20 March - International Francophonie Day

 

 

International Francophonie Day is observed within the International Organization of La Francophonie's 77 member states every March 20 to celebrate the French language and Francophone culture.There are over 369 million French speakers on Earth.

Created in 1988, the date celebrates the signing of the Niamey Convention in Niger on 20 March 1970. The convention established the Agence de Coopération Culturelle et Technique, the precursor to the International Organization of La Francophonie.

Just like the British colonies, the French established French colonies. This led to the cultural and lingual spread in the regions which they established the colonies.

According to the Canadian then-minister for La Francophonie Steven Blaney's speech in 2013, the International Francophonie Day is to "celebrate our commitment to not only the French language and the rich and diverse francophone culture but also the values of peace, democracy and respect for human rights that unite all members of the International Organization of La Francophonie

20 March - World Sparrow Day

World Sparrow Day is a day designated to raise awareness of the house sparrow and then other common birds to urban environments, and of threats to their populations, observed on 20 March.It is an international initiative by the Nature Forever Society of India in collaboration with the Eco-Sys Action Foundation (France) and numerous other national and international organisations across the world.

World Sparrow Day also has a broader vision to provide a platform where people who are working on the conservation of the house sparrow and other common birds can network, collaborate and exchange conservation ideas which will lead to better science and improved results. It aims to provide a meeting ground for people from different parts of the world to come together and form a force that can play an important role in advocacy and in spreading the awareness on the need of conserving common biodiversity or species of lower conservation status.

19 March - Lord Parashurama commerative postage stamp issued in 2023

This design is derived from Raja Ravi Varma's oleograph. India post released a commerative stamp of Lord Parashurama on 19 March 2023

Parashurama also referred to as Rama Jamadagnya, Rama Bhargava and Veerarama, is the sixth avatar among the Dashavatara of the preserver god Vishnu in Hinduism. He is believed to be one of the Chiranjeevis (Immortals), who will appear at the end of the Kali Yuga to be the guru of Vishnu's tenth and last incarnation, Kalki.

Born to Jamadagni and Renuka, the Brahmin Parashurama was foretold to appear at a time when overwhelming evil prevailed on the earth. The Kshatriya class, with weapons and power, had begun to abuse their power, take what belonged to others by force and tyrannise people. He corrected the cosmic equilibrium by destroying the Kshatriya warriors twenty-one times. He is married to Dharani, an incarnation of Lakshmi, the wife of Vishnu.He is present in the Ramayana due to the conflict with Rama (the protagonist of the Ramayana) over Shiva's broken bow. He is mentioned in the Mahabharata as the guru of Bhisma, Drona, Rukmi, and Karna.

 

 #StampRelease

The Department of Posts today released a commemorative postage stamp on “Parshuram” the great warrior sage of Ancient India in Jaipur, Rajasthan. His teachings of righteousness, fairness and objectivity is an inspiration for all . The stamp was released by Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics and Information & technology in presence of other dignitaries.

Ashwini Vaishnaw Devusinh Chauhan Amrit Mahotsav Ministry of Culture, Government of India MyGovIndia DDNewsLive All India Radio News

19 March - Sydney Harbour Bridge formally opened in 1932

 

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge in Sydney, spanning Sydney Harbour from the central business district (CBD) to the North Shore. The view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is widely regarded as an iconic image of Sydney, and of Australia itself. Nicknamed "The Coathanger" because of its arch-based design, the bridge carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic.

It is the eighth longest spanning-arch bridge in the world and the tallest steel arch bridge, measuring 134 m (440 ft) from top to water level.It was also the world's widest long-span bridge, at 48.8 m (160 ft) wide, until construction of the new Port Mann Bridge in Vancouver was completed in 2012.

The bridge was formally opened on Saturday, 19 March 1932.Among those who attended and gave speeches were the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Philip Game, and the Minister for Public Works, Lawrence Ennis. The Premier of New South Wales, Jack Lang, was to open the bridge by cutting a ribbon at its southern end

19 March - Azad Hind Army hoisted the tricolor first time on Indian soil in 1944

 

With the assistance of the people of Manipur and other members of the Indian National Army (INA), the Azad Hind Army raised the tricolour for the first time on Indian soil on March 19, 1944, in Moirang, Manipur.


In place of Gandhi's "Charkha," Subhash Chandra Bose's Azad Hind Fauz adopted a version of the Purna Swaraj Flag in 1943 that featured the words "AZAD" on the top saffron band, "HIND" on the bottom green band, and a "Springing Tiger" in the middle of the white band to represent the INA's strength and unyielding will to fight.

The Azad Hind Fauj, often known as the Indian National Army (INA), was established during World War II.It was initially established by Capt. Mohan Singh in Singapore in September 1942 with Japanese POWs in India.The Indian Independence League, led by international nationalist leader Rash Behari Bose, provided support for this.Hikari Kikan and Mohan Singh, who began to believe that the Japanese High Command was exploiting the INA as a simple pawn and propaganda tool, disagreed, and the first INA was abruptly disbanded in December 1942.

Yet, after Subhas Chandra Bose arrived in the Far East in 1943, the notion of a liberation army was once again raised.
Rash Behari Bose gave Subhas Chandra Bose management of the company in July during a meeting in Singapore.Bose was successful in restructuring the infant army and earned a sizable following among the Indian expatriate community in south-east Asia.

They provided assistance both financially and by joining in the Indian National Army.At its peak, the INA had roughly 85,000 soldiers, including the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, a special women's force led by Captain Lakshmi Swaminathan.Throughout the operations in Burma, Imphal, and Kohima as well as subsequently in opposition to the Allies' successful Burma Campaign, this second INA fought alongside the Imperial Japanese Army.

The INA's main office was in Moirang, Manipur.On March 19, 1944, in Moirang, with the assistance of INA members from Manipur like Shri Mairembam Koireng Singh, Colonel Shaukat Malik raised the Tricolor for the first time on Indian land.

19 March - Güyük Khan 1206

 

Güyük (19 March 1206 – 20 April 1248) was the third Khagan-Emperor of the Mongol Empire, the eldest son of Ögedei Khan and a grandson of Genghis Khan. He reigned from 1246 to 1248.

The death of Güyük had a profound effect on world history. Güyük wanted to turn the Mongol power against Europe, but his premature death prevented Mongol forces from trying to move further west into Europe. Subsequent to Güyük's death, Mongol family politics caused the Mongol efforts to be instead directed against southern China, which was eventually conquered during the rule of Kublai Khan.

When Kublai Khan established the Yuan Dynasty in 1271, he had Güyük Khan placed on the official record as Dingzong

19 March - E. M. S. Namboodiripad death annivarsary

 

Elamkulam Manakkal Sankaran Namboodiripad, commonly known as E. M. S. Namboodiripad or EMS, was born on 13 June 1909, and passed away on 19 March 1998. He was a towering figure in Indian politics, particularly in Kerala, and a prominent Marxist theorist and historian. EMS was one of the founding members of the Communist Party of India (CPI) and later played a crucial role in the formation of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)]. He made history by becoming the first Chief Minister of Kerala in 1957, heading the first democratically elected communist government in the world. His tenure was marked by significant land and educational reforms aimed at reducing social inequalities and improving the quality of life for the poor. A prolific writer, EMS authored numerous books and articles on Marxist theory, Indian history, and social issues. His intellectual contributions and political activities had a profound impact on Indian politics and the leftist movement in the country. EMS's legacy continues to influence contemporary political thought and practice in India.

19 March - Acharya Kripalani death anniversary

 

Acharya Kripalani died on 19 March 1982 at the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad,at the age of 93.

A stamp was issued on 11 November 1989 by the Indian Postal Department to commemorate the 101st anniversary of his birth.

Jivatram Bhagwandas Kripalani (11 November 1888 – 19 March 1982), popularly known as Acharya Kripalani, was an Indian politician, noted particularly for holding the presidency of the Indian National Congress during the transfer of power in 1947 and the husband of Sucheta Kripalani. Kripalani was an environmentalist, mystic and independence activist who was long a Gandhian socialist, before joining the economically right wing Swatantra Party later in life.

He grew close to Gandhi and at one point, he was one of Gandhi's most ardent disciples. He had served as the General Secretary of the INC for almost a decade. He had experience working in the field of education and was made the president to rebuild the INC. Disputes between the party and the Government over procedural matters affected his relationship with the colleagues in the Government. Kripalani was a familiar figure to generations of dissenters, from the Non-Cooperation Movements of the 1920s to the Emergency of the 1970s.

18 March - International Year Millets stamp released by India post

 

International Year Millets stamp released by India post on 18 March 2023.

Millets have been an integral part of our diet for centuries. In addition to a plethora of health benefits, millets are also good for the environment with low water & input requirement. With the aim to create awareness and increase production & consumption of millets, United Nations, at the behest of the Government of India, declared 2023 the International Year Millets.

18 March - Indian Post issued stamp on Madhubala in 2008

 

 

Madhubala (born Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi; 14 February 1933 – 23 February 1969) was an Indian actress and producer who worked in Hindi-language films. She ranked as one of the highest-paid entertainers in India in the post-independence era, that coincided with the rise of Indian cinema on global levels.[2][3] In a career spanning more than 20 years, Madhubala was predominantly active for only a decade but had appeared in over 60 films by the time of her death in 1969.

On 18 March 2008, Indian Post issued a commemorative postage stamp featuring Madhubala, that was launched by her surviving family members and co-stars;the only other Indian actress that was honoured in this manner was Nargis, at that point of time.