Category Personalities

Why is Malala Yousafzai a familiar name for all of us?

            Malala Yousafzai was born on 12th July 1997, in Mingora in Swat Valley, Pakistan. She grew up witnessing the miserable conditions of girl children in her native village in north-west Pakistan, where the local Taliban had at times, banned girls from attending school.

            From 2009, she started blogging for the BBC about her experiences during the Taliban’s growing influence in her native region. As a young girl, Malala Yousafzai defied the Taliban in Pakistan and demanded that girls be allowed to receive an education, which resulted in the Taliban issuing a death threat against her.

            She was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman in 2012. She survived, but underwent several surgeries in the UK, where she lives today. In addition to her schooling, she continues her work for the right of girls to education.

            She was nominated for Nobel Peace Prize in 2013. In 2014, she was nominated again and won, becoming the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. She was announced as the co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize along with Kailash Satyarthi of India.

Picture credit: google

 

Why is Wangari Maathai a prominent Nobel laureate?

            Wangari Maathai was an internationally renowned Kenyan politician and environmental activist. She served as the country’s assistant minister of environment, natural resources, and wildlife. She was born on 1st April 1940, in Neyri in Kenya.

            In 1977, Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement, an environmental non-governmental organization focused on the planting of trees, environmental conservation, and women’s rights. The movement was initiated to draw attention, and attend to environmental and domestic hardships faced by rural women in Kenya.

            Through the Green Belt Movement Maathai assisted women in planting more than 20 million trees. The Green Belt Movement encouraged the women to work together to plant trees and receive a small monetary token for their work.

            In 2004, Maathai became the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Maathai died on 25th September 2011.

Picture credit: google

Who first classified butterflies and moths?

            Butterflies and moths were first classified by the great Swedish botanist Carl von Linne (1707-78), generally known as Carolus Linnaeus. His method, which applied to plants and all living things, was the binomial system. This meant the each insect was given two scientific and internationally recognized names: the first is a generic name denoting the genus or group to which the subject belongs; the second is a specific epithet indicating the species within the group.

            Similarly we all have surnames and forenames. But, in the case of the Linnaean system, Latin or Greek words are used to ensure uniformity regardless of the expert‘s native language. The first or generic name is spelt with a capital letter, but the second name usually begins with a small one.

               Linnaeus published more than 180 scientific works, some of the most important ones after he left Sweden for Holland, where he studied medicine. After visiting England and France he returned to Sweden, where he was given the chair of botany at Uppsala University.

Who was the founder of the United States of America?

               George Washington is called the founder of the United States of America. He is revered by all Americans as the father of the nation. He had a quality which was much more vital than any other gifts and that was his strength of character. A man of conviction, he was a fearless and determined person who believed in carrying out his duty. And thus his fellow Americans considered him their leader. After his death it was said of him that ‘he was first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen’.

               George Washington was born on 22nd February, 1732. His father Augustine Washington was a naval captain who died when George was only 12 years old. He did not receive much education during his childhood. In the Virginian society of those days it was considered more important to learn riding well and to acquire knowledge of farming and estate management. He learned enough arithmetic for his routine work to manage the estate, which he inherited from his father.

               Physically strong and already trained in riding, shooting etc; Washington was made a Lieutenant Colonel in the Virginia militia and sent on an expedition against the French, who were building forts on the Chio River. Later, when General Braddock was sent to fight the French, George was made his aide. Unfortunately Braddock was killed, George, however, showed great courage during the fighting and at the age of twenty three he was made Commander-in-Chief of all the Virginia forces.

               Washington was willing to sacrifice anything for the cause of American defence. When war broke out in 1776 Washington was elected unanimously to lead the army of the 13 colonies to fight the British. The war continued for several years. In 1781 the British surrendered. This was the greatest achievement of Washington.

               In 1789 Washington was unanimously elected as the first President of the United States. The new capital of USA was named after the first President — George Washington. He served two terms as President and refused a third term.

               He died on 14th December in 1799. His birthday is a National holiday in USA. 

Why is Lord Louis Mountbatten ever remembered in India’s history?

            Shortly after his arrival in India on 24th March 1947, Lord Mountbatten took part in discussions with Indian political leaders. He had free and frank discussions with Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad, Jawaharlal Nehru, Gandhiji, and other prominent leaders. He had talks with the members of Muslim League too.

            Mountbatten worked sincerely with the goal of persuading the Congress and the League to agree to an acceptable plan, to end the rule of the British Raj, and to work out the modalities for the withdrawal of the British.

            He also wanted to keep India in the Commonwealth of Nations. The time was also favourable for his plans. India was tormented by communal wars. Brutality and human sacrifice were spiraling beyond human endurance.

            Being the last British Viceroy in India, Mountbatten got abundant freedom to solve the prevailing issues without any interference from Britain. Since the time at his disposal was very short, he wanted to prepare for the transfer of power without wasting time.

            Mountbatten knew the art of dealing with the political leaders of India in a dignified way. Gandhiji alone opposed the idea of partition among the leaders. But ultimately, he too accepted the decision with a deep sense of sorrow. 

Why is it said that Gandhiji played a major role in calming the riots?

           The violence between Hindus and Muslims swept India in the late 1940s. A situation close to a civil war prevailed in north, north-west, and north-east India.

          It appeared as if the Congress leaders had become fed up with the communal violence, and the British policy of inactivity. The only way out of this communal and constitutional deadlock was the acceptance of the Muslim League’s demand in some form or the other. Gandhiji was disappointed at the response of the members of the League.

          Gandhi started his journey to Noakhali, Bengal, on 6th November. For four months, he stayed in Noakhali and visited all the areas of dispute to restore peace and communal harmony. He held prayer meetings, and he preached courage, forgiveness, and truth. Gandhiji moved from Bengal to Bihar later.

          Gandhiji appeared as a peacemaker in the villages of Bihar. The killings lasted for one month. Gandhiji’s charismatic presence calmed the people, but the demand for a separate nation-state was heard from all parts of the country.