Janaki Ammal

Today is the 121st birth anniversary of Janaki Ammal Edavalath Kakkat, Janaki Akmal for short, the eminent Indian Botanist.She was the first woman to obtain a Ph.D. in Botany in 1931 from Michigan University in the US and also the first woman to be conferred D.Sc.(Honoris Causa) from the same University later. She started her teaching career at the Maharaja Christian College in Madras.She was invited by the Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru to organize the Botanical Survey of India and rose to be its Director General. She had also worked as a geneticist in London . She did pioneering work in Sugarcane Research.
She had worked at Jammu and Allahabad also. Many honours and  awards came her way  including Padma Shri.An award was also instituted in her name.
She died on 7th February, 1984 aged 86.
Our humble tributes to the luminary !

Himachal Reorganization

Fifty two years back, this day the Punjab Reorganization Act 1966 came in to force . As a result a new state Haryana was carved out, Chandigarh was declared a Union Territory and Shimla, Kangra, Kullu and Lahaul –Spiti along with Nalagarh, Una Tehsil were merged with Himachal Pradesh, due to which, Himachal Pradesh grew enormously in size. As a 12 year old student of 8th class then , I did not know much about the implications . However, I do recall that that some people from these merged areas did not relish being merged with Himachal as they were happy being with Punjab or loved their Punjabi identity, for the reasons best known to them or perhaps more rightly that some of these areas constituted backward areas of Punjab with attendant benefits. I particularly recall the coining of word ‘KHADU’- a ram in Mahasuvi- Pahadi dialect , for persons belonging to upper areas of Shimla as a reaction . The word somehow carried negative connotations though later on it became a symbol of identity for Shimla people so much so that it became a matter of pride to be called a KHADU, may be due to the prosperity brought about by apple boom.However all this is a thing of the past and I just want to share this with my friends who I hope will not read much into what I have said. Our Himachal Pradesh has since taken long strides and made progress in every field , all Himachalis having contributed to it in different ways.

Harry Houdini

Today is the death anniversary of Harry Houdini .He was a Hungarian-born American illusionist and stunt performer, noted for his sensational escape acts. He first attracted notice in vaudeville in the US and then as "Harry Handcuff Houdini" on a tour of Europe, where he challenged police forces to keep him locked up. Soon he extended his repertoire to include chains, ropes slung from skyscrapers, straitjackets under water, and having to escape from and hold his breath inside a sealed milk can with water in it.Besides he performed many other unbelievable and seemingly humanly impossible feats to the wonderment of one and all.

Deservingly,he is considered one of the greatest magicians .
Unfortunately he died this day in 1926 of internal injuries caused due to repeated hitting on the abdomen by some jealous person .
Our humble tributes !

Homi Jahangir Bhabha

Today is the birth anniversary of Homi Jahangir Bhabha,FRS, the Indian Physicist and Nuclear scientist, who is remembered as the Father of Indian Nuclear Program.The premier institute called the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre is named after him.

He was a recipient of Adam's Prize and Padma Bhushan .

Our humble tributes !

Sir Walter Raleigh

Yesterday i.e. 29th October ,2018 marked the 400 years of the execution by beheading of Sir WALTER RALEIGH, a soldier, writer, poet, explorer and a colonizer , in short a polymath.
Born in 1552AD( 1554 according to some), he served as a soldier in Ireland and  France and is remembered as a ruthless suppressor of the rebellion in Ireland. Once a favourite of the 'Queen Elizabeth I, he was knighted in 1585 for his valuable services to the Crown.Falling out of favour with the Queen later, due to his courting marriage with one of the Queen's laidies-in -waiting without her permission, he along with his wife was taken prisoner and both were kept in the Tower of London where he wrote History of the World.Both were released after some time .
He was a passionate poet and wrote remarkable poetry not subscribing to the Classical style.
As an explorerer, he explored a territory in North America and named it Virginia in  honour of the Virgin Queen.

After Queen's death in 1603, the bad phase in Walter Raleigh's life started.
He was charged with the conspiracy of killing James I, and sentenced to death. He was executed by beheading on October 29th, 1618 when he was 65. At his request, before beheading he was shown the axe.His contention was that people might not think that at his age , he was afraid of death.
Many called his execution unjust , cruel , a travesty and a bad patch on the British  Judicial system .
Really tragic that a polymath like him met his end thus !

REMEMBERING JASPAL BHATTI

Jaspal Bhatti was  a popular Comedian, Actor and a Satirist.He was born in Amritsar, Punjab on 3rd  of March, 1955.

An Electrical Engineering Graduate from the Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, for some years he was an employee with the Punjab State Electricity Board.With humour running in his veins, in College days he had started Nonsense Club.Name and fame came to him with the television series Flop Show in early '90s which was produced by his wife Savita Bhatti, who also acted and appeared as his wife.Though only ten episodes were made and telecast, the show had an immense effect on the viewers.His mini comic strip Ulta Pulta also became very popular. The reason for the extraordinary popularity of his ventures was  honest and simple humour, which touched upon the day to day problems faced by the common man, due to the corrupt and inefficient system prevailing in Governance and elsewhere.Even the public indulging in unfair and corrupt practices like theft of electricity came under his scanner. His co-actor, the late Vivek Shauq gained popularity as an actor from Bhatti's serials and became a successful film actor.

Subsequently he acted in films also and was cast in movies like Jaanam Samjha Karo, Aa Ab Laut Chalen, Kartoos,
Khauff,Yeh Hai Jalwa, Koi Mere Dil Se Poochhe, Tujhe Meri Kasam, Nalayak,Kuchh Meetha Ho Jaye,Kuchh Na Kaho, Jija Ji, Fanaa, Chak De Patte, Power Cut, Dil Pardesi Ho Gaya and some others.
His Punjabi Feature Film Mahaul Theek Hai on the Punjab Police  became a chart buster.
The political system also became a target of his humour and satire and periodically he announced the formation of Hawala Party , Suitcase Party and Recession Party with a manifesto in place with party symbols like, Drugs, Opium and Liquor.
He died in a Car accident at Shahkot near Jalandhar while travelling at night on 25th October, 2012 aged 57, just a day before his film Power Cut was to be released.
He was awarded Padma Bhushan posthumously in 2013.
Our humble tributes to the great Actor and Television personality !

Agha Jani Kashmiri

Today is the 110th birth anniversary of Agha Jani Kashmiri, the Indian screenplay/ dialogue writer.Born Syed Wajid Hussain Rizvi this day in Lucknow in 1908, he was associated with popular and hit films like Vachan, Kismat, Lal Haveli, Humain, Anmol Ghadi,Najma, Taqdeer, Chandralekha,Anokhi Ada,Aurat, Amar, Chori Chori,Love in Shimla, Junglee, Yeh Raaste Hain Pyar Ke, Mujhe Jeeney Do, Ziddi, April Fool,Love in Tokyo, Tunde Achchha Kaun Hai, Naya Zamana and many many others.

He is known for writing the dialogues in chaste literary Urdu, which later got replaced by Salim- Javed's use of colloguial language .
Agha Jani Kashmiri died on 27th March, 1998 at Toronto, Canada , aged 89.
Our humble tributes to the great film personality !