UNSUNG HEROES

What's the story of the hidden daisies among the roses, the stars which break at the dawn, or the littered leaves after the storm.

#UNSUNG

                         
          The Legendary Lawyer Who Saved Our Democracy
                                         

Palkhivala was born on January 16, 1920, graduating from St. Xavier’s College in Bombay , he excelled in academics although he struggled with a speech impediment. After his masters in English Literature he enrolled at the Government Law College, Bombay, where he found his true calling in life.

In May 1954, Nani Palkhivala fought his first case of serious constitutional significance in the Bombay High Court concerning the interpretation of Article 29(2) and Article 30, challenging the circular issued by the then State of Bombay.      As per the circular, “no primary or secondary school shall from the date of the order admit to a class where English is used as the medium of instruction any pupil other than a pupil belonging to a section of citizens the language of which is English namely, Anglo-Indians and citizens of non-Asiatic descent.” He fought for Anglo-Indian school who recieved aid from the govt. He won the case arguing that this violates Article 29(2) and Article 30.

He wrote ‘The Law and Practice of Income Tax. More than six decades later, the book is still a point of reference for tax professionals in India. Palkhivala fought some of the most crucial battles in Indian constitutional history defending among other things the Fundamental Rights of ordinary citizens.

Without his fearless battles with the governments of his day, many of our Fundamental Rights would perhaps be long gone.

Nashik Engineer resist robbers at finance firm, shot dead

Saju Samuel, a 29 year old IT engineer. One day he was going to Nashik for office work. Little did he know that he would meet his demise. As he sat alongside an auditor in the back office, a gang of armed robbers barged into the premises. Two of the gang member stood outside and rest of them made their way into the office, and they started to rob. 

At this juncture Sanju fought back,hitting one of the them with the tray,for which he was shot. Despite the injury he processes to press the burglar alarm and did not switch if off even when he recived threats from the robbers. While caughting robbers, one of the robber shot at saju several time.

Five Bullets were taken out of him.. Unfortunately Saju Samuel lost his life.

This bravery of Saju helped police and they apprehended the suspects.

                     Kerala’s Devaki Amma Grew a Forest All By Herself!

Long before India began discussing global warming, Kollakkayil Devaki Amma with no formal education started to do her bit to save the environment.

Her family and in-laws have been working in the agricultural industry. While the men are involved in corporate jobs, women of the house have predominantly handled the paddy cultivation. In 1980 she injured her leg severly in an accident and was advised for bed rest for a couple of years. But her undying love for farming did not cease. Devaki Amma planted one sapling in the backyard of her home three years after the accident. One sapling led to another, and before she knew it, she had created a lush green forest spread over five acres of land in her private property in Onattukara region in Alappuzha district of Kerala. 

The green result of Amma's years of labour.

Her husband, children and relatives also supported her immensely either by morally encouraging her or by gifting her several species of plant saplings.

With a couple of private ponds, a wetland and animals like cows, buffalos and oxen, Devaki Amma has been single-handedly nurturing her forest for years. 

                                                 Durgabai Deshmukh - A true patriotic

Durgabai Deskhmukh born on July 15, 1909, the coastal Andhra Pradesh town of Rajahmundry  Despite the family’s limited means, the influence of her father’s spirit of selfless social service was evident. Her father’s “only mistake” was to marry her off as an eight-year-old.

Married off at the age of eight to a wealthy zamindar, she had courage and wherewithal to successfully negotiate the terms of her withdrawal from that marriage at age 15 before the couple could consummate it; a decision supported by her father and brother. She helped draft the Constitution, set up key institutions and led the emancipation of women from the front.

She was a true patriotic. She led the Salt Satyagraha movement in Madras after another

Her time in prison would open her eyes to the circumstances under which many illiterate women were incarcerated for crimes they did not commit, but would confess to, then she decided to take up the study of law so that she could give such women free legal aid and assist them to defend themselves. She hepled so many women for getting rights and privilages.

She selflessly worked towards the idea of an equal society where social and economic welfare would underpin development policy.

                                             

     Babu muddrappa, takes pregnant lady to the hospital, look after new born baby for 18 days

After dropping a passenger at the railway station, Babu Muddrappa was on his way home in Whitefield on April 15. It was around 2.30 in the afternoon when he heard the distressed cries of a pregnant woman. When no one volunteered to take her to the hospital, Babu helped her in the rickshaw and did the needful.

Babu said, "I felt sorry for the lady who was in labour, and at the same time, I was furious with people’s behaviour towards her. I took her to Vydahi hospital where the doctors asked us to go C V Raman hospital."

Though Babu spent the entire day at the hospital that took on a toll on his income for that day, he took the baby to Bowring & Lady Curzon Hospital. He followed the same admission procedure for the infant to get the medical attention she needed.

He reached home in the wee hours of the morning, and after a quick change of clothes left for CV Raman hospital to check on the mother.For the next 18 days, Babu would visit Bowring & Lady Curzon Hospital every day after his work. From paying the hospital bills, buying medicines to taking care of the infant, Babu did everything in his capacity to help without asking for anything in return.

Babu’s heartwarming gesture restores faith in humanity and also serves as a reminder to all of us to be more compassionate!

Lily Thomas, Brave Lady’s 9-Year-Fight Stopped Convicted Criminals From Being MLAs, MPs!

Lily Thomas fought to ensure convicted criminals don’t find a place in our Parliament and State Legislatures.  She filed a petition in the Supreme Court alongside Lucknow-based no profit Lok Prahari, to strike down Section 8(4) of the Representation of People Act, 1952. She did this so that legislators who were convicted of a crime which entails a prison term of two or more years would no longer be able to contest elections.The petition was rejected at the first attempt, but eventually, nine years and two more attempts later in July 2013, a Supreme Court bench comprising of Justices AK Patnaik and SJ Mukhopadhaya, passed a verdict.She became the first woman at the varsity to graduate from the LLM course.Well, in her service to the law, Lily Thomas has practised a sort of boldness.Thanks to her contributions, convicted politicians like Lalu Prasad Yadav and the late J Jayalalithaa could no longer contest elections. 

Thousands of such stories are there. There are so many people who work for The Better India.So This blog is just dedicated to them, to thank them.