The India History Podcast Ratnakar Sadasyula

One of the great scientific achievements of modern India has been Pokhran I on May 18, 1974, when it carried out it’s first ever peaceful nuclear test. And the man behind this feat, Dr Raja Ramanna was one of the most multifaceted personalities ever, an eminent nuclear physicist, technologist, administrator, a gifted musician, Sanskrit scholar. Handpicked by Homi J Bhabha himself, he would go on to lead the team for Pokhran I.

Bipin Chandra Pal, one of the members of the Lal-Bal-Pal trio in Congress, others being  Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Lala Lajpat Rai. A nationalist,  writer and thinker, and above all, a man who was uncomprosingly independent in his views.

Sam Manekshaw, aka Sam Bahadur, first Indian army officer to become Field Marshal, who led the Army to it’s greatest moment of triumph in 1971 as Chief of Army Staff.

Kanhaiyalal Maneklal Munshi, aka K.M.Munshi, freedom fighter, founder of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, as well as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. A lawyer by profession, he was also one of the foremost writers in Gujarati. And presided over the surrender of the Nizam post Operation Polo.

Birsa Munda in Jharkhand, the only tribal leader whose portrait hangs in Parliament Central Hall and whose Jayanti is celebrated as Jharkhand Day too.

Lachit Borphukan, who would rise to become one of the greatest heroes of Assam, and one of the symbols of resistance to the the Mughal rule. When one writes of the history of resistance to the Mughals, Lachit Borphukan’s name would be there right up with Shivaji and Rana Pratap.