Today’s Motto: ‘Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted…..

This is Your Day-TODAY: Take a Determined Step Forward and Make History!

On this day, 09 Jun….

1659 – Jeevan Khan, the Baluchi chief of Dadar, fraudulently handed over the Mughal prince Dara Shikoh to Aurangzeb.

1752 – French army surrenders to the British in Trichinopoly.

1802 – US Academy at West Point  is founded  with  motto that  states:

“A Cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.”

1910 – A passenger on SS Arawatta throws bottle with note overboard (found June 6, 1983 in Queensland.

1931 – 1st showing of a Donald Duck cartoon created by  the Walt Disney co.  It has a big collection of  printed cartoon animations alongwith Mickey Mouse,  TV series and  has a  net worth over  $ 200 milliom.

1964 – Lal Bahadur Shastri became the 2nd Prime Minister of India (June 09, 1964 – Jan. 11, 1966) when the country was under shock of Jawaharlal Nehru’s death following  the  Indo-China war 1962 which India  had lost very badly.  Soon after his taking over, Pakistan  started  attacking on Western borders  Punjab, Rajasthan and Rajouri-Poonchh in J&K.  As there was also food shortage problem in that period,  Shastriji  gave the Clarion Call  “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan”  which motivated the war-affected Indians to boost their morale. 

1999 – The Indian army occupies two key positions in the Batalik sector  on  Indus (Sindhu)  river  banks.

2013 – Edward Snowden publicly makes his identity known as the leaker of NSA documents.

2024 – Narendra Modi is sworn in as only the second third-term Prime Minister of India at the head of a BJP-led coalition government. Though BJP lost the absolute  majority, as  in earlier  2 stints, it became the largest Party with 240 Lok Sabha seats comapred to 99 by the Congress Party. The 3rd   Narendra Modi led  NDA  govt was formed with  support from  Allies  viz., Shiv Sena, TDP,  BJD etc. adding up to 293 seats.

Born…. 1923 – Air Chief Marshal Idris Hassan Latif, former Indian Air Force Chief (1978-81).

1948 – Laloo Prasad Yadav,  popular Bihar politician,former Chief Minister of Bihar, former Union Ralway  Minister in  UPA  govt.  A  follower  of  Jaiprakash  Natrain  during  anti-Indira movement of  1974-77, he won Chhapra seat in 1977 on Janta Party ticket as a prominent Yadav leader. In 1990 he became the Bihar  CM  with  support  from   then  Dy PM  Devi  Lal. Following allegations of hisi invelovement  in Fodder Scam during 1997,  he broke  away  and  formed  RJD. His  Party  won  21  seats  in  2004  and  joined the UPA  govt. led by Dr. Manmohan  Singh  as  Railway Minister. It’s  alleged  his  family was invloved in offering Raliway jobs against  land plots from job  seakers and for Railway tenders. He’s still facing many court cases against corruption, though his son is the LoP in Bihar.

1949 – Kiran Bedi IPS, social activist, retired police officer, tennis player, and the 24th Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. (May 2016 – Feb. 2021).  She is the first Indian female to become an Indian police service officer. Amriitsar born  Kiran became Junior National Tennis  Champion at 16 years age, went on to win several National and Asian tennis titles.

As a daring Police Officer she  had challaned a wrongly parked vehicle of  PM Indira Gandhi’s  PA  RK Dhawan and  her Yoga teacher Dhirendra Brahamchari in Delhi on  a busy road. She conducted strict  campaigns against  crimes against women,  prostitution and drug  menace in Old  Delhi areas. She is also a  prolific writer on  critical public issues and has won Ramon Magsasay award, President’s Medal and other accolades.

A  team member of  Anna Hazare’s  India Against Corruption  agitation (2012),  she fell out with Keriwal when  he  decided to oppose Narendra  Modi’s  candidature as PM in  2014.   Though she had a  tough time in carving out her career  as a tough and principaled   politician and lost an election in 2015 for  Delhi Assembly when she was projected as a CM candidate by Bhartiya Janta Party; against AAP’s AK Kejriwal (pic credit-thestatesman.com and ibtimes.co.in).

1963 – Johnny Depp, American actor, guitarist and winner of several awards including a Grammy, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild  and others.

1985 – Sonam Kapoor, who works in Hindi films. She has appeared in Forbes India’s  Celebrity 100 list based on her income and popularity. Daughter of veteran  Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor, Sonam has acted in Delhi-6,  Neeraja, Raanjhana,  Sanju, Khubsoorat,  Bhaag Milkha Bhaag etc. She has won a National Film award, 6 Fiomfare nominations and other citations.

RIP….1986 – First AIDS death reported from a private hospital in Mumbai.

1991 – Raj Khosla, one of the top directors, producers, and screenwriters in Hindi films from the 1950s to the 1980s. He is credited for the success of actors like Dev Anand. and known for films like  Ek Musafir Ek Hasina,  Do Raaste, Anita, Kachche Dhage, Mein Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki etc. He won a Filmfare and several other citations.

2011 – M. F. Husain, a controversial  Indian  artist/cartoonist,  known for executing bold, vibrantly coloured narrative paintings in a modified Cubist style, and one of the founding members of Bombay Progressive Artists’ Group. He  directed films  Gaj Gamini,  Meenaxi, Pehla Sitara,  Tale of Three Cities.  He was expelled from India for depicting Indian  Goddesses and  Deities in bad  taste.  Thereafter he lived and Oman and died in London.

You may have known….Microsoft has one of its largest global offices in India, employing an estimated 23,000 to 25,000 people.                                                                                                                                                                   {Compiled by Lt. Gen. (R)  Raj Kadyan}