We are nearing year-end and it’s also probably a great time to look back at the year. Sure, it’s been tough in several ways but 2019 has also given us a lot of reasons to cheer. Let’s have look at the 8 major events that made us proud, happy, inspired, grieve and more in 2019, India so far.
Modi’s Second Win
The world’s most populous democracy goes to the polls with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, head of the rightwing and Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), aiming for a second term. The BJP won the elections with a majority in most of the states except Tamilnadu and Kerala.
The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act
The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 is an act of the Parliament of India. It contains provisions to reconstitute the Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir, a part of the larger region of Kashmir, which has been the subject of dispute among India, Pakistan, and China since 1947, into two Indian-administered union territories, one to be called Jammu and Kashmir, and the other Ladakh, on 31 October 2019. A bill for the act was introduced by the Minister of Home Affairs, Amit Shah, in the Rajya Sabha, on 5 August 2019.
India Wins 13th South Asian Games
The 13th South Asian Games concluded in Nepal on 10 December 2019. India topped the championship with a medal tally of 312 medals, of which 174 gold, 93 silver, and 45 bronze. The games are held once every 2 years. It is held among the Asian athletes. South Asia Olympic Council (SAOC) is the governing body of SAG. The 8 members of SAG are India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
The Citizenship Amendment Act
The Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 was passed by the Parliament of India on 11 December 2019. It amended the Citizenship Act of 1955 by providing a path to Indian citizenship for Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian religious minorities fleeing persecution from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. Muslims were not given such eligibility. The act was the first time religion had been overtly used as a criterion for citizenship under Indian law.
Lost The Veterans
Sheila Dikshit was a veteran Congress politician and the longest-serving Chief Minister of Delhi, having held the top job for 15 years. The 88-year-old died of a cardiac arrest at a private hospital on July 20. She served as Delhi’s Chief Minister for three consecutive terms between 1998 and 2013 and was sworn in as Kerala’s Governor in 2014. Earlier this year, Sheila Dikshit was made the Delhi Congress chief.
Sushma Swaraj, former foreign minister, and BJP veteran died on August 6 after a cardiac arrest, leaving political leaders and her legions of admirers in grief. She was 67. Ms. Swaraj was the External Affairs Minister in the previous cabinet.
Arun Jaitley, former Finance Minister and BJP veteran died on August 24. The 66-year-old died at Delhi’s AIIMS. As a minister, he had steered major economic legislation, including the flagship Goods and Services Tax, and defended controversial government policies.
Jnanpith Award-winning playwright Girish Karnad died in Bengaluru on June 10. He was 81. Mr. Karnad was a huge figure in the Kannada literary scene. He was also active in the world of cinema; he made his acting and screenwriting debut in a Kannada movie “Samskara” in 1970.
Babri Masjid Verdict
Babri Masjid was a mosque in Ayodhya, India at a site believed by some Hindus to be the birthplace of Hindu deity Rama. It has been a focus of a dispute between the Hindu and Muslim communities since the 18th century. According to the mosque’s inscriptions, it was built in 1528–29 (935 AH) by general Mir Baqi, on orders of the Mughal emperor Babur. The mosque was attacked and demolished by Hindu karsevaks in 1992 and ignited communal violence across the country. And went on for a series of destruction followed by riots. On 9 November 2019, the Supreme Court quashed the lower court’s judgment and ordered the 2.77-acre land to be handed over to a trust to build the Hindu temple. It also ordered the government to give an alternate 5-acre land to Sunni Waqf Board.
Nithyananda’s Own Nation
Rape accused and godman Nithyananda has set up his own country ‘Kailaasa’. Though the location of this ‘nation’ is still a mystery, its website says it’s a “nation without borders created by dispossessed Hindus from around the world who lost the right to practice Hinduism authentically in their own countries”. His website even has its own Wikipedia page called nithyanandapedia, where we can get to know about his teaching. His nation even has a set of ministry, an emblem, flag and a whole lot of rules and regulations to follow.
Sourav Ganguly Become BCCI President
The former India captain, Sourav Ganguly was unanimously selected as the BCCI President. He is in line to become only the 2nd India cricketer to serve as the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Ganguly is the first Indian Cricketer in 65 years to become the president.
