Biographies of famous personalities

This article is about the various high profile personalities of India before and after independence. Here are some autobiographies of top leaders of our country explaining their experience, their struggle and their contribution to making our country worthy among other countries in the world.

I dare

(by Kiran Bedi)

About the Author

Kiran Bedi is ranked as one of the famous personalities of India and she is the first and was the highest ranked woman in the ranks of officers in the Indian Police Service. She is a recipient of the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Prize, the Asian equivalent of the Nobel Prize, for groundbreaking police and prison reforms. Kiran was voted the most trusted and admired woman in the country. His two NGOs, Nav-Jyoti and India Vision Foundation, speak daily to thousands of people in the field of education and self-reliance. She is the author of several books, presenters, TV shows and travels extensively for speaking engagements.

Book summary

It is a life actually lived and alive. The true story of India’s first and highest ranking female officer in the Indian Police Service who pioneered a Gandhian model of policing marked by utmost dedication to duty, innovation, compassion and, above all, at will!

In Dare to do! For The Next Generation, Kiran Bedi enthuses, motivates and inspires today’s youth to clearly articulate and achieve their goals and objectives without fear and without being overwhelmed by circumstances, however adverse. She insists that qualities such as honesty, dedication, diligence and commitment to one’s profession are essential if one wants to succeed in life. She also insists that there is no shortcut to success. Her own background provides various examples of how she turned challenges into opportunities and how she refused to cave under pressure from some of the most influential people in the halls of power.

In this volume, she added a very relevant chapter on women’s empowerment to explain how, in several situations that they themselves created, even educated women become disempowered. This is a special and exclusive edition, for the new generation, of Kiran Bedi’s long-running bestselling autobiography, I Dare!

MY EXPERIENCES WITH THE TRUTH

(by Mahatma Gandhi)

About Mahatma Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is called the father of the nation for his unparalleled leadership in India’s freedom struggle. He was best recognized as Bapuji and Mahatma Gandhi. His belief in truth and non-violence was resolute. He was born as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi on the 2nd day of October in the year 1869 at Porbandar, Gujarat. His birthday is now celebrated as the International Day of Non-Violence. Gandhi completed his early education at Samaldas College in Bhavnagar, Gujarat. He graduated as a barrister from University College London. After trying to start his career in India, Gandhi went to South Africa to work as a legal representative. He worked there for twenty-one years. He then became the only man in the history of the struggle for freedom at whose call an entire nation rose up to fight against the British regime. He was assassinated by Nathuram Godse in 1948. Some of Gandhi’s other important works and compilations are Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule, All Men Are Brothers, On Non-Violence, The Essential Gandhi: An Anthology of His Writings on His Life, Work, and Ideas, Key to Health, Satyagraha in South Africa, Self-Retraint vs Self- Retraint Indulgence, the path to communal harmony and much more.

Book summary

Satya Ke Sath Mere Prayog begins with an introduction written by the Mahatma himself, where readers will discover why and how Mahatma Gandhi, also known as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, took on the task of writing his autobiography. The autobiography is divided chronologically into four parts which contain sumptuous descriptions of his early life and experiences. These four parts detail the different phases of his life – his birth and parentage, his marriage, his life after marriage, travels to South Africa and the adversities he faced while practicing law, life during his stay in Poona and Madras, his experiments with the path of non-violence – Satyagraha, his religious ties, the caste system, the Indian National Congress, his return to India, his inspirations, his life as Brahmachari again, the self-examination, how he overcame his introversion to speak in front of crowds, his spiritual dilemma, his role in India’s freedom struggle, his journey from Mohan to Mahatma, and much more

Turning points (Hindi)

(by A. P. J. Abdul Kalam)

About APJ Abdul Kalam

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam is a scientist and a former President of India.

Other books by Dr. Kalam include India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium, Burning Minds: Unleashing Power in India, And Wings of Fire: An Autobiography.

Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam was born in 1931 in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu. He graduated with a degree in physics from St. Joseph’s College in Trichy. He then studied aerospace engineering for his master’s degree. He worked at DRDO and ISRO. He played a vital organizational role in the Pokhran II nuclear missile test in 1998. He became the eleventh President of India in 2002. Honors he has received include several honorary doctorates, the Veer Savarkar Award and the Bharat Ratna.

Book summary

In recent times, the post of President of India has never attracted so much attention as during the time it was held by Dr. Kalam. Scientist and visionary, dreamer and patriot, APJ Abdul Kalam brought passion and drive to the post during his tenure.

Turning Points (Hindi) pick up the ropes where Wings Of Fire ends. It starts with the interesting story of how Dr. Kalam got the news that he was offered the highest office job in India. He received a phone call from the then prime minister, Vajpayee, while he was on the campus of Anna University, after giving a lecture there. The book goes on to describe interesting and significant events while he was in office. But he is more focused on his vision for his country and his efforts to make it a reality than on himself.

He describes the changes he has initiated in the Rashtrapati Bhavan like installing virtual conferencing facilities, revamping Mughal gardens, etc. He also describes some interesting experiences like meeting Marshal Manekshaw.

He made the president’s office accessible to everyone and he used his position to share his vision of the country’s future with young people. He launched projects like PURA for the supply of urban equipment in rural areas. A strong supporter of the use of technology in all aspects of governance, he led by example by using all the technologies available to him when in office. He installed some technological facilities in the President’s office and also ensured instant access to all necessary information from the Planning Commission and other departments.

The personal anecdotes he provides of his time in office relate to well-known anecdotes, such as when he fired the Office of Profit Bill and his offer to resign after giving his approval to the controversial dissolution of the assembly of the Bihar. He focuses on how he used email in the whole process as he was in Moscow when the Bihar incident happened.

For all who share his vision and passion to see the country from a position of strength in all aspects in a short time, Turning Points (Hindi) is a good read. The book is more like an exposition of his 2020 Vision than an autobiography.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

(by B. Krishna)

This book examines the extraordinary contribution of Sardar Patel, from his unwavering support for Gandhi’s satyagrahas and the Indian freedom struggle, to his far-sighted and courageous approach in building a strong and integrated India.

The Secret of Netaji’s Return from Martyu

(by Anuj Dhar

This book named The Secret of Netaji’s Return from Martyu was written by Anuj Dhar. This interesting book is published by Manas Publications publishing house. The pages of this generic book are neat and clean and come with clear printing.

An incomplete inspection of the fate of a very important Indian

Anuj Dhar’s work has often been speculative and devoid of hard evidence, bordering on conjecture, but it is nevertheless very important given the paucity of work on this vital subject in India. The systemic suppression of evidence over the past 70 years makes any research nearly impossible and the author must rely on often miniscule amounts of data to convey any logical conclusions.