03 April - Sam Manekshaw birth anniversary

Sam Manekshaw, full name Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw, was a highly respected military leader who served as the Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army. He was born on 03 April 1914, in Amritsar, Punjab, India, and he passed away on 27 June 2008.

Sam Manekshaw played a pivotal role in India's military history, particularly during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. He served as the chief architect of India's victory in that war, which led to the creation of Bangladesh. Manekshaw's strategic acumen and leadership were widely praised, and he became a national hero in India.

He was known for his straightforwardness, wit, and fearless leadership. Manekshaw was the first Indian Army officer to be promoted to the rank of Field Marshal, the highest rank in the Indian Army. Throughout his military career, he earned numerous accolades and awards for his service to the nation.

Sam Manekshaw's legacy continues to be celebrated in India, where he is remembered as one of the most distinguished military leaders in the country's history. His contributions to India's defense and his leadership during times of conflict have left an indelible mark on the nation.

Recently a movie "Sam Bahadur," a cinematic tribute to Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, delves into the life of one of India's most celebrated military leaders was released in 2023

30 March - James Francis Cagney Jr. death in1986

James Francis Cagney Jr. (July 17, 1899 – March 30, 1986)was an American actor and dancer on stage and in film. Known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing, he won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of performances.He is remembered for playing multifaceted tough guys in films such as The Public Enemy (1931), Taxi! (1932), Angels with Dirty Faces (1938), The Roaring Twenties (1939) and White Heat (1949), finding himself typecast or limited by this reputation earlier in his career.He was able to negotiate dancing opportunities in his films and ended up winning the Academy Award for his role in the musical Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942). In 1999 the American Film Institute ranked him eighth among its list of greatest male stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood.Orson Welles described Cagney as "maybe the greatest actor who ever appeared in front of a camera".

23 March - Hemu Kalani birth anniversary

Hemu Kalani (23 March 1923 – 21 January 1943) was a Sindhi revolutionary and freedom fighter during the Indian Independence Movement. He was one of the youngest revolutionaries to be martyred for the nation's freedom struggle, being executed by the British when he was only 19, two months before his 20th birthday. He was a leader of Swaraj Sena,a student organisation

Hemu Kalani was born in Sukkur, Sindh (now in Pakistan) on 23 March 1923.He was the son of Pesumal Kalani and Jethi Bai. As a child and young man he campaigned with his friends for boycotts of foreign goods and tried to persuade people to use Swadeshi goods. He was drawn to revolutionary activities and started participating in acts of protests with the aim of driving out the British. He was involved in raids and in the burning of vehicles belonging to the Raj.

22 March - Pandit Sheel Bhadra Yajee born in 1906

Pandit Sheel Bhadra Yajee was born on 22nd March, 1906 at Bhaktiyarpur village in Patna district of Bihar.

Yajee's participation in the freedom movement began in 1928 when, as a student, he attended the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress. He joined the Congress Socialist Party four years later and became involved in the Kisan movement. Later, he came in close touch with Subhas Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi.

In 1939, he joined Bose to found the All India Forward Bloc. He was actively associated with the INA movement. Yajee raised his voice against caste prejudices and other social evils. He was a firm believer in the active participation of the peasants, workers and the middle classes in the struggle for the transformation of society. He was a member of the Rajya Sabha from 27 April 1957 to 2 April 1958, 3 April 1958 to 2 April 1964, and 3 April 1966 to 2 April 1972.

Yajee authored several books such as A Glimpse of the Indian Labour Movement, Forward Bloc and Its Stand, Is Socialism a Necessity to India, and True Face of Monopolistic American Democracy. The government of India issued a commemorative stamp on him on 28 January 2001.

21 March - International Day of Forests

 

The International Day of Forests was established on the 21st day of March, by resolution of the United Nations General Assembly on November 28, 2012.Each year, various events celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests, and trees outside forests, for the benefit of current and future generations. Countries are encouraged to undertake efforts to organize local, national, and international activities involving forests and trees, such as tree planting campaigns, on International Day of Forests. The Secretariat of the United Nations Forum on Forests, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization, facilitates the implementation of such events in collaboration with governments, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, and international, regional and sub regional organizations. International Day of Forests was observed for the first time on March 21, 2013.

20 March - Homage to Avantibai

Avantibai (died 20 March 1858) is a freedom fighter and queen of what is now Dindori in Madhya Pradesh, which in her time was called Ramgarh. An opponent of the British East India Company during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, information concerning her is sparse and mostly comes from folklore. She is claimed as a member of the Lodhi caste and has been used as an icon in politics in the 21st century.

 

Said in folklore to be a member of the Lodhi caste,Avantibai was the queen of Vikramaditya Singh of Ramgarh estate,[2] which now lies in Dindori district, Madhya Pradesh.Upon the death of her husband in 1851, Avantibai attempted to act as regent for her son, Amar Singh, who was a minor. The British authorities did not accept this and the Court of Wards appointed an administrator to oversee his affairs.She threw the administrator out and declared war against the British.
When the revolt of 1857 broke out, Avantibai raised and led an army of 4000.[citation needed] Her first battle with the British took place in the village of Kheri near Mandla, where she and her army were able to defeat the British forces. However, stung by the defeat the British came back with vengeance and launched an attack on Ramgarh.   Avantibai moved to the hills of Devharigarh for safety. The British army set fire to Ramgarh, and turned to Devhargarh to attack the queen.
Avantibai resorted to guerilla warfare to fend of the British army.She committed suicide with her sword on 20 March 1858 when facing almost certain defeat in battle.

17 March - The Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court or the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad is a high court based in Allahabad (Prayagraj) that has jurisdiction over the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It was established on 17 March 1866, making it the fourth high court to be established in India.

Allahabad became the seat of Government of North-Western Provinces and a High Court was established in 1834 but was shifted to Agra within a year. In 1868 it shifted back to Allahabad.The former High Court was located at the Accountant General's office at the University of Allahabad complex.

02 March - Surya Narayan Vyas Born in 1902 - Indian astrologer

Surya Narayan Vyas (2 March 1902 in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India – 22 June 1976) was an Indian astrologer and diviner from Ujjain, in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.He was known to be the one who prescribed 14 August 1947 and 15 August 1947 as the dates for Pakistan and Indian independence respectively.He is reported to have prophesied several other incidents such as the deaths of Lal Bahadur Shastri and Sardar Vallabhai Patel and the emergence of India as a global power in the 21st century. He was a member of the Advisory Board to the Government of Madhya Pradesh during the tenure of Govind Narayan Singh from 1967–1969.The Government of India awarded him the third highest civilian honour of the Padma Bhushan, in 1958, for his contributions to astrology.India Post issued a commemorative stamp on Vyas in 2002.

18 February - Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ( 18 February 1486 – 14 June 1533), was an Indian guru considered by his followers to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the chief proponent of the Achintya Bheda Abheda (Inconceivable Difference/One-ness) Vedanta school and the Gaudiya Vaishnavism tradition within Hinduism.

He also expounded the Vaishnava school of Bhakti yoga (meaning loving devotion to God), based on Bhagavata Purana and Bhagavad Gita.Of various forms and direct or indirect expansions of Krishna such as Lord Narasimha (Man-Lion; Krishna in mood of anger), Mahavishnu and Garbhodaksayi Vishnu respectively, he is believed to be Krishna in the mood of Radha. He popularised the chanting of the 'Hare Krishna mantra'and composed the Siksastakam (eight devotional prayers) in Sanskrit. His followers, Gaudiya Vaishnavas, revere him as a Krishna with the mood and complexion of his source of inspiration Radha. His birthday is celebrated as Gaura-purnima.

Chaitanya is sometimes referred to by the names Gauranga or Gaura due to his fair complexion, and Nimai due to his being born underneath a Neem tree.

Charles Dickens Born 7 February

Charles John Huffam Dickens FRSA (7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era.[1] His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime, and by the 20th century, critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories are still widely read today.

He wrote such beloved classic novels as Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, Nicholas Nickleby, David Copperfield, A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations.