India @ 64 - A visual chronology of post-Independence India - Part 2
Entering the new millennium, India was pulled in many directions. From the frenzy of the Y2K bug to the formation of the 26th state, from the brigand Veerappan's kidnap of south Indian megastar Rajkumar to Priyanka Chopra's win in the international beauty arena, 2000 hinted at a decade that would by no means be uneventful. Worthy of highlight, however, is India's chess grandmaster Viswanathan Anand who beat Lithuanian Alexei Shirov in Tehran to become the FIDE World Chess Champion.
2001 – A nation shaken
On Republic Day, 2001, India awoke to the most catastrophic natural calamity in 50 years. At 8:46 am, Gujarat was hit by an earthquake that lasted two minutes with aftershocks that continued for a month. About 20,000 people were killed, 167,000 injured and 600,000 left homeless. The shockwaves affected an area of 700 kilometers, paralyzing the province. NGOs and charities swung into action, providing essential medical supplies and deploying search and rescue teams. International support poured in and the money was used to rebuild homes, assemble kitchens and provide safe drinking water. It took Gujarat nearly three years to recover from the consequences of the quake, but some losses can never be reclaimed.
2002 – Communal violence tears Gujarat apart
2003 – Lost in space
On February 1, the NASA space shuttle Columbia carrying among six others Kalpana Chawla, the first Indian astronaut, met its tragic end as it disintegrated upon reentering the Earth's atmosphere. Chawla, born in Karnal, Haryana, studied Aeronautical Engineering from Punjab Engineering College in Chandigarh. From humble origins, Kalpana came to represent the success of the middle-class Indian woman. India has named a satellite in her honor while the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur established the Kalpana Chawla Space Technology Cell in her honor.
2004 - The ocean rises
The Indian Ocean earthquake on December 26 caused a tsunami considered to be one of the deadliest in history. The underwater earthquake displaced a great volume of water, creating waves as high as 15 metres, which travelled distances of 5000 kilometres to wreak havoc across 11 nations. In India alone, over 8,800 people were confirmed dead with thousands more still missing. Fishing communities were destroyed and very little is known of the effects of the tsunami on the indigenous tribes of the Andaman islands that date back more than 30,000 years. The tsunami cost India an estimated $1.6 billion, not counting the government's promise of investment in developing a tsunami warning system for the Indian Ocean.
2005 - Aam aadmi ka mobile
The mobile phone was still a few steps away from the ever-present device it is today. As users paid for incoming calls and high mobile tariffs and instrument costs kept handsets out of reach of the common man, TRAI's slashing of tariffs came as good news to mobile phone subscribers in 2005.
2006 - The mountain pass reopens
Nathu La, a mountain pass in the Himalayas connecting the Indian state of Sikkim with China, was sealed after the Sino-India War in 1962. After extensive discussions and numerous bilateral trade agreements, the pass was reopened in 2006, symbolizing the resurrection of relations between the two nations and the hope of bolstering either country's economy through the revival of trade.
2007 - India's First Lady
Pratibha Devisingh Patil, the 12th President of India and the first woman to hold the office, was sworn in on July 25. With a degree in Law, and Political Science and Economics, she began her political career at age 27. Patil has represented India in several international forums and has actively worked for the welfare of women, children and underprivileged sections of society.
2008 - Terror in Mumbai
2008 saw several significant events including India's triumph at the Beijing Olympics, Sachin Tendulkar, Asha Bhonsle and Pranab Mukherjee were awarded the Padma Vibhushan, and Arvind Adiga won the Man Booker Prize. However, in retrospect, the violence of 2008 eclipsed everything else that year. Gujjar unrest in Rajasthan, blasts in Jaipur and Bangalore, and the terror attacks in Mumbai left the country bruised and nearly broken, with wounds that have still not healed.
2009 - Queer Pride
In a landmark move, the Delhi High Court decriminalized homosexuality in India. Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code was declared as violating the fundamental right to life and liberty, and the right to equality, as guaranteed by the Constitution of India. It marked a day of triumph and celebration for every organization in the country that fought for tolerance and social equality for the LGBT community. For the first time, India participated in the celebration of Queer Pride with events and pride marches planned across the big metros in the country.
2010 - The massacre in Dantewada
In April of 2010, 80 men from the Central Reserve Police Force were brutally ambushed by Maoist rebels near the village of Chintalnar in Dantewada, Chhattisgarh. Seventy-five police personnel were killed before reinforcements arrived in what is regarded as one of the most vicious attacks by the Naxals.
A Yahoo India Presentation - Part 2
Nandakumar
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