Today’s Motto: ‘Regretting about the past and worrying about the future achieves nothing’

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

On this day, 20 Dec….
1757 – Lord Robert  Clive, a military general  of British Army, was made the governor of Bengal. East is credited with  establishing East India Company and British rule in India.

1870s – The great patriot  poet Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay composed the National Song,  ‘Vande Matram’.  A Sanskritized-Bengali  song was part of  BC Chattopadhyay’s novel Anand Math, published in 1882.

1942 – Japanese forces bombed Calcutta during World War II.

1959 – Indian bowler Jesu Patel took Nine Wickets for 69 runs against Australia in Kanpur. This remained a Test  record for 40 years until Anil Kumble  downed 10 batsmen for 74 against  Pakistan in 1999. Not a big batsman but  once he scored  152 runs in a Ranji Trophy final  playing at  No. 10  for Gujarat against  Holkars  team in 1950-51.

1971 – Pakistan president Yahya Khan resigns after  crushing defeat of  Pakistani Army in East Pakistan by Mukti Bahini  supported by Indian forces, resulting in formation of  Bangladesh.

1988 – Indian Parliament reduced the voting age from 21 to 18 years.

1990 – India and Pakistan agree not to attack each other’s nuclear installations.

1993 – India and Council of European Union sign a co-operation agreement in Brussels, the capital of  Belgium (pic credit-britannica.com).

2022 – The ruling Taliban in Afghanistan,  suspend university education for female students in Afghanistan, part of a wider crackdown on women’s rights in the country.

Born….  1868 – Harvey S Firestone, was an American industrialist who developed straight-side pneumatic tyres. His innovations in the industry changed the design and production of pneumatic tyres, including non-skid tyre treads, low-pressure balloon tyres, and farm tractor tyres.

1928 – Motilal Vora, prominent Congress Party  politician, former MP Chief minister and Governor of Uttar Pradesh (1993-96) . Born in a Jodhpur village, his family shifted to Durg/Raipur when he was young.  His elder brother Govindlal Vora was an editor of  daily  Amrit Sandesh from Raipur.  Motilal  also worked in  media  publications initially before joining  Congress Party,  was elected to Assembly, and later to Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. He was state Minister and Central Minister for Health & Family Welfare and Civil Aviation.  (pic credit-imsmuseum.org).

1940 – Yamini Krishnamurthy, acclaimed Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dancer.  A disciple  of  veteran  danseuse Rukmini Devi Arundale,  Yamini has  been awarded  Padma Vibhushan and Sahitya Natak  Akademy Award for her  contribution, apart from several  national and international accolades. . (pic credit-alchetron.com).

1970 –Sohail Khan, film  actor, producer. Younger brother of Salman Khan and Arbaaz Khan. He has acted/produced Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya, Hello Brother, Comedy Circus, Krishna Cottage, Maine Dil Tujhko Diya, Jai Ho, Tubelight etc. He is an established  Judo, Karate player and  National awards winner  in these  games. Also nominated  for some film awards (pic credit-bollywoodfox.com).

RIP…. 1993 – Colonel Neelakantan Jayachandran Nair,  (awarded Ashok Chakra and Kirti Chakra), one of the outstanding and decorated officers of the Indian Army. His convoy was ambushed by Naga rebels. Col NJ Nair displayed indomitable courage in leading the attack personally to break the ambush and sacrificed his life defending his men. For this supreme act of valor, he was conferred the ‘Ashoka Chakra’. Earlier in 1983, in Mizoram, Col Nair engaged the insurgents in close quarter combat and was awarded the Kirti Chakra in recognition of his exceptional gallantry.

2010- Nalini Jaywant, veteran and legendary actor of 1940s and 1960s. Started acting in AIR plays at age 6 and later debuted in film  Behn, a  Mehboob Khan film and  Anokha Pyar with Balraj Sahni,  Sangram with Ashok Kumar. Her films Kaala Paani, Nastik, Munimji, Bombay Race Course, Railway Platform, Do Raah and  Lakiren etc. She won a Filmfare award, a National Films  and Dada Saheb Phalke award in 2005.

You may have known…..India currently has 13 major ports, with a 14th approved for development. The number of “terminals” within these ports is much higher and varies by port.                                                                                                                                              {Compiled by Lt. Gen. (R)  Raj Kadyan}