Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam The world is one family

1. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

Bapu, also known as Mahatma Gandhi, was one of the most influential figures in the history of India and the world. He was born on 2 October 1869 in Porbandar, a coastal town in Gujarat. His father was the chief minister of Porbandar state and his mother was a devout Hindu. He was married to Kasturba Gandhi at the age of 13 and had four sons with her. Bapu studied law in London and became a barrister in 1891. He then moved to South Africa to work as a lawyer for the Indian community there. He faced racial discrimination and injustice in South Africa and began to protest against them using nonviolent methods. He founded the Natal Indian Congress and led campaigns for civil rights and political representation for Indians. He also developed his concept of Satyagraha, or truth force, which was based on non-cooperation, civil disobedience, and peaceful resistance. Bapu returned to India in 1915 and joined the Indian National Congress, a political party that sought to end British colonial rule in India. He became the leader of the Congress in 1921 and launched several mass movements to challenge the British authority. Some of his famous campaigns were the Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-1922), the Civil Disobedience Movement (1930-1934), and the Quit India Movement (1942-1945). He also led the historic Dandi Salt March in 1930, where he and thousands of his followers defied the British salt tax by making their own salt from seawater. Bapu was not only a political leader but also a social reformer and a spiritual guide. He advocated for the upliftment of the poor, the oppressed, and the untouchables. He promoted swadeshi or self-reliance by encouraging Indians to spin their own cloth from khadi or hand-spun cotton. He also preached ahimsa or non-violence as a way of life and a means of achieving harmony among different religions and communities. Bapu played a crucial role in securing India's independence from British rule in 1947. However, he was deeply saddened by the partition of India and Pakistan along religious lines and the violence that followed. He tried to stop the communal riots and appealed for peace and brotherhood. He was assassinated on 30 January 1948 by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu extremist who blamed him for appeasing Muslims. Bapu's last words were Hey Ram or Oh God. Bapu is widely regarded as the Father of the Nation in India and is revered as a symbol of peace, truth, and non-violence across the world. His birthday, 2 October, is celebrated as Gandhi Jayanti in India and as the International Day of Non-Violence by the United Nations. His life and teachings have inspired many leaders and movements for freedom, justice, and human rights around the globe.

2. Mother Teresa

3. Rani Lakshmi Bai

Rani Lakshmi Bai was the queen of the princely state of Jhansi in North India and a leader of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. She was born as Manikarnika Tambe in a Brahmin family in Kashi, where she received education in martial arts, horse riding, and fencing. She married Gangadhar Rao, the maharaja of Jhansi, in 1842 and became the rani of Jhansi. She adopted a son, Damodar Rao, as her heir after the death of her biological son and her husband. However, the British East India Company refused to recognize the adoption and annexed Jhansi under the Doctrine of Lapse in 1853. The rani resisted the British attempts to take over her state and joined the rebellion of 1857, which broke out in Meerut. She became the regent of Jhansi and mobilized her troops to fight against the British. She defended Jhansi from the siege of the British forces led by Sir Hugh Rose in March 1858, but had to flee the fort when the British breached the walls. She escaped to Kalpi, where she joined other rebel leaders like Nana Sahib and Tantia Tope. She then moved to Gwalior, where she captured the fort and proclaimed Nana Sahib as the peshwa of the Maratha Empire. She died on 18 June 1858, while fighting against the British troops at the Battle of Kotah-ki-Serai near Gwalior. She was wounded by a sabre and shot by a carbine. She asked a hermit to burn her body, so that the British could not capture it. She was cremated at Phool Bagh in Gwalior. She is remembered as one of the bravest and most inspirational women in Indian history, who fought for her rights and her country's freedom with courage and valour.

4. Mohammad Ali Jinnah

Mohammad Ali Jinnah was a barrister, politician and the founder of Pakistan. He served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the inception of Pakistan on 14 August 1947, and then as the Dominion of Pakistan's first governor-general until his death. He is revered as the father of Pakistan and the Quaid-e-Azam (Great Leader) by the Pakistani people. He was born in Karachi, British India, into a wealthy merchant family of the Khoja caste. He studied law in London and became a successful lawyer in Bombay. He joined the Indian National Congress in 1906 and advocated for Hindu-Muslim unity and self-government for India. However, he became disillusioned with the Congress and its leader Mahatma Gandhi, who he thought favoured the Hindu majority over the Muslim minority. He left the Congress in 1920 and joined the Muslim League, which sought to protect the rights and interests of the Muslims in India. He became the president of the League in 1913 and transformed it into a mass political movement. He demanded a separate state for the Muslims of India, based on the two-nation theory that Hindus and Muslims were two distinct nations that could not coexist peacefully. He led the Muslim League in the negotiations with the British government and the Congress for the partition of India. He succeeded in creating Pakistan as a sovereign state on 14 August 1947, after a bloody and violent partition that resulted in the migration of millions of people and the death of hundreds of thousands. He became the first governor-general of Pakistan and worked to establish a democratic and progressive constitution, a strong military, and a stable economy. He also faced many challenges, such as the Kashmir dispute, the refugee crisis, the communal riots, and the opposition from some religious groups. He suffered from poor health and died of tuberculosis on 11 September 1948 in Karachi. He was buried in a mausoleum known as the Mazar-e-Quaid, which is a national symbol of Pakistan. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century and a champion of Muslim rights and dignity.

5. Jawaharlal Nehru

Jawaharlal Nehru was a barrister, politician and the founder of Pakistan. He served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the inception of Pakistan on 14 August 1947, and then as the Dominion of Pakistan's first governor-general until his death. He is revered as the father of Pakistan and the Quaid-e-Azam (Great Leader) by the Pakistani people. He was born in Karachi, British India, into a wealthy merchant family of the Khoja caste. He studied law in London and became a successful lawyer in Bombay. He joined the Indian National Congress in 1906 and advocated for Hindu-Muslim unity and self-government for India. However, he became disillusioned with the Congress and its leader Mahatma Gandhi, who he thought favoured the Hindu majority over the Muslim minority. He left the Congress in 1920 and joined the Muslim League, which sought to protect the rights and interests of the Muslims in India. He became the president of the League in 1913 and transformed it into a mass political movement. He demanded a separate state for the Muslims of India, based on the two-nation theory that Hindus and Muslims were two distinct nations that could not coexist peacefully. He led the Muslim League in the negotiations with the British government and the Congress for the partition of India. He succeeded in creating Pakistan as a sovereign state on 14 August 1947, after a bloody and violent partition that resulted in the migration of millions of people and the death of hundreds of thousands. He became the first governor-general of Pakistan and worked to establish a democratic and progressive constitution, a strong military, and a stable economy. He also faced many challenges, such as the Kashmir dispute, the refugee crisis, the communal riots, and the opposition from some religious groups. He suffered from poor health and died of tuberculosis on 11 September 1948 in Karachi. He was buried in a mausoleum known as the Mazar-e-Quaid, which is a national symbol of Pakistan. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century and a champion of Muslim rights and dignity.

6. Abanindranath Tagore

Abanindranath Tagore was a prominent artist and writer who played a key role in the development of modern Indian art. He was a nephew of the poet Rabindranath Tagore and a member of the distinguished Tagore family. He learned art from various sources, including European, Japanese, Mughal and Rajput styles. He was the first major exponent of Swadeshi values in Indian art, which aimed to revive the indigenous artistic traditions and counter the influence of Western models. He founded the influential Bengal school of art, which created a nationalistic Indian style that was accepted and promoted by British art institutions. He also wrote several books for children, which are considered landmarks in Bengali literature. Some of his famous works include Bharat Mata, The Passing of Shah Jahan, Buro Angla, Khirer Putul and Shakuntala. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Calcutta in 1950. He died on December 5, 1951 at the age of 80. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest artists and writers of India.

7. Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi

Indira Gandhi was born Indira Nehru on 19 November 1917 in Allahabad, a city in the United Provinces of British India. She was the only child of Jawaharlal Nehru and Kamala Nehru, who were both prominent leaders of the Indian National Congress and the freedom movement against British colonial rule. Her father became the first Prime Minister of independent India in 1947 and her mother was a social activist who died of tuberculosis in 1936. She received her early education from various schools in India and abroad, including Modern School in Delhi, Ecole Internationale in Geneva, Ecole Nouvelle in Bex and Pupils' Own School in Poona. She also attended Somerville College at Oxford University for a brief period but did not complete her degree. She returned to India in 1941 and joined the Indian National Congress as a member of its working committee. She also became involved in the Quit India Movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi in 1942. She married Feroze Gandhi, a Parsi journalist and politician, in 1942 despite opposition from some members of her family and community. The couple had two sons, Rajiv and Sanjay, who were born in 1944 and 1946 respectively. Feroze Gandhi died of a heart attack in 1960. She entered politics as a personal assistant to her father and accompanied him on his foreign trips and official visits. She also became the president of the Indian National Congress in 1959. After her father's death in 1964, she was appointed as a member of the Rajya Sabha (upper house of parliament) and became the Minister of Information and Broadcasting in Lal Bahadur Shastri's cabinet. She became the Prime Minister of India in 1966 after Shastri's sudden death. She faced many challenges and crises during her tenure, such as famine, drought, war with Pakistan, internal dissent, economic instability and political unrest. She also initiated many reforms and policies to improve the condition of the poor and marginalized sections of society, such as nationalization of banks, abolition of privy purses, land reforms, promotion of science and technology, expansion of public sector and launch of Green Revolution to increase agricultural production. She also played a decisive role in the creation of Bangladesh in 1971 by supporting the liberation movement of East Pakistan against West Pakistan. She signed the Simla Agreement with Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the President of Pakistan, to end the war and establish peace between the two countries. She faced a major political crisis in 1975 when the Allahabad High Court found her guilty of electoral malpractice and disqualified her from holding any public office for six years. She refused to resign and declared a state of emergency in the country, suspending civil liberties and arresting her political opponents. She also launched a controversial family planning program that involved forced sterilization of thousands of men. She lifted the emergency in 1977 and called for fresh elections, in which she and her party suffered a humiliating defeat. She returned to power in 1980 after winning the general elections with a thumping majority. She faced another challenge in the form of Sikh separatism and militancy in Punjab, led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who demanded a separate state of Khalistan. She ordered a military operation, codenamed Operation Blue Star, to flush out the militants from the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine of the Sikhs, in June 1984. The operation resulted in heavy casualties and damage to the temple, and provoked widespread anger and resentment among the Sikh community. She was assassinated on 31 October 1984 by two of her Sikh bodyguards, Satwant Singh and Beant Singh, who shot her at point-blank range as she was walking to her office from her residence. Her death sparked anti-Sikh riots in Delhi and other parts of India, in which thousands of Sikhs were killed by mobs. She was cremated with full state honors at Shakti Sthal, a memorial site near Raj Ghat in New Delhi. Her elder son Rajiv Gandhi succeeded her as the Prime Minister of India. She is widely regarded as one of the most influential and charismatic leaders of India who shaped its destiny and development. She is also remembered as a champion of women's rights, secularism, social justice and national security. She was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor, posthumously in 1971. She was also named as "Woman of the Millennium" by a BBC poll in 1999.

8. Maqbool Fida Husain

Maqbool Fida Husain, also known as M.F. Husain, was one of the most celebrated and internationally recognized Indian artists of the 20th century. He was a founding member of the Bombay Progressive Artists' Group, which aimed to break away from the traditional Indian art style and embrace the modernist movement. He was influenced by the Indian culture, history, and mythology, as well as by the works of European masters such as Picasso and Cezanne. Husain was born on 17 September 1915 in Pandharpur, Maharashtra, India, in a Suleymani Bohra family. He developed an interest in art at an early age and learned calligraphy and Kufic script. He attended the Sir Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy School of Art in Mumbai but did not complete his education. He started his career as a painter of cinema posters and billboards for Bollywood movies. He also worked as a toy designer and maker. Husain's artistic career took off after the independence and partition of India in 1947. He became associated with the Bombay Progressive Artists' Group, which included artists such as F.N. Souza, S.H. Raza, K.H. Ara, H.A. Gade, and S.K. Bakre. They sought to create a new Indian art that was inspired by the contemporary realities and challenges of the newly independent nation. Husain's paintings depicted a wide range of subjects, such as Gandhi, Mother Teresa, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the British Raj, and motifs of Indian urban and rural life. He used a vibrant and expressive colour palette and a modified Cubist style to create his distinctive works. Husain was also a prolific filmmaker and made several experimental films that explored various aspects of Indian culture and society. His first film, Through the Eyes of a Painter (1967), won a Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. His other films include Gaja Gamini (2000), Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities (2004), and Rang Rasiya (2008). Husain's later works sparked controversy for depicting Hindu deities in nude or erotic poses. He faced protests, lawsuits, and threats from right-wing groups who accused him of hurting religious sentiments and defaming national symbols. He was forced to go into self-imposed exile in 2006 and lived in various countries such as Qatar, Dubai, London, and New York. He accepted Qatari citizenship in 2010. Husain died on 9 June 2011 at the age of 95 in London due to a heart attack. He was buried at Brookwood Cemetery in Surrey, England. He was honoured with several awards and recognitions during his lifetime, such as Padma Shri (1966), Padma Bhushan (1973), Padma Vibhushan (1991), National Film Award for Best Experimental Film (1967), Lalit Kala Akademi Fellowship (1968), Raja Ravi Varma Award (2007), and Honorary Doctorates from various universities.

9. Dev Anand

Dev Anand was one of the most iconic and influential figures of Indian cinema. He started his career as an actor in 1946 with the film Hum Ek Hain, and soon became a leading star of the industry. He was known for his charismatic screen presence, his rapid-fire dialogue delivery and his unique nodding style. He was also a successful director and producer, who founded his own production company, Navketan International Films, in 1949. He made many critically acclaimed and commercially successful films, such as Baazi, Taxi Driver, C.I.D., Kala Pani, Guide, Jewel Thief, Johny Mera Naam, Hare Rama Hare Krishna and Des Pardes. He introduced many new talents to the industry, such as Zeenat Aman, Tina Munim and Jackie Shroff. He was also a pioneer of social and experimental cinema, and often explored themes such as patriotism, romance, crime, spirituality and urban life. He received many awards and honours for his contribution to Indian cinema, including the Padma Bhushan, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award and four Filmfare Awards. He was also honoured by many international film festivals and organisations. He continued to work till the end of his life, and his last film, Chargesheet, was released in 2011, just two months before his death. He died of a heart attack in London at the age of 88. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential actors in the history of Indian cinema.

10. Kalpana Chawla

Kalpana Chawla was born on March 17, 1962, in Karnal, a city in the Indian state of Haryana. She was the youngest of four children of Banarasi Lal Chawla and Sanjyothi Chawla. Her father was a self-made businessman who owned a tire manufacturing company. Her mother was a homemaker who encouraged her children to pursue their education and dreams. Kalpana was fascinated by airplanes and flying from an early age. She often accompanied her father to the local flying club and watched the planes with him. She also excelled in academics and showed an aptitude for science and mathematics. Kalpana completed her schooling from Tagore Baal Niketan Senior Secondary School, Karnal. She then enrolled in Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, where she earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1982. She was one of the few female students in her class and faced some discrimination and discouragement from her professors. However, she was determined to pursue her passion for aerospace engineering and decided to move to the United States for higher studies. Kalpana arrived in the United States in 1982 and enrolled in the University of Texas at Arlington, where she obtained a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering in 1984. She then moved to the University of Colorado at Boulder, where she earned another Master's degree and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Aerospace Engineering in 1988. Her doctoral thesis was on the computation of dynamics and control of unsteady vortical flows. Kalpana began her career as a researcher at NASA Ames Research Center in 1988, where she worked on various topics related to fluid dynamics, aerodynamics, and computational methods. She also became a certified pilot and obtained licenses for single and multi-engine airplanes, seaplanes, and gliders. She married Jean-Pierre Harrison, a flying instructor and an aviation author, in 1983. They settled in Los Altos Hills, California. In 1991, Kalpana became a naturalized U.S. citizen and applied for the NASA Astronaut Corps. She was selected as an astronaut candidate in 1994 and underwent rigorous training for two years. She became a mission specialist and a primary robotic arm operator for the Space Shuttle program. She flew on her first space mission, STS-87, aboard Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997. She spent 15 days in space and became the first woman of Indian origin to fly to space. Kalpana's second space mission was STS-107, also aboard Space Shuttle Columbia, in 2003. She was part of a seven-member crew that conducted more than 80 scientific experiments during the 16-day flight. However, the mission ended tragically when the shuttle disintegrated during its re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere on February 1, 2003. All seven crew members perished in the accident. Kalpana Chawla was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, and the NASA Space Flight Medal. She was also honored by several institutions and organizations around the world. Several streets, schools, universities, scholarships, awards, parks, asteroids, satellites, and buildings have been named after her. She is remembered as a pioneer, a role model, and an inspiration for millions of people, especially women and girls who aspire to pursue careers in science and engineering.