Srimanta Sankardeva was a 15th–16th century saint, reformer, poet, and cultural icon from Assam who laid the foundations of Neo-Vaishnavism and Ekasarana Dharma, emphasising devotion to a single God, ethical living, and social equality over ritualism and caste hierarchy. He pioneered a powerful cultural renaissance through Borgeet, Bhaona, Ankia Naat, Namghar, and Sattras, which became enduring institutions of Assamese society. His movement promoted egalitarianism, women’s participation, and community worship, reshaping Assam’s religious and cultural identity. Sankardeva’s legacy continues to influence literature, music, theatre, and social reform across the region, making him one of the most transformative spiritual leaders in Indian history.
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The Battle of Basantar was a decisive engagement fought during the 1971 Indo–Pakistan War in the Shakargarh Bulge region near the Basantar River. Indian forces crossed heavily mined areas, repelled repeated Pakistani armoured counterattacks and destroyed a large number of Patton tanks. The battle protected the vital Jammu–Pathankot axis and prevented Pakistan from threatening India’s land link to Jammu and Kashmir. It became one of the largest tank battles after World War II and highlighted exceptional bravery, especially that of 2nd Lt Arun Khetarpal of the Poona Horse, who was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra.
Click to View MoreThe Communist movement in India grew out of global socialist ideas and Indian anti-imperialist conditions, formally taking organisational shape in 1925 at Kanpur. It played an active role in organising workers and peasants during the freedom struggle, faced repression through conspiracy cases, and later led major agrarian movements like Tebhaga and Telangana. After Independence, the movement debated between armed revolution and parliamentary democracy, eventually becoming a major force in electoral politics in states such as Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura. The 1964 split between CPI and CPI(M) marked a major ideological division, and although the Left later faced electoral decline and new socio-economic challenges, it continues to remain relevant by highlighting issues of inequality, labour rights and social justice in contemporary India.
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Delhi’s emergence as India’s capital was shaped by its strategic location, imperial legacy, and colonial administrative needs. Declared the capital in 1911 during the Delhi Durbar, the city evolved into New Delhi through planned colonial architecture and governance structures, and later retained its central role after Independence, symbolising continuity of power and national administration.
Click to View MoreBengal played a pioneering role in the Indian National Movement by shaping its ideological foundations, organisational structure, and methods of struggle. From the Bengal Renaissance and Swadeshi Movement to revolutionary activism, mass mobilisation, and cultural nationalism, the region acted as the vanguard of anti-colonial resistance. Bengal’s leaders, institutions, and movements profoundly influenced the direction and character of India’s freedom struggle.
Click to View MoreC. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) was a prominent freedom fighter, close associate of Gandhi, and the only Indian to serve as the Governor-General of India. A lawyer-turned-nationalist, he played key roles in major movements, led the Vedaranyam Salt March, and proposed the Rajaji Formula to break the Congress–Muslim League deadlock. After independence, he served as West Bengal’s Governor, Union Home Minister, and Chief Minister of Madras. Disillusioned with socialism, he founded the Swatantra Party, advocating economic freedom and limited state control. A respected writer and thinker, Rajaji left a legacy of moral leadership, political pragmatism, and intellectual clarity.
Click to View MoreThe Assam Movement (1979–1985) emerged from fears of demographic change, cultural dilution, and political marginalisation due to migration from Bangladesh. It culminated in the Assam Accord of 1985, which fixed 24 March 1971 as the cut-off date for identifying illegal migrants and promised safeguards for Assamese identity under Clause 6. However, challenges such as documentation gaps, political sensitivities, and lack of consensus on defining “Assamese” have hindered implementation, making the Accord an unfinished agenda that continues to shape Assam’s identity politics and citizenship debates.
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Vande Mataram, written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1875, emerged as a powerful cultural symbol of India’s freedom struggle. First sung by Rabindranath Tagore in 1896, it inspired patriotism and unity among freedom fighters. Adopted as the National Song in 1937 and reaffirmed in 1950, it continues to represent national pride, sacrifice, and devotion to the motherland, holding an honoured place in India’s historical and cultural identity.
Click to View MoreThe Mahad Satyagrahas of 1927, led by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, transformed a struggle for access to water into India’s earliest assertion of human rights and dignity. By challenging caste-based exclusion and burning the Manusmriti, the movement laid ethical foundations for equality, fraternity, gender justice, and constitutional morality. Its legacy shaped crucial constitutional principles, particularly Article 17, and continues to inform contemporary debates on democracy, rights, and social justice in India.
Click to View MoreDr. B.R. Ambedkar was a jurist, reformer, economist, and the chief architect of India’s Constitution who dedicated his life to securing equality and dignity for the marginalised. Rising from caste oppression, he shaped India’s democratic framework through fundamental rights, social justice provisions, labour reforms, and economic ideas that influenced institutions like the RBI. His conversion to Buddhism symbolised liberation from caste tyranny, and his legacy continues to guide movements for rights and inclusion. His death anniversary, observed as Mahaparinirvan Diwas, reflects the belief that he attained ultimate spiritual and social fulfilment.
Click to View MoreNavy Day is celebrated on December 4 to honour Operation Trident (1971), when the Indian Navy’s missile boats attacked Karachi harbour, sinking Pakistani ships without suffering losses, marking a turning point in the Bangladesh Liberation War.
Click to View MoreThe Durand Line, drawn in 1893 between British India and Afghanistan, remains a deeply contested boundary due to questions of legitimacy, ethnic divisions and competing territorial claims. Pakistan treats it as its formal international border, while Afghanistan—under successive regimes—refuses to recognise it. This unresolved dispute fuels cross-border militancy, strains Af-Pak relations, and contributes to wider regional instability, with implications for India’s security and strategic engagement in Afghanistan and Central Asia.
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