India is celebrating 70th year of Independence. Although India is much older, but in this post-independence era, the new India has been going forward leaps and bounds on the shoulders of giants who have managed to inspire every Indian through the generations. To celebrate India’s 70th Independence Day, every day, we will bring you seven such people from a different sector. Today, India's 7 politicians who set examples for the GenNext
Dr B R Ambedkar
Dr B R Ambedkar, who was one of the architects of the Indian Constitution, was popularly known as Babasaheb Ambedkar. A well-known politician and an eminent jurist, Ambedkar played a remarkable role in eradicating social evils like untouchablity and caste restrictions. Throughout his life, he fought for the rights of dalits and other socially backward classes. In the cabinet of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Ambedkar was appointed as India’s first Law Minister. In 1990, he was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor.
Lal Bahadur Shastri
Regarded as the man of principals, Lal Bahadur Shastri devoted his life for the pride and honour of the country. Hours after a train accident killed around 150 people, Shastri offered to resign as the Union Railway Minister. The foundation stones of the well-productive schemes such as Green Revolutions and White Revolutions were laid by Shastri. He was the first person to be posthumously awarded the ‘Bharat Ratna’.
Jayaprakash Narayan
Jayaprakash Narayan, popularly known as JP, was a freedom fighter and political leader. Narayan played a pivotal role in the Quit India Movement and earned huge fame and respect for the same. Narayan was jailed for a year in 1932 for participating in the civil disobedience movement against British rule in India. His supporters remember him for spearheading the opposition to Indira Gandhi during the 1970s.
VP Singh
Vishwanath Pratap Singh was the Prime Minister of India in 1989–90. In 1984, the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi appointed Singh as the minister of finance. He was widely praised for his efforts to reduce governmental regulation of business and to prosecute tax fraud. He later resigned from the government and left Gandhi’s congress (I) party.
PV Narasimha Rao
PV Narasimha Rao served as the 10th Prime Minister of India. Several major economic reforms were implemented during his tenure. It led to the dismantling of the License Raj and opened up the Indian economy for speedy economic development and growth. For this contribution, he is often referred to as the ‘Father of Indian Economic Reforms’. A major milestone in the history of Indian economics was the dismantling of the License Raj. The socialist policies that were adopted by the successive Indian governments after the independence were reversed. This also helped in paving the way for India to be an active participant in the wave of globalisation. He rescued the country from an economic collapse with brilliant administration and relentless actions aimed towards the development of India.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
A highly respected veteran polician, Atal Bihari Vajpayee severed as the Prime Minister of India for three non-consecutive terms. A true patriot, he participated in the Quit India Movement during the pre-independence era, thus making his foray into politics. He was also arrested and jailed for taking part in the movement. Vajpayee is a multi-faceted personality. He is a poet with several published poems. The first person to deliver a speech in Hindi at the UN, he is known for his love for his native language and for his oratory skills.
Arvind Kejriwal
Anti-corruption activist turned politician, Arvind Kejriwal is the 7th chief Minister of Delhi and the convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which was launched in November 2012. Before entering into politics, Kejriwal had been a social activist since long. His main motive behind making foray into politics is he wants to serve the country and make it corruption free. When he was an IIT student, he realised that not making money, but serving the country is his passion. He won a Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership after getting involved in the ‘Parivartan’ movement. Later, he joined Anna Hazare in his India Against Corruption (IAC) movement. He then launched the AAP. He became the Delhi M in December 2013. However, he resigned just after 49 days. In February 2015, he again became the chief minister of Delhi after his party won the 2015 Delhi Assembly elections with a majority, obtaining 67 out of 70 assembly seats.
