Vote For Greatest Indian!

[Wet Shirt Contest]

Great Mother Teresa

Women Empowerment

 

[RPK]

R K NARAYAN
ARTS

1906-2001

Vote Now Missed call to 08082891019
R K Narayan was regarded as India’s greatest writer in English of the 20th Century and a major World literary figure of his time. The creator of fictional South Indian town Malgudi, R K Narayan was famous for his lucid style. He made intricacies of Indian life accessible to people in the West and rest of the World. Narayan’s works are strikingly original and 100% Indian.

He was the grand old man of Indian letters, who always kept a low profile. Simplicity was his forte. He received numerous national and international awards for his remarkable contribution to Indian English literature. He was also a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha, where he rubbed shoulders with legends like M F Husain, Pt. Ravishankar and Salim Ali. His demand for the abolition of loaded school bags led to revolutionary reforms in the field of primary education. His speech in defence of the children is considered one of the best speeches in the history of Parliament.

KAMALADEVI CHATTOPADHYAY
SOCIAL LEADER

1903-1988

Vote Now Missed call to 08082891014
Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay was one of the most romantic figures of the freedom movement. Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay was born into an aristocratic yet independent-minded family from Mangalore.

Her grandmother was a scholar of ancient Indian texts, and her mother was also widely read. Together their presence in the household gave Kamaladevi a firm grounding and provided benchmarks for intellect and integrity.

She came under the spell of Mahatma Gandhi, and influenced him in turn, by persuading the Mahatma to allow women like herself to court arrest during the Salt Satyagraha of the 1930s.

After Independence, Kamaladevi could have joined the Union Cabinet; instead, she chose to work for the forgotten and downtrodden. Placing the artisan at the centre of her activities, she became the driving force behind the renaissance of Indian handicrafts and handlooms in the 1950s and 1960s.

She was a strong believer in the power of producers' co-operatives. Numerous cultural institutions in India today are a gift of her vision, among them the National School of Drama (NSD), the Sangeet Natak Akademi, Central Cottage Industries Emporium, and The Crafts Council of India.

ELA BHATT
SOCIAL LEADER

BORN 1933

Vote Now Missed call to 08082891012
Fondly known as 'Gujarat's Big Ben', she is the only Indian who is a member of The Elders, the most influential independent group of global leaders who work together for peace and human rights. She counts World leaders Nelson Mandela, Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu and Kofi Annan among her close friends and associates.
The ‘gentle revolutionary’ is a pioneer in women’s empowerment and grassroots development, founder of the more than 1 million-strong Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) in India. Ela Bhatt has tirelessly worked for decades to empower the poor women. SEWA today is not just about service. It is a testimony to what will-power and womanly compassion can achieve. She has singlehandedly changed the lives of the women she has interacted with, giving them the financial muscle to build a future of their own. She has done it with grace, equanimity and undying affection. She is determined, focused and compassionate. She has sacrificed her career as a lawyer only to make sure more and more women come out of oppression everyday. She is truly a living legend and remarkable personality.

 

[cloud_9]

So we have Mr. Nehru and Gandhi but not these guy's ?
Not him..

 

[RPK]

HOMI J BHABHA
IDEA LEADER

1909-1966

Vote Now Missed call to 08082891032
Full credit for the establishment of India's nuclear research program, and its nuclear weapons program, must be given to Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha, a man who throughout his life dominated both the scientific and policy spheres of India's nuclear affairs, first bringing the Indian nuclear program to life and then setting its priorities and direction.

After Nehru became the new nation's first leader Bhabha was entrusted with complete authority over all nuclear related affairs and programs and answered only to Nehru himself, with whom he developed a close personal relationship. India's nuclear policy was set by unwritten personal understandings between Nehru and Bhabha.

The power that Bhabha held is no where more sharply illustrated by the fact that in the wake of China's first nuclear test Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, Nehru's successor, found it necessary to align his policies with the preferences of Dr. Bhabha, and secure his personal endorsement to withstand legislative and public criticism.

M S SUBBULAKSHMI
ARTS

1930-2004

Vote Now Missed call to 08082891016
It is almost impossible to describe the towering personality M S Subbulakshmi, fondly known as MS. Coming from the Devadasi community, the way MS has fought her disadvantaged situation is remarkable. As her biographer TJS George so rightly puts it, "she was at once a child of history and art", both obtrusively and subliminally. The lovers of Carnatic music see M.S. as a saint, even goddess incarnate.

M.S. was initiated into music young, learning her first lessons from her mother. She appeared on stage when she was just 13. Her voice held the world in a spell. She has sung bhajans in 10 languages, each setting high standards in purity of diction and emotional content.

"Child, you carry the veena in your throat," said veena maestro Karaikudi Sambasiva Iyer. "Suswaralakshmi, Subhalakshmi," (goddess of perfect tone and auspiciousness) pronounced Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. Yehudi Menuhin was enraptured by the golden voice. Zubin Mehta was reluctant to take the stage after an M.S. concert. Even the blind and deaf Helen Keller exclaimed that M S sings like an angel.

Subbulakshmi became a cult figure not only as a singer par excellence. She will be remembered as one of the most loved representatives of the best in traditional Indian values.

A large number of awards including the Bharat Ratna were heaped on MS during her illustrious career spanning more than 50 years. MS lives forever. (Bharat Ratna)

MOHAMMED RAFI
ENTERTAINMENT

1924-1980

Vote Now Missed call to 08082891031
One of Indian cinema’s most popular male playback singers, Mohammed Rafi reigned over the world of Hindi film music for almost 40 years. Be it a romantic number, a classical tune, a patriotic number, ghazal or a bhajan Mohammed Rafi had the ability to adapt his voice to the mood and is considered by many to be the most versatile singer ever in the history of Indian cinema.

Inspired by singers like KL Saigal and GM Durrani, Rafi began his career as a singer in Lahore in 1941 with a Punjabi film, later moved to Mumbai in 1944. In 1948, after Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination, Mohammed Rafi reportedly overnight created the song ‘Suno Suno Ae Duniyawalon, Bapuji Ki Amar Kahani…’ and later received a silver medal from Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on the first anniversary of the Indian Independence Day.

While looking for work, Rafi reportedly met music composer Naushad with a recommendation letter from Naushad’s father and Rafi soon took Talat Mahmood’s place as Naushad’s favourite singer.

Rafi had successful associations with almost every mainstream music composer he worked with, be it SD Burman, Shankar Jaikishan, OP Nayyar or Madan Mohan. Rafi was honoured with the Padmshri in 1967 and won 6 Filmfare awards over the years.

Though the legendary singer took a break and chose to sing fewer songs in the 1970s, his popularity did not wane. Infact Rafi won the National Award for playback singing as late as in 1977 for the song ‘Kya Hua Tera Vaada…’ from ‘Hum Kisise Kum Nahin’.

KISHORE KUMAR
ENTERTAINMENT

1929-1987

Vote Now Missed call to 08082891028
Though Kishore Kumar is best known as one of Hindi cinema’s most popular singers, the legendary artiste wore many hats including those of an actor, lyricist, scriptwriter and filmmaker.

A young Kishore followed his elder brother and actor Ashok Kumar to Mumbai in the early 1940s, and began to receive offers for playback singing even though he had no formal training in singing. Kishore Kumar also started acting in a few films featuring his brother, but was not interested in being an actor since his passion lay in singing. It was SD Burman who believe in Kishore’s talent as a singer and promoted him, using him as the voice for Dev Anand.

He also acted in a few popular films during the 50s and 60s including ‘Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi’, ‘Half Ticket’ and ‘Padosan’.Kishore Kumar’s popularity as a singer reached new heights with the release of ‘Aradhana’, in which he sang for Rajesh Khanna and won his first Filmfare award for Best Playback Singer (Male). During the Emergency in 1975, Kishore Kumar reportedly refused to sing for a Congress party rally in Mumbai and as a result there was an unofficial ban on playing any Kishore Kumar song on All India Radio till the end of Emergency.

In his personal life, Kishore Kumar married four times and stories and anecdotes about the singer’s eccentric behaviour only added to the aura of unpredictability around him. Even decades after his untimely death at the age of 58 in 1987, the versatile Kishore Kumar continues to be arguably India’s most popular playback singer ever.

KANSHI RAM
POLITICAL LEADER

BORN 1934

Vote Now Missed call to 08082891006
From a little known Dalit organisation, he created a pan India political party that rose to rule the most populous state of India- Uttar Pradesh, a state that still determines the power equations at the Centre.

He turned Dalit anger into votes and directed all his energies to launch a monotone assault on political power through political mobilisation among the Dalits and others under the broader sweep of what he called, after Jotiba Phule, the “Bahujan Samaj. Kanshi Ram created, for the first time in history, a resurgence of the Dalit community in UP where little or no social reform movements have taken place.

His BSP has taken Ambedkar from seminar halls and universities to all over the country and especially where it matters the most - the voting machine. He stands in poor contrast to other great Dalit social reformers including Ambedkar.

His legacy is flawed in many ways and it consists of a one - woman Mayawati dominated BSP. But, one can’t overlook the importance of being Kanshi Ram. Because he created a massive Dalit vote bank by the Dalits, of the Dalits and for the Dalits. The process of political assertion of Dalits which he pioneered looks irreversible.

KANSHI RAM
POLITICAL LEADER

BORN 1934

Vote Now Missed call to 08082891006
From a little known Dalit organisation, he created a pan India political party that rose to rule the most populous state of India- Uttar Pradesh, a state that still determines the power equations at the Centre.

He turned Dalit anger into votes and directed all his energies to launch a monotone assault on political power through political mobilisation among the Dalits and others under the broader sweep of what he called, after Jotiba Phule, the “Bahujan Samaj. Kanshi Ram created, for the first time in history, a resurgence of the Dalit community in UP where little or no social reform movements have taken place.

His BSP has taken Ambedkar from seminar halls and universities to all over the country and especially where it matters the most - the voting machine. He stands in poor contrast to other great Dalit social reformers including Ambedkar.

His legacy is flawed in many ways and it consists of a one - woman Mayawati dominated BSP. But, one can’t overlook the importance of being Kanshi Ram. Because he created a massive Dalit vote bank by the Dalits, of the Dalits and for the Dalits. The process of political assertion of Dalits which he pioneered looks irreversible.

VALLABHAI PATEL
POLITICAL LEADER

1875 – 1950

Vote Now Missed call to 08082891007
Described as 'Iron Man of India' Sardar Vallabhai Patel will always be remembered for the stellar role he played in unifying the country by integrating over 500 princely states into the union of India. Patel was Nehru's near equal in leadership qualities, acceptance of the people, indomitable courage, scholarship and statesmanship. Slightly younger to Mahatma Gandhi and older to Nehru, Patel worked with both shoulder to shoulder during freedom struggle. While Nehru was known as a great thinker statesman, Patel was known as a doer statesman. Together they laid a strong foundation for modern India. In the words of many of his contemporaries, he was one of the best PM India never had.

A B VAJPAYEE
POLITICAL LEADER

BORN 1924

Vote Now Missed call to 08082891001
Known as the Ajaatshatru (a person with no enemies) in Indian politics, Atal Bihari Vajpayee is one of the most admired public figures. He is liked by both his admirers and opponents. A true believer in the culture of consensus Vajpayee led a fractious coalition government for Six years from 1998-2004. His first term in office lasted for just 13 days in 1996. As India's first non-Congress foreign minister during post Emergency years, he was credited with maintaining the most cordial relationship with Pakistan.

"Atal Bihari Vajpayee is the best PM India has never had," was the refrain among many Indians during 1980s and 1990s. He showed immense boldness in taking a bus yatra to Lahore before the Kargil war and going ahead with Pokhran - two. As a political analyst once rightly said 'He is larger than his party'. A true unifier, who is above his party and politics. His love for poetry is unmatched in Indian politics.

 

[RPK]

INDIRA GANDHI
POLITICAL LEADER

1917-1984

Vote Now Missed call to 08082891003
She did not believe in free thinking like her great father. She took a different route and hailed as the 'Iron Lady' of India. But, Indira Gandhi is remembered for liberating Bangladesh in 1971, pro-poor programmes like 20-20, Bank nationalisation, consolidating India's power at international level and the introduction of social justice in her party.

She gave a new direction and vigour to India. Was extremely adept at balancing two great powers during the cold war. Even though she is still criticised for the draconian emergency, she is also credited with unleashing many reforms that changed the lives of people from all sections of the society.

Perhaps the last Prime Minister who had absolute control over both party and government.

DR. B R AMBEDKAR
POLITICAL LEADER

1891-1956

Vote Now Missed call to 08082891002
The Chief Architect of India's Constitution. He challenged the untouchability in a democratic manner and was the most powerful and credible voice against its practice.

As Independent India's first Law and Justice Minister he made progressive, modern laws. He was a great scholar, an electrifying orator, a barrister of international repute and firmly believed that only a true social justice and equal opportunities can hold this vast nation together.

He is as relevant today as he was 60 years ago. He is THE man who made all the differences to the lives of hundreds of millions of Dalits and other exploited communities. His immortal words, ‘They alone rise who strive.

Some of you nurse the wrong notion that you will not rise in this world. But remember that the age of helplessness has ended. A new epoch has set in’ still inspires millions of oppressed.

JAWAHARLAL NEHRU
POLITICAL LEADER

1889-1964

Vote Now Missed call to 08082891004
Jawaharlal Nehru is undoubtedly the architect of modern India and parliamentary democracy.

A scholar and a statesman par excellence. Nehru, who still holds the record of serving the longest term in office, had the unmatched aura of struggle and sacrifice before Independence.

He was among the leaders through most of his public life and a colossus. His Non-Alignment Movement (NAM) saved India from getting caught in the cold war between USA and Soviet Union during India's nascent stage as an independent nation. He laid a strong foundation for a secular India.

He set up our modern industries, academic institutions of excellence and encouraged scientific revolution. He has also created an atmosphere that allowed and encouraged free thinking. His contributions outweigh his flaws like China war of 1962 and over emphasis on controlled economy.

The Greatest Indian after Mahatma Gandhi | The Greatest Indian

 

[kumarkumar1867]

There are many greats personalities which came from India. This list mentions many of them. But Greatest Indian is no Doubt SUBHASH CHANDRA BOSE or CHANDRASHEKHAR AZAAD who were proud tigers of Indian Independence Struggle. and this stupid list lack there name...wtf !

 

[Skull and Bones]

No Sonia Gandhi in that list? Or Rajiv Gandhi? They should make a separate category for 'corruption'.

I find this program irrelevant, for me the greatest Indian is Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, i admire him more than Gandhi.

 

[Prometheus]

INDIRA GANDHI
POLITICAL LEADER

1917-1984

Vote Now Missed call to 08082891003
She did not believe in free thinking like her great father. She took a different route and hailed as the 'Iron Lady' of India. But, Indira Gandhi is remembered for liberating Bangladesh in 1971, pro-poor programmes like 20-20, Bank nationalisation, consolidating India's power at international level and the introduction of social justice in her party.

She gave a new direction and vigour to India. Was extremely adept at balancing two great powers during the cold war. Even though she is still criticised for the draconian emergency, she is also credited with unleashing many reforms that changed the lives of people from all sections of the society.

Perhaps the last Prime Minister who had absolute control over both party and government.

.

continued.......

she is hailed for making mockery of constitution by imposing very popular emergency.
she also holds the record for only sitting PM to be convicted by the court and ordered her removal.

 

[RPK]

Yes the list is totally Incomplete. But good too see some unknown faces. where is Sir C .V. Raman

 

[Bhairava]

Praveen is this your own list or some media house is conducting a poll ?

I see most of them are facepalm inducing choices..

 

[vsdoc]

Guys, I'm assuming this is for the Greatest Indian of modern post-Independence India.

Regardless of your political affiliations or religious sentiments, you cannot have a list for that without the inclusion of Indira Gandhi.

Every other leader we have had before or after has been a lightweight in comparison when you measure national impact.

 

[kumarkumar1867]

No Sonia Gandhi in that list? Or Rajiv Gandhi? They should make a separate category for 'corruption'.

BS is this list even misses one of the best PM we had... Lal Bahadur Shashtri. he should have been part for his loyalty & selflessness.

I find this program irrelevant, for me the greatest Indian is Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, i admire him more than Gandhi.

Yes Man, He was a legend and Alone stands tall than all the congress leaders like nehru, gandhi, maulana azaad, vallabh bhai combined.
So is ChandraShekhar Azad who was mentor to Bhagat Singh and had a heart & muscle to give a hit to britts.

 

[RPK]

Praveen is this your own list or some media house is conducting a poll ?

I see most of them are facepalm inducing choices..

It is not mine it is done by History India

 

[joekrish]

There are a lot of people missing on the list but if I had to chose one it is going to be really a tough decision, each ones contribution to the nation can't be compared to the other and in different fields. How can you compare M. S. Subalakshi's contribution to that of Indra Gandhi or for the matter even Kishore. I will not vote on this or will have to Vote for everybody.


Feel free to disagree.

 

[Talha Khan Abid]

I vote M F Hussain . He make good painting for Hindus