January 26 – The year started with a devastating earthquake with the epicentre near Bhuj in Gujarat. The earthquake measured 7.6 on the Richter scale and claimed 20,000 lives.

April – 16 Border security personnel were done to death by the Bangladesh Rifles in Pyrdiwah village in Meghalaya. It was considered to be the worst-ever clash between the two countries during the last three decades.

June 1 – India was shaken again in June, this time due to the grief of its neighbour. Prince Dipendra shot his parents and few other members of the Royal family and killed himself.

June 18 - Seven persons were killed and fifty injured as police opened fire to disperse irate mob in Imphal. Indefinite curfew was imposed in the capital and three district headquarters of the state as the 66-hour Bandh took violent turn on the last day.

June 30 – A shameful incidence shook the faith in Indian Democracy and polity. Karunadhi was manhandled and dragged out of his house at the ungodly hour of 2 am by TamilNadu Police. Karunanidhi and Stalin were accused of corruption charges in the construction of flyovers in Chennai.

July 16 - T he Indo-Pak talks in Agra ended in a deadlock after the two sides failed to reach a consensus. The two countries apparently failed to agree on the draft declaration, particularly the issue of inclusion of cross-border terrorism and Kashmir.

March 13 – The reports of Tehelka.com generated a storm in the parliament. The video tapes released by Tehelka exposed many army officers, party leaders and administrative officers taking bribe in a fictitious arms deal. Defence minister George Fernandez had to resign.

Aug 06 - In a gruesome tragedy, 25 mentally retarded persons, including 11 women, were charred to death and five seriously injured, when a devastating fire destroyed a thatched hostel near Erwadi Durgah, about 25 km from here, where the inmates were kept chained for treatment and recuperation

Aug 27 – Shiva Sena activists turned violent after the death of Ananad Dighe, prominent Shiva Sena leader in Thane.

Sept 11 – The world changed forever after the attacks on WTO and Pentagon. US declared war against terrorism. For India it was a step further to contain terrorist activities on its soil.

Sept 25 - Nine persons were killed and more than 200 injured in the police firing at Muzaffarpur. The public outcry was triggered by the recovery of the mutilated body of an abducted four-year-old boy, Golu, who was the only son of a bank employee.

Oct 5 - At least 35 people are feared trapped after an illegal mine caved in near Asansol on Saturday. The incident took place around 4 am when nearly two sq km area caved in near the Badur Open Cast Project.

Nov 19 – Referee Mike Denness penalised six Indian players - Sachin Tendulkar, Sehwag, for misbehaviour and tampering the ball.

December 13 – The biggest blow to Indian democracy put a full stop to Indian patience. A suicide squad attacked the Parliament building and opened fire. Five terrorists who had planned to destroy the top leadership were shot dead.

December – The Let and JeM were found to be responsible for the attack. The incident was by followed Diplomatic action by India against Pakistan, build up on the international border and LoC. Samazota express, termination of Lahore bus service and ban on use of Indian air space by Pakistan.

Obituaries

Jan 16 - Congress leader Jitendra Prasada died at Apollo Hospital in the capital. He was suffering from brain hemorrhage for a week and was on life support since the day he was admitted to the hospital.

Jan 22 - Noted freedom fighter and educationist Harisingh Sujanmal Jain died in Pune. He was 77.

Feb 20 - Both Houses of Parliament paid rich and emotional tributes to one of the nation's tallest and grandest personalities, the longest serving and perhaps the most outstanding parliamentarians of modern India, CPI stalwart Indrajit Gupta.

April 06 - Former deputy prime minister Devi Lal in the V P Singh cabinet died in New Delhi after protracted illness. He was 86. A crusader of the farmers’ cause, Lal was former chief minister of Haryana and a sitting member of Rajya Sabha.

April 12 - NASSCOM president Dewang Mehta was found dead in a hotel room in Sydney. He was on a visit to Australia as part of a delegation of Indian software professionals.

April 23 - Veteran journalist and political thinker Jayantrao Tilak died peacefully at his residence in Narayan Peth. He was 81.

May 03 - Former city mayor Ali Noormohammed Somji was killed in a road accident in Bidar district of Karnataka.

May 06 - Noted Marathi writer Maltibai Bedekar died in Pune. She was famous for her books ‘Kalyanche Nishwas, Bali, Shabri and Hindolyawar’ which depicted suppression of women’s aspirations. She wrote with a nickname ‘Vibhavari Shirurkar’

May 8 - Freedom fighter Yashwant Kanhere who is also the founder of Kanhere Photo Studio passed away following a heart attack in Pune. He was 87.

June 25 - Noted Marathi author Vasat Purushottam Kale, better known by his initials Va. Pu. died at his residence in Mumbai. He was 69.

August 8 - Former junior national tennis player Karthikraj was kidnapped and then murdered for ransom.

Sep – senior political leaders and laity expressed grief and shock over the sudden demise of prominent Congress leader Madhav Rao Scindia in a plane crash. Scindia’s demise was an irreparable loss to the party.

Octber 06 - Writer Thomas Gay, a Britisher by birth and an Indian Citizen from 1950 died of old age at his residence in Pune. He was 95.

Nov 05 - Advocate Trimbak Madhavrao Shirole (70), who hails from the famous Shirole family, the Patil of Bhamburde (Shivajinagar), was assaulted to death near PYC Gymkhana on Bhandarkar Road

By
Devayani Tirthali
31/12/2001

Send smiles	Hernia expert	Year 2001