Obituary Current Affairs 2019 - Current Affairs Today

Poet and lyricist Pazhavila Ramesan passed away on 13 June 2019 at Thiruvananthapuram. He was 83. He was ailing for some time. Pazhavila Ramesan: Ramesan had received the 2017 Kerala Sahithya Akademi award for overall contributions. He wrote lyrics for Malayalam movies such as Njattadi, Aashamsakalode, Uncle Bun, Malootty, and Vasudha. He was co-editor of K. Balakrishnan’s Kaumudi Weekly in the sixties. He worked at the State Institute of Languages in various capacities till 1993. He is a recipient of various awards, Ramesan brought out poetry collections such as Mazhayude Jalakam, Njan Ente Kadukalelikku, and Pazhavila Ramesante Kavithakal, besides collections of his writings such as Ormayude Varthamanam, Mayatha Varakal, and Nervara.

Veteran director, playwright and actor Girish Karnad passed away at the age of 81 on 10th June 2019. Karnad died due to a prolonged illness. His career: Karnad made his acting and screenwriting debut in a 1970 on a release called 'Samskara' which won the President's Golden Lotus Award.  He served as the Director of the Film and Television Institute of India during 1974-1975. He was also the Chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, the National Academy of the Performing Arts from 1988 to 1993. In the early 1990s, he hosted the Turning Point, a science magazine,  on Doordarshan. The Jnanpith awardee's plays have been translated into English and several Indian languages. His plays have been directed by directors like Alyque Padamsee, Ebrahim Alkazi, Arvind Gaur, BV Karanth, Zafer Mohiuddin, Satyadev Dubey, Shyamanand Jalan, Amal Allana, Vijaya Mehta and Prasanna. Awards: Girish Karnad was conferred with Padma Shri award in 1974 for contributions to theatre. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan for literature.

Ex-UEFA chief Johansson, also known as the father of Champions League, passed away due to a short illness. He was 89. He oversaw the introduction of the Champions League during a 17-year reign as president of European soccer’s governing body. He led UEFA from 1990-2007. He was succeeded by former France great Michel Platini in a presidential election. His career as a sports administrator began in the 1960s. He became president of elite Swedish football club AIK, and then head of the Swedish football federation prior to his election as UEFA chief in 1990. In 1998, he was defeated by Sepp Blatter in his bid to become head of football’s global federation FIFA. Under Johansson’s leadership at UEFA, the Champions League was born. It replaced the old European Cup tournament and became the world’s most prestigious club competition. He has also presided over the growth of the European Football Championship, with the number of finalists doubling from eight to 16.

Veteran industrialist and Williamson Magor Group patriarch Brij Mohan Khaitan died on 1 June 2019 at his residence in Kolkata. He was 92. Khaitan is survived by his younger son Aditya and daughter Divya Jalan. Also known as the “evergreen tea man of India” globally, he had made the tea industry “Indian-owned” in the twilight era of independence. Mr.Khaitan's career: Khaitan had recently resigned as nonexecutive chairman from the boards of Eveready Industries and McLeod Russel. He continued to serve as chairman emeritus in both these firms. Considered a visionary, he has left an indelible mark on the world of entrepreneurship, education, business ethics, and service to mankind.  Khaitan developed the Williamson Magor Group as the largest tea producer in the world. After making his fortune in the tea business, he acquired the Indian business of Union Carbide, Eveready Industries, in 1993, pipping the Wadias of Bombay Dyeing in a $96.5 million deal. It was the largest corporate takeover then. His demise marks the end of an era and loss of a leader and guide for the Indian tea industry.  

Vijaya Mulay is best known for her 1974 film Ek Anek Aur Ekta, which won the National Film Award for Best Educational Film. Mulay founded the Delhi Film Society in 1959, and later on became a joint secretary of the Federation of Film Societies. In 2002, Vijaya Mulay was honoured with the prestigious V Shantaram Award for her work in documentary filmmaking.

I M Pei, a dominant figure in American architecture for more than three decades who designed the Louvre’s crystal pyramid, has passed away. Pei’s more than 50 projects included the Musee d’Art Moderne in Luxembourg (2006) and the 72-story Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong (1989). He was honored with the American Institute of Architects’ Gold Medal in 1979; the Grande Medaille d’Or from the Academie d’Architecture de France; and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the USA.

Australia’s 23rd prime minister and Labor elder statesman Bob Hawke has died. He served as prime minister between 1983 and 1991, making him the longest serving on the Labor side of politics. He was the country's third longest-serving leader after Robert Menzies and John Howard. About Australia: Capital: Canberra Currency: Australian dollar Prime minister: Scott Morrison President: Malcolm Turnbull

Ieoh Ming Pei, who was the mastermind behind the bold Louvre pyramid in Paris, the landmark 72-story Bank of China tower in Hong Kong and Athens’ Museum of Modern Art, has died at age of 102 years. About Ieoh Ming Pei: Born in China in 1917, banker’s son Ieoh Ming Pei came to the US at 17 to study architecture, receiving an undergraduate degree in the field from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1940. He became a naturalized US citizen in 1954. I M Pei’s Iconic buildings across the globe: He revived The Louvre with a Giant Glass (about 22-metre) pyramid in Paris. His revered projects include the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio; the Miho Museum of Shigo, Japan; the Morton Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, Texas, and The John F. Kennedy Library in Boston, Massachusetts. Awards and Honours: He was one of 12 naturalized US citizens then-president Ronald Reagan awarded the Medal of Liberty in 1986. In 1983 Pei was given the prestigious Pritzker Prize.

Yogesh Chander Deveshwar, ITC’s longest-serving chairman, passed away on 11th May in Delhi. He was 72.  Mr.Deveshwar, an alumnus of IIT Delhi and Harvard Business School, joined ITC in 1968. Between 1991 and 1994, he was invited by the government to serve as the chairman and managing director of Air India. His stewardship over the last two decades has guided ITC to become India’s foremost FMCG marketer, the country’s largest paperboards and packaging company and a corporate enabler in farmer-empowerment, through its wide-ranging agri-business. It also has the second largest hotel chain in India.

Former president of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Negasso Gidada passed away in Germany where he was undergoing medical treatment. He was 75 years of age. He was the president of Ethiopia between 1995 and 2001. He served as president for six years until he fell out with the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s administration. Apart from serving in the role of heads of state, he was a member of the Constitution draft Committee.

Former Indian footballer Pungam Kannan passed away due to prolonged illness. He was 80 years old. Kannan is survived by his wife Antoinette and two daughters.  Kannan played 14 matches for India & was the former Mohun Bagan & East Bengal forward. He won Santosh Trophy for Bengal twice in a row (1971-73) and was the top-scorer. He was known as the ‘Pele of Asia’.

Terry Rawlings, a British film and sound editor has passed away. He was an Oscar nominee for his work on Best Picture winner “Chariots of Fire,”. He was born in 1933.  The 5-time BAFTA nominee also received a career achievement award from the American Cinema Editors society in 2006.

Captain Mohan Narayan Rao Samant of the Indian Navy, a 1971 India-Pakistan war hero, who was honoured by Bangladesh as a ‘Friend of Liberation War’, has passed away at the age of 89. The Maha Vir Chakra awardee was instrumental in India waging a covert maritime war against shipping in the then East Pakistan. He had trained over 400 Bengali college students as maritime commandos for carrying out mass raids and inflicting damages to Pakistani shipping vessels in the run up to the 1971 war.

Parrikar had first become Goa CM in 2000 and had also served as Defence Minister of India from 2014 to 2017. Mr. Parrikar was the first Indian Institute of Technology alumnus (of IIT, Bombay) to serve as Chief Minister of Goa in 2000. He became Chief Minister for four terms, but, ironically, could not complete a single full term in office. He was born on December 13, 1955 in a middle-class family and began his political career as a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) pracharak (worker). About Goa: Capital: Panaji Governor: Mridula Sinha

Prominent Lingayat pontiff and Basava Dharma Peetha President Maate Mahadevi passed away at the Manipal hospital in Bengaluru at the age of 74 years. She was born on 13th March 1946 in Sasalahatti, Chitradurga in Karnataka. She was an influential leader from the Lingayat community, took part in the protests held for separate religion and grant of minority status for Lingayats in Karnataka. In 1966, she received her Jangama initiation as an ascetic in the Lingayat order of wandering mendicants.

Mehta, who was 59 years old, had assumed office as an Additional Judge of Delhi high court on April 15, 2009. Mehta got enrolled with the Bar Council of Delhi in 1982 and began his career in law by practising in the Delhi High Court, district courts and various tribunals in civil matters. He was appointed a Senior Advocate at the age of 42, on September 22, 2001.

Wallace Smith Broecker gave early warnings on climate change and coined the term 'Ocean Conveyor Belt', a global network of currents affecting air temperature and rain patterns. His 1975 article correctly predicted rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere led to global warming. Broecker was born in Chicago in 1931 and grew up in suburban Oak Park.

Former Afghan mujahideen commander Sibghatullah Mojaddedi, who fought the Soviets and rose to become the country’s interim President after the collapse of the Afghan communist regime in 1992, has died at the age of 93. He passed away due to a long illness. His death comes three days before the 30th anniversary of the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan.  Mr. Mojaddedi served just two months as interim President under a power-sharing deal struck by mujahideen leaders. These factions later turned on each other. But he continued to play a prominent role in Afghan politics, particularly after the fall of the Taliban in 2001. In 2003, he served as chairman of the Loya Jirga, or Grand Assembly, that approved the Constitution for a post-Taliban era.

Padma Shri R.B. Patil, 93-year-old, passed away in Hubballi. He established North Karnataka’s first comprehensive centre for cancer in 1977 from voluntary donations.  Dr.Patil completed his education in England and continued to see patients until recently before his health deteriorated. The mortal remains of the surgeon were kept at his nursing home in Vidyanagar, Hubballi, for people to pay tributes.

George Mathew Fernandes, former Union Minister, passed away. He was an Indian trade unionist, politician, journalist, freethinker, and member of Rajya Sabha from Bihar.  He was a key member of the Janata Dal and the founder of the Samata Party. He held ministerial portfolios including communications, industry, railways, and defence.

Eminent Hindi author and essayist Krishna Sobti passed away in Delhi. She was 93. She was a recipient of many coveted awards like Sahitya Akademi, Jnanpith awards and was also offered Padma Bhushan, which she had declined. Some of her celebrated works include Daar Se Bichhudi, Mitro Marjani, Zindaginama, Dil-o-Danish, Badalom ke Ghere, Ai Ladki and Gujarat Pakistan Se Gujarat Hindustan.

Indian National Lok Dal (INLD)’s senior leader and MLA Jasvinder Singh Sandhu passed away after Suffering from Cancer at the age of 63 in Haryana. He had been elected to the Haryana Vidhan Sabha from the Pehowa seat in 1991, 1996, 2000 and 2014.

Ramakant Achrekar, who has honed a battery of Test cricketers including Sachin Tendulkar, died at his residence in Mumbai. He was 86. Achrekar served as a cricket coach on the Mumbai maidans for more than four three decades until he was paralysed in the late 1990s.  In 1990, Achrekar was honoured with the Dronacharya Award for Outstanding coaches in Sports and Games. He was honoured with one of the country's highest civilian award, the Padma Shri in 2010. He was honoured the Lifetime Achievement award by the Sports.

Born in Kabul, Khan made his acting debut in 1973 with Rajesh Khanna's "Daag" and has featured in over 300 films. He wrote dialogues for over 250 movies. As a screenwriter, Khan frequently collaborated with Manmohan Desai and Prakash Mehra.

Nishad was a four-time Lok Sabha member from Muzaffarpur constituency of Bihar, and served as a member of Rajya Sabha between 2004-2008. His son Ajay Nishad is an elected Member of Parliament (MP) from Muzaffarpur Lok Sabha constituency itself and belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party.

She was a Padma Shri recipient in 1998 and was also known as “Asomiya Lata Mangeshkar.” She was honored with The Axiom Srestho by The Telegraph, Silipi Bota (2010) and Aideu Handique Silpi Award (2012) among others.

Born in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, Chudasama was awarded Padma Shri in 2005 in recognition of his work in the social sector. He founded an NGO, Giants International, which has presence in several cities in India as well as abroad. Nana Chudasama carried out social work through his NGOs such as I Love Mumbai, the National Kidney Foundation and the Forum Against Drugs and AIDS.

Pandit Bhaduri was considered to be one of the masters of Bengali songs and bhajans. The veteran singer had served as a guru (teacher) at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy, and was a top radio and television artiste. Pandit Bhaduri was trained in Indian music by Md A Daud and Md Sagiruddin Khan.

Renowned historian and former vice-chancellor Jamia Millia of Islamia, Professor Mushirul Hasan, passed away at 71. He was the former director of National Archives of India.

George HW Bush became 41st president of the United States in 1989 after serving as vice-president under Ronald Reagan. His son, George W. Bush was also elected president and served two terms between 2001 and 2009. George HW Bush presided over the end of the Cold War and routed Saddam Hussein's Iraqi army but lost a chance for a second term after breaking a no-new-taxes pledge.

InterGlobe Aviation said its chairman Devadas Mallya Mangalore passed away in the morning of November 25, 2018. InterGlobe Aviation is the country’s largest airline IndiGo. Mr.Devadas Mallya was also a non-executive independent director. He had served as the CMD of Bank of Baroda and Bank of Maharashtra.

Baishnab Charan Parida, the former Biju Janata Dal Rajya Sabha member,  passed away after a prolonged illness here on November 22. He was 77 years old. Parida is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter. He was a prominent politician, writer, and promoter of Odia language. Parida was elected to the Rajya Sabha in July 2010 and his term had ended in July 2016.

Brigadier (retired) Kuldip Singh Chandpuri is known as the hero of the Longewala battle against Pakistan in 1971. Brigadier Chandpuri had joined the Indian Army in 1962 and was commissioned to the 23rd Battalion of The Punjab Regiment. For his bravery, valour and spirit, Brigadier Chandpuri was the recipient of many awards and honours. Prominent among these were the Maha Vir Chakra - for defending the Longewala Post, and the Vishisht Seva Medal.

He is also known for portraying Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the 1982 film 'Gandhi'. A renowned theatre personality, Padamsee had also received a Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. He was Chairman of the London Institute of Corporate Training and also served as an adviser to Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu.   

He held two portfolios in the NDA Government; of Parliamentary affairs and Chemicals and Fertilizers. Kumar had represented the Bengaluru south parliamentary constituency six times since 1996. In 1998, he was inducted into the Union cabinet headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee as the minister for civil aviation and was instrumental in the signing of the MoU for the Bengaluru international airport. Kumar was the youngest minister in the Vajpayee cabinet.

N D Tiwari, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, passed away after a prolonged stint of hospitalisation in New Delhi. Mr.Tiwari began his career with the erstwhile Praja Socialist Party (PSP) to then serve his entire career in the Congress was 93 at the time of his death. He served as the Minister of External Affairs in the Rajiv Gandhi Cabinet between 1986 and 1987. He was thrice elected Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in varied stints between 1976 and 1977, 1984 and 1985, 1988 and 1989, and was for one term the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, between 2002 and 2007. Mr.Tiwari was known for being a canny politician and a good administrator. He was credited with much of the manufacturing industry that made its way to Uttar Pradesh.

Eminent Gandhian Natwar Thakkar passed away on 7th October 2018 due to his ill health. His efforts to spread Gandhian philosophy and peace had earned him the title 'Nagaland's Gandhi'. He was the founder of Nagaland Gandhi Ashram. He was honoured with the Padma Shri award.    Mr.Thakkar had been chosen as a member of a committee constituted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the year-long celebration of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary across the country. He went Nagaland from Maharashtra in 1955 when the movement for secession from India under the legendary Naga leader A.Z. Angami was gaining momentum. His Gandhian mission was viewed as a front for espionage by New Delhi and he was often told, at gunpoint, to leave the Naga domain.  The Naga Hoho, the apex body of all tribes in Nagaland, mourned Mr.Thakkar’s death. Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio conveyed his condolence and said that Mr.Thakkar made significant contributions towards the betterment of society.

Jasdev Singh, the renowned Hindi commentator, passed away 26th September due to prolonged illness. He was 87 and is survived by a son and daughter. Jasdev grew up in Jaipur. He started his career with All India Radio’s (AIR) Jaipur station in 1959. He was impressed by the renowned Melville de Mello’s non-stop seven-hour English commentary during Mahatma Gandhi’s funeral. He decided to be a Hindi commentator.  His career spanned five decades. Jasdev covered nine Olympics, eight hockey World Cups and more than 45 Republic Day and Independence Day celebrations for All India Radio and Doordarshan. Jasdev received the Padma Shri in 1985 and the Olympic Order in 1988 for his contribution to the Olympic movement. He was conferred with the Padma Bhushan in 2008 and was bestowed with the honour of Rajasthan Ratna in 2014.  

Before being appointed Vietnam's President in 2016, Quang served as the Public Security Minister. He was also a member of the Communist Party of Vietnam's Politburo, the party's top decision-making body. Vice-President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh will take over as acting president until a new president is chosen by the communist party's Central Committee and voted on by the National Assembly.

Anna Rajam Malhotra, first Indian woman IAS officer after Independence, died in Mumbai on 17th September. She was 91 years old. The officer worked under seven Chief Ministers and at the Central government. Rajaji had cited Ms.Malhotra as an example of progressive women.  The officer served in the Madras State under then Chief Minister C.Rajagopalachari. She also served with Rajiv Gandhi, when as an MP in 1982. She also accompanied former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on an eight-nation tour and had served in the personnel section of the Union Home Ministry. During her tenure, the construction of India’s first computerised port Nhava Sheva (Jawaharlal Nehru Port) in Mumbai was completed.

Satya Prakash Malaviya, the former Union Petroleum Minister, 84, passed away on 16th September at a private hospital in New Delhi. He was suffering from prostate cancer.  Mr.Malaviya was the Petroleum Minister in the Chandra Shekhar government at the Centre. He also served as Environment Minister in Uttar Pradesh. Initially, he was with the Praja Socialist Party. Later he joined the Congress. He was jailed during the Emergency.

The best novels include ‘Aarti ane Angara’ published in 1957, ‘Man Nahi Mane’ in 1962, ‘Rikta’ in 1968, ‘Vyaktamadhya’ in 1970, ‘Samaydvip’ in 1974 and ‘Urdhvamool’ in 1981. He received Ranjitram Suvarna Chandraka in 1984 and Sahitya Academy award in 1988 for his novel ‘Assoryalok’.

Gurudas Kamat who was an advocate by profession, was also served as Union Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology. Kamat was a Member of Parliament for the Mumbai North-West constituency in 2009 and the Mumbai North East constituency in 1984, 1991, 1998 and 2004.

The veteran journalist had started his career with an Urdu newspaper. Nayar was also an author, with 15 books to his name, and was appointed as High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom in 1990. He was also nominated as a Member of Parliament (MP) in the Rajya Sabha in 1997.

He is one of the famous journalist to openly advocate for a Palestinian state. After independence, he became a great publisher, member of parliament, author and activist.  

Kofi Annan, 80 years old, passed away due to illness. He is the first black African secretary-general of the United Nations.  He served two terms as secretary-general from January 1, 1997, to December 31, 2006. Kofi Annan and the UN were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001.

Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, 93 years old, passed away on 16th August due to his prolonged ill health. He was one of the greatest leaders of India. The veteran leader was Prime Minister thrice in 1996, 1998-1999 and 1999-2004. He was born on December 25, 1924, in Gwalior. He was one of the founding members of the Jan Sangh in 1951 and became its president in 1968. He was elected 10 times the Lok Sabha from four different States. He was twice the member of Rajya Sabha. He was also a poet and his poetry collections were compiled in his book Meri Ekyaavan Kavitayein (My 51 Poems).

He became the governor of Chhattisgarh in July 2014 and has served on various other posts including the Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab. Tandon was one of the founding members of the Jan Sangh which later became the BJP. In his 65 years of political career, Tandon was six-time MLA and state BJP president of Punjab for two years. Tandon has served as cabinet minister in 1977-79 and in 1997-2002 in the ministries headed by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. He was elected from Amritsar five times between 1960 and 1977, and was again elected from Rajpura in 1997.

Former Indian Skipper Ajit Wadekar, 77 years old,  passed away on 15th August. Due to his ill health, he was hospitalized since the month of July.  He played for the Indian national team between 1966 and 1974. He was the first Indian captain to achieve overseas wins while touring the West Indies and England in 1971. India won over five matches in the West Indies in the early 1970s and then defeated England over three. He has been awarded the Arjuna Award (1967) and Padmashri (1972).

Industrialist Anant Bajaj, the only son of Bajaj Electricals Chairman Shekhar Bajaj, passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest. Bajaj started his career as a project coordinator in Bajaj Electricals back in 1999. He was also responsible for setting up the ₹ 45 crore high mast manufacturing and galvanising plant at Ranjangaon, near Pune in Maharashtra.