01 May - Amar Shahid Bandhu Singh was born

 

Amar Shahid Bandhu Singh (1 May 1833 – 12 August 1858), a freedom fighter who fight against Britishers. Bandhu Singh was born on 1 May 1833 in a Kshatriya family of Babu Shiv Prasad Singh of Dumari Riyasat, Gorakhpur

01 May - Balraj Sahni birth anniversary

 

Balraj Sahni, one of the finest actors to have graced the Hindi film screen, was born Yudhisthir Sahni on 1 May 1913 in Rawalpindi (now part of Pakistan) to a Punjabi family. He died on 13 April 1973.

As a youngster he studied Hindi and English literature in university, and worked as a teacher at Shantiniketan (Bengal) and for the BBC radio’s Hindi service in Britain. One of the pioneering members of the Indian People’s Theater Association, he acted in plays like Zubeida and The Inspector General. Though Sahni is best remembered as a film actor, his colleagues in theater had fond memories of the time he spent with them.

In his memoirs, Habib Tanvir, one of the leading names in Indian theatre after Independence, wrote: “For all his work in films, cinema wasted his (Sahni’s) talent. He was such a brilliant comedian, he was so effective in Jadu ki Kursi that his performance was unforgettable. I have seen many of his films too; he always acted with great control and subtlety but he was never given a comic role.”

Sahni’s debut Hindi film was Insaaf. This was followed by films like Dharti Ke Lal (based on the 1943 Bengal famine) and Door Chalein. In 1951, he worked with actors Dilip Kumar and Nargis in Hulchul. In between the film’s shooting, Sahni was arrested for being a communist sympathiser, and the film director K. Asif took special court permission to allow Sahni to shoot.

It was, however, in 1953 that Sahni’s acting prowess was widely recognised after the release of Bimal Roy’s Do Bigha Zameen, which won a prize at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in France. In it he played the role of Shambhu, a farmer trying to save his small plot of land from an unscrupulous landlord. Unable to pay a loan, he goes to Calcutta where he pulls a rickshaw to earn a meagre income.

Another famous film of Sahni was Kabuliwala (1961), based on a story by Rabindranath Tagore. Sahni effectively portrayed the character of a dry-fruit seller who comes from Afghanistan to sell his goods in Calcutta.

His other films include Lajwanti, Kathputli, Seema, Pavitra Paapi and—more famously—Garm Hava, Haqeeqat and Waqt. In Haqeeqat, one of India’s best war films (based on the disastrous 1962 war with China), Sahni played the role of an Indian army officer.

Garam Hawa, directed by M.S. Sathyu, was a story about Partition and its effects on individuals. Sahni depicts the inner turmoil of a Muslim businessman from Agra who refuses to leave everything behind and go to the newly created Pakistan. 

01 May - David Livingstone death anniversary

 

David Livingstone (19 March 1813 – 1 May 1873), a Scottish physician, Congregationalist, and pioneer Christian missionary with the London Missionary Society, an explorer in Africa, and one of the most popular British heroes of the late 19th-century Victorian era. He died on 1 May 1873 at the age of 60

01 May - Ramakrishna Mission was founded by swami Vivekananda

 

On 1 May 1897, Ramakrishna Mission was founded by Ramakrishna's chief disciple Swami Vivekananda.

Ramakrishna Mission (RKM) is a Hindu religious and spiritual organisation which forms the core of a worldwide spiritual movement known as the Ramakrishna Movement or the Vedanta Movement. The mission is named after an Indian spiritual Guru Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and founded by Ramakrishna's chief disciple Swami Vivekananda on 1 May 1897. The organisation mainly propagates the Hindu philosophy of Vedanta–Advaita Vedanta and four yogic ideals – Jnana, Bhakti, Karma, and Raja yoga.

01 May - Labour Day or May Day

 

Labour Day in India is also known as May Day and is celebrated on May 1st every year. It is a day to honor the contributions of workers to society and recognize the struggles they face in the workplace.

The origins of Labour Day in India can be traced back to the late 19th century, when workers across the world began to organize and demand better working conditions and fair wages. In India, the first Labour Day was celebrated on May 1, 1923, when the Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan organized a rally in Chennai.

Since then, Labour Day has been celebrated annually in India, with various labor unions and organizations organizing events and demonstrations to highlight the importance of workers' rights and issues.

One of the most significant labor issues in India is the issue of low wages and poor working conditions. Many workers, particularly those in the informal sector, work long hours for low pay and have little job security. The lack of a minimum wage in many sectors exacerbates this problem.

Another issue faced by workers in India is the right to form unions and collective bargaining. While Indian law allows for the formation of unions, workers often face significant obstacles when trying to organize. Employers may use threats and intimidation to prevent unionization, and the government has been criticized for not doing enough to protect workers' rights.

In recent years, Labour Day in India has also been used to highlight the struggles of marginalized workers, such as women, Dalits, and Adivasis. These groups often face discrimination and exploitation in the workplace, and Labour Day is an opportunity to raise awareness of their issues and demand action.

Overall, Labour Day in India is a day to honor the contributions of workers and advocate for their rights and well-being. It is a reminder that the struggle for better working conditions and fair wages is ongoing and that workers must continue to organize and fight for their rights

 

01 May - Maharashtra Day.

 

Maharashtra Day was for commemorating the formation of the state of Maharashtra, from the division of the Bombay State on 1 May 1960. Maharashtra Day is commonly associated with parades and political speeches and ceremonies, in addition to various other public and private events celebrating the history and traditions of Maharashtra. It is celebrated to commemorate the creation of a Marathi speaking state of Maharashtra. 

Above cover has a cancellation of Maharashtra Day.

01 May - The Penny Black.

 

The Penny Black is the world's first adhesive postage stamp used in a public postal system. It was first issued in Great Britain on 1 May 1840, but was not valid for use until 6 May 1840. It features a profile of Queen Victoria.

In 1837, British postal rates were high, complex and anomalous. To simplify matters, Sir Rowland Hill proposed an adhesive stamp to indicate pre-payment of postage. At the time it was normal for the recipient to pay postage on delivery, charged by the sheet and on distance travelled. The Penny Black allowed letters of up to 1⁄2 ounce (14 grams) to be delivered at a flat rate of one penny, regardless of distance.