Important Persons born today
Udham Singh (1899-1940)
Udham Singh was a great hero of India’s freedom struggle. He was born on 26 December 1899 in Sunam village of Sangrur district of Punjab. His childhood was spent in a lot of troubles and due to the early death of his parents, he and his brother had to live in an orphanage. He was immersed in patriotism since childhood.
When the Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place in 1919, Udham Singh’s mind was deeply shocked. General Dyer’s cruelty crossed all limits and thousands of innocent Indians were shot dead. Although he was filled with the feeling of patriotism, this incident made him a revolutionary. Revolutionaries believe in doing something big.
To avenge this massacre, Udham Singh went to England and planned to kill Michael O’Dwyer. After many years of preparation, on 13 March 1940, in a meeting held at Caxton Hall in London, he shot O’Dwyer and avenged the martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh.
He was caught and later hanged on 31 July 1940. However, his feat gave new energy to the freedom struggle. We can learn from him that the freedom of the motherland is so important that one should not even care about life.Even today people remember Udham Singh for his strong determination and courage.
His proclamation still echoes in the ears of patriots:
“जब तक जुल्म रहेगा, तब तक मेरा संघर्ष जारी रहेगा”
Baba Amte (1914-2008)
Baba Amte was called the “Messiah of Humanity”. He dedicated his life to social justice and human rights. One of the main objectives of his life was the rehabilitation of leprosy patients and he worked for it throughout his life. Born on 26 December 1914 in Hinganghat of Wardha District of Maharashtra, Baba Amte understood the pain of the weak and marginalized people of the society at an early age and then he was inspired to do something for them.
Baba Amte’s full name was Murlidhar Devidas Amte and he belonged to an affluent family. After completing his studies, he chose to become a lawyer but it did not take him long to realize that he had to dedicate his life to the service of the deprived and the suffering.
He realized that the society adopts a very discriminatory attitude towards leprosy patients. Around 1940, he studied to understand the truth of this disease and vowed that he would dedicate his life to the rehabilitation and treatment of these patients. Inspired by this, in 1951 he established a shelter and rehabilitation center for leprosy patients named “Anandvan” in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra. The aim of Anandvan is not only to provide medical assistance but also to provide employment opportunities to the patients to become self-reliant.
By actively participating in the “Narmada Bachao Andolan” and other social movements, he proved that he is as dedicated to the environment as he is to leprosy patients.
His work was appreciated not only at the national level but also at the international level and he was honored with many prestigious awards, prominent among which are: Ramon Magsaysay Award, Jamnalal Bajaj Award, Gandhi Peace Award, Padma Vibhushan
He died on 09 February 2008. We can learn from his life that there is no greater religion than serving others. His family is still carrying forward his work and his other schemes including Anandvan are still running.
He had said, “I took up leprosy work not to help anyone, but to overcome that fear in my life. That it worked out good for others was a by-product. But the fact is I did it to overcome fear.”
Taarak Mehta (1929-2017)
Tarak Mehta, a renowned name in Indian comedy writing, was born on 26 December 1929 in Ahmedabad district of Gujarat state. His real name was Parthasarathi Mehta. He had a special interest in comedy, satire and related writing. He was not only interested in literary creation but television and theatre were also his mediums of expression. The very famous comedy serial of Indian television, Tarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, is the result of his writing. It is still one of the most watched serials.
Making satirical comments on social issues was one of his writing styles. He first started writing in Gujarati language. With the power of his writing, he used to establish a connection with the feelings and problems of the common man. He became more famous because he used to say very deep things in a joking manner which were related to people’s lives. This is also the reason for the fame of the program Tarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, which is being aired on Sony Channel since 2008. It seems that the characters in this program live around us and meet us every day. The story shown is also related to various aspects of our life.
He departed from this earthly life in the year 2017 but the mark he has left in the comedy genre will always be remembered and will continue to show direction to the society.