Today’s Motto: ‘Life is like a foreign language; most humans mispronounce it’

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

On this day, 08 Oct….

1932 – The Indian Air Force is established. Today it is the World’s 4th largest Airforce based on the size of its military aircraft fleet. It operates a mix of Russian, Western, and indigenous aircraft.

1998 – India became a member of the Flight Safety Foundation.

2005 – A severe Earthquake ( 7.6 on Ritcher scale)  occured in Kashmir-Muzaffrabad area killing over 79,000 citizens of India and POK.
Born….
1927 – Raaj Kumar, popular Hindi film actor. Born (as Kulbhushan Pandit) in village Loralai,  Balochistan (now in Pakistan), he started his career as a Police Sub-Inspector in Bombay police in 1940 and later debuted in film  industry thru’ Rangeeli in 1952 and went on to act in over 70 films with very strong dialogue delivery  and dashing  roles – his films Mother India, Paigham, Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai, Gharana, Dil Ek Mandir, Zindgi,  Waqt, Kaajal, Oonche Log,  Hamraaz, Mere Huzur,  Neel Kamal, Heer Ranjha, Lal Patther, Karam Yogi, Bulandi, Kudrat, Raaj Tilak, Saudagar, Tirangaa,  Betaaj Badshah and God And  Gun etc. He won 2 Filmfare awards for Best Supporting Actor and was nominated 6 times.

1933 – Kamala Devi, Indo-American actress and TV  artist. Bombay born Sindhi actress is known for films like The Brass Bottle, Harry Black and the Tiger, Brandede, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Aas Ka Panchhi. I Spy etc. (pic credit-listal.com)

1981 – Mona Singh, Chandigarh born TV and film artist. Famouus for Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin serial and films like Z Plus, 3 idiots, Lal Singh Chaddha,  Utt Pataang etc. She won several OTT, Telly and Filmfare TV awards (pic credit-IMDb.com). 

RIP…. 1936 – Legendary Hindi writer, novelist  Munshi Prem Chand. Born as  Dhanpat Rai Shrivastava in Lamhi, near Varanasi, is also nown as  Upnyaas Samrat,  he was a realist writer who dwelled on  issues  of  family, social, poverty and  fuedal fear of ruling elite.  His novels  Sewa Sadan, Roothi Rani,  Kafan,  Godan,  Shatranj Ke Khiladi,  Lagaan, Vardaan, Rangbhoomi, Nirmala, Pratigya, Gaban, Maansarovar, Idgah  etc. and many stories were  used for films by Bengali,  Bombay and some  foreign  film producers. His stories were published in  Saraswati,  Zamana and others.  He was influenced by  Leo Tolstoy, Gurudev Tagore, GK Gokhle,  Bal Gangadhar Tilak and was first President of Progressive Writers’ Association.

1978 – Jayaprakash Narayan. Popularly referred to as JP or Lok Nayak, he was an independence activist, social reformer and political leader. He opposed some of the policies of PM Nehru govt. and later  led the JP  Movement against misrules of  PM Indira Gandhi during 1973-77,  installing the first  Opposition Govt. of Janata Party.  In 1999, he was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna.

1990 – Kamalapati Tripathi, veteran freedom fighter, writer, journalist  and former Congress Working President in 1983-86.  He represented  Varanasi  twice, was chief minister of Uttar Pradesh between 1971-73  and  Union Minister for  Railways twice   in PM  Indira  Gandhi  govt. He’s credited with havings tarted 6  important  long distance  trains  like  Sabarmati Express,  Kashi Vishwanath Express, Ganga Kaveri Express, Neelambri Express, Tamil Nadu  Express  etc.

You may have known….  According to one survey in 2020, 68% marriages in India were arranged. In a 2023 survey this had come down to 44%. The rise in love marriages is often attributed to factors like urbanisation, education, and changing attitudes.

(Compiled by Lt. Gen. (R)  Raj Kadyan}