ​​Lachit Borphukan?

​​Lachit Borphukan was a commander in the erstwhile Ahom kingdom.

He is known for his leadership in the 1671 Battle of Saraighat that thwarted an attempt by Mughal forces to capture Assam. 

The battle of Saraighat was fought on the banks of the Brahmaputra in Guwahati.

He defeated the Mughal Army by brilliant uses of the terrain, guerrilla tactics, clever diplomatic negotiations to buy time, military intelligence and by exploiting the sole weakness of the Mughal forces—its navy.

What is the significance of ​​Lachit Borphukan?

Lachit Divas has been celebrated on November 24, his birth anniversary in Assam since the 1930s.

He was the inspiration behind strengthening India’s naval force and revitalizing inland water transport and creating infrastructure associated with it due to his great naval strategies.

The Lachit Borphukan gold medal is awarded to the best cadet from the National Defence Academy. The medal was instituted in 1999 to inspire defence personnel to emulate Borphukan’s heroism and sacrifices.

Source: The post is based on the article “Legal battle over demolitions near tomb of Afzal Khan in Maharashtra” published in Indian Express on 15th November 2022

What is the News?

The Supreme Court(SC) has sought reports from the Maharashtra government on the demolition drive conducted around the tomb of Afzal Khan.

Who was Afzal Khan?

Afzal Khan was a 17th-century commander of the Adil Shahi dynasty of Bijapur.

With Chhatrapati Shivaji’s rise and increasing control of the region, Afzal Khan was seen as the man to subdue him in the Deccan.

Afzal Khan put together a force of 10,000 cavalry and marched from Bijapur to Wai, plundering Shivaji’s territory along the way.

Shivaji called a council of war at the fort of Pratapgarh, where most of his advisers urged him to make peace. However, Shivaji was not eager to back down and he set up a meeting with Khan.

During the meeting, an embrace between the two turned into an attack in which Shivaji emerged victorious. This was followed by a rout of the Adilshahi army at the hands of the Marathas.

As per Maratha sources, Khan’s remains were buried at the fort and a tomb was constructed on Shivaji’s orders.

In an act of grace, Shivaji erected a tomb over the remains of Afzul Khan and built a tower in his honour which is still known by the name ‘Afzul Buruj’ at Pratapgarh.

The sword of Afzal Khan was preserved as a valued trophy in the armoury of Shivaji and his descendants.

Source: The post is based on the article “Who was Sir CP, whose ‘independent Travancore mission’ ended with assassination bid” published in Indian Express on 15th November 2022

What is the News?

The name of former Travancore Diwan Sir CP Ramaswamy Iyer has been mentioned in the middle of the ongoing disagreement between the Kerala administration and the Governor.

Who is Sir CP Ramaswamy Iyer?

Sir Chetput Pattabhiraman Ramaswamy Iyer, popularly known as ‘Sir CP’, was the Diwan of the erstwhile Travancore princely state from 1936 to 1947.

He rose to glorious heights as he found favour with both the crown prince Sri Chithira Thirunal Bala Rama Varma and Lord Willingdon, the Viceroy of India. 

From 1936 to 1947, he was the Diwan of the old Travancore princely state.

Independent Travancore: On June 3, 1947, Britain announced its intention to quit India, while also accepting demands for the country’s partition. 

– Following this, the Indian Independence Act of 1947 gave princely states the option to accede to the newly divided territories of India or Pakistan or continue as an independent sovereign state.

– Maharaja Sri Chithira Thirunal, who wished to stay independent, was supported by Sir CP, who declared his intention of forming an independent state of Travancore that would be open to the idea of signing a treaty with the Indian union.

Punnapra-Vayalar revolt: Amid his dream of an independent state, Sir CP became more unpopular as he proposed an ‘American model’ for Travancore. 

– His policies led to a massive uprising, the Punnapra-Vayalar revolt which was suppressed by the Travancore army and navy. 

– The anger and discontent culminated into an assassination attempt on Sir CP on July 25, 1947.

Joining of India: Sir CP agreed to the accession of Travancore state to the Indian Union, following which he resigned and left for London. On July 30, 1947, Travancore joined India.

Source: The post is based on the article “PM pays tributes to Acharya Kripalani on his Jayanti” published in PIB on 13th November 2022

What is the News?

The Prime Minister has paid  tributes to Acharya Kripalani on his Jayanti.

Who was Acharya Kriplani?

Acharya Kriplani was born in 1888 in Hyderabad, Sindh. He was an independence activist, an Indian politician and an Educationist.

Contributions by Acharya Kriplani

Independence movement: He was actively involved in movements like Non-Cooperation Movement, Quit India Movement, and Salt Satyagraha.

– He served in the Interim Government of India (1946–1947) and the Constituent Assembly of India.

As an educationist: Kripalani was also well-known for his work in the field of education, environment and other social movements.

– He earned the moniker ‘Acharya’ title around 1922 when he was teaching at the Gujarat Vidyapith, founded by the Mahatma a couple of years before.

Political Career: He became one of the founders of the Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party (KMPP) after independence leaving congress.

– He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1952, 1957, 1963 and 1967 as a member of Praja Socialist Party.

– He moved the first-ever No confidence motion in Lok Sabha in 1963, immediately after the India-China War (1962).

– He was arrested during the Emergency in 1975.

– His autobiography “My Times” was published posthumously in 2004.

Source: The post is based on the article “PM unveils 108-feet-long bronze statue of Sri Nadaprabhu Kempegowda in Bengaluru” published in PIB on 10th November 2022.

What is the News?

The Prime Minister has unveiled a 108-feet-long bronze statue of Sri Nadaprabhu Kempegowda in Bengaluru. The statue has been named as the Statue of Prosperity.

Who is Nadaprabhu Kempegowda?

Nadaprabhu Kempegowda is a 16th-century chieftain of the Vijayanagara empire. He belonged to the Vokkaliga community in south Karnataka.

He is credited as the founder of Bengaluru City. It is said that he conceived the idea of a new city while hunting with his minister and later marked its territory by erecting towers in four corners of the proposed city.

He is also known to have developed around 1,000 lakes in the city to cater to drinking and agricultural needs.

One of his social reforms was to prohibit the custom of amputating the last two fingers of the left hand of unmarried women during “Bandi Devaru”, an important custom of Morasu Vokkaligas.

Source: The post is based on the article “PM bows to freedom fighter, Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar on the occasion of his Guru Pooja” published in PIB on 1st November 2022.

What is the News?

The Prime Minister has paid tributes to freedom fighter Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar on the occasion of his Guru Pooja.

Who was Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar?

Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar was born on 30th October 1908 in Pasumpon in the Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu. 

He was a freedom-fighter cum spiritual leader and was seen as a deity among the Mukulathor community. 

The people of the Mukulathor community still make offerings as is done for the deities in temples to the statue on his birthday and guru pooja celebrations. 

He did not accept traditional Hinduism because it supported the ‘Varnashrama’. He regularly fought against the evils of the Hindu religion. 

Thevar became a full-time member of the Congress party and attended the 1927 Congress session at Madras as a volunteer when he was just 19. 

He became a close aide of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Netaji introduced Thevar to his mother as his younger sibling.

In 1939, he assisted activist A. Vaidyanatha Iyer to take Dalits to the Meenakshi Temple in Madurai.

He was instrumental in getting the Criminal Tribes Act(CTA) repealed after continuous efforts in 1946.

Source: The post is based on the article “U.P. promotes tombs of Muslim devotees of Krishna for tourism” published in The Hindu on 31st October 2022.

What is the News?

The Tourism department of Uttar Pradesh has redeveloped the tombs of Raskhan and Taj Bibi (both devotees of Lord Krishna) as a tourist complex with an open-air theatre.

Who was Raskhan?

Raskhan or Syed Ibrahim Khan was a 16th-century Sufi Muslim poet born either in Amroha or Hardoi in Uttar Pradesh. 

Raskhan was his pen name in Hindi.

He became a follower of Krishna and spent his life in Vrindavan. 

His poetry is in the form of Doha, Padawali and Savayya.

Who was Taj Bibi?

Taj Bibi, also known as the ‘Mughal Mirabai’ was the daughter of a Muslim nobleman named Padna Khan.

Taj Bibi was married to Emperor Akbar and was appointed by the Mughals to protect the Gokul area.

She wrote poetry during the Mughal time when the ruling class belonged to the Muslim religion.