Anna Saheb Karve   India : A Great Reformist Born : AD 1858                    Died : AD 1962   Anna Saheb Karve’s life was as simple and clean as that of an ancient ascetic (Rishi-Muni). He was liberal in his views and sympathetic in his attitude. He was deeply moved by the troubles and tribulations of women-folk. What Anna-Saheb did for the uplittment of women in the last decade of the...

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar   India : Brave Revolutionary Born : AD 1883                    Died : AD 1966 Savarkar was a great patriot, a scholar, a poet and a writer all rolled into one. He started patriotic activities even in his student days. At the age of 16, he founded Abhinav Bharat. It would not be an exaggeration to call Savarkar a born revolutionary. He was not awarded his B.A. degree, which...

Anne Besant   India : The founder of Home-Rule League Born : AD 1847           Died: AD 1933   Among the successful women of the world, Anne Besant tops the list. She was so influenced by the Indian religion, philosophy and spirituality that she identified herself fully with India and became an inveterate Indian. Her contribution to India’s freedom struggle was also remarkable. She founded the Home-Rule League with support and...

Madan Lal Dhingra   India : A Fearless Young Revolutionary Born AD 1887             Died : AD 1909 Madan Lal Dhingra will always be recalled as one of those fearless young revolutionaries who jumped into the fight for freedom without ever looking back at life, family and parents. Madan Lal will remain immortal as a young rebel who wrecked vengeance on the English oppressors in their own country. He avenged their...

Vasudev Balvant Phadke   India : A Fire-Brand Revolutionary Born : AD 1845          Died : AD 1883 Vasudev Balvant Phadke was born in a Brahmin family of Ratnagiri (Maharashtra) on 4 November, 1845. Contact with nationalist leaders like Mahadev Govind Ranade and others influenced him in his early days to fight for the cause of freedom. But soon, he was attracted towards militancy. He was fired by revolutionary zeal and...

Surendra Nath Bannerjee   India : Founder-member of INC Born : AD 1848             Died : AD 1925 Surendra Nath Bannerjee is one of those national leaders who played a leading role in the establishment of the Indian National Congress. He held extremist views and was considered a militant till Lokmanya Tilak’s arrival on the scene. In the beginning, he was assigned the task of liaison with...

Ferozeshah Mehta   India : Liberal Freedom Fighter Born : AD 1845                    Died : AD 1915 Ferozeshah Mehta was born in a Parsi family of Bombay, Maharashtra on August 4, 1845. After graduating in 1864, he went to England to study law. He rammed home in 1868 after getting his Bar-at-Law in 1867, but soon after joined the freedom struggle instead of continuing with Law. A representative of the liberals,...

Alla-Uddin Khan   India : Classical Music Maestro Born : AD 1869           Died : AD 1972 Ustad Alla-Uddin Khan holds an important place among the classical music maestros of India. He had an inclination towards music since his childhood. He was taught by Nanu Gopal, Nandlal and Vazir Khan. The Raja of Mehar, a connoisseur of music, made him his guru. On 19 October 1958, he was awarded ‘Padma Bhushan’...