FIVE GREAT WOMEN WITH BHARAT RATNA

              

                          

                                        

India is a country known worldwide for its ”Unity in Diversity. India has many states and union territories with population touching nearly 1.5 billion. Every year Indian Government honours its citizens with many Awards such as

1.      BHARAT RATNA

2.      PADMA VIBHUSHAN

3.      PADMA BHUSHAN

4.      PADMA SHRI

Among these Awards, Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award in recognition of exceptional service in their chosen field. Honourable Prime Minister   recommends the civilians to the President of India for the Award. A maximum of three nominees are awarded per year. They will receive a certificate signed by the president and a pepal-leaf shaped medallion.

Though this award is conferred on India- born citizens, it has been awarded to one naturalized citizen, Mother Teresa, and to two non- Indians namely Pakistan National Khan Abdul Ghaffer Khan and former South African President Nelson Mandela.

This awarded is presented irrespective of race, occupation, position, or sex. This award is so far received by four great Indian women for their achievements. They were:

1.      INDIRA GANDHI:  Indira Gandhi was awarded with Bharat Ratna in the year 1971. She is the first and only female Prime minister of India. She was the Prime minister of India from 1966-77 to 1980-84. The biggest achievement of Indira Gandhi after the 1971 election came in December 1971 with India’s decisive victory over Pakistan in the Indo-Pak war that occurred in the last 2 weeks of the Bangladesh Liberation war which led to the formation of Independent Bangladesh. In 1999, Indira Gandhi was named “”Woman of the millennium”” in an online poll organized by BBC.

2.      MOTHER TERESA: Mother Teresa was awarded Bharat Ratna in the year 1980. She was known worldwide for her charity works .She is the founder of Missionaries of Charity. She showed motherly affection towards poor, orphans, diseased and destitute. She is praised and awarded for her selfless service.

3.      ARUNA ASAF ALI: Aruna Asaf Ali was awarded Bharat Ratna posthumously in the year 1997. She was the Independence activist. She is proudly remembered for her brave act of hoisting the Indian National Flag during the Quit India Movement. After Independence she became the Delhi’s first Mayor.

4.      M.S. SUBBULAKSHMI: M.S. Subbulakshmi was awarded Bharat Ratna in 1998. She was the first musician ever to receive this honour. She is not only a Carnatic singer but also an actor too. Her voice and singing skills were admired by many greats like Pandit Nehru, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Sarojini Naidu, Kishori Amnokar to name a few. She has received many honours and awards from many great institutions world over

5.      LATA MANGESHKAR.: Lata Mangeshkar was awarded Bharat Ratna in the year 2001. She is the second vocalist to receive this award after M.S. Subbulakshmi.  She is a renowned play back singer and music director. Her musical career was in the peak for about three to four decades. She has sung songs in over 36 regional Indian Languages. She is the recipient of many Awards and accolades in India as well as from other world countries.

Our salutes to these women achievers and they are sure to inspire many, by which the list of women with Bharat Ratna is going to rise in the future.