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Mukherjee, Pranab Kumar

(Encyclopedia)Mukherjee, Pranab Kumar, 1935–2020, Indian political leader. He was a lawyer, college teacher, and journalist before entering politics, and from 1972 (except for 1986–88) was a member of the Congr...

Giri, Varahagiri Venkata

(Encyclopedia)Giri, Varahagiri Venkata vərähäˈgərē vĕnˈkətä gēˈrē [key], 1894–1980, president of India (1969–74). He earned a law degree in Ireland, where he practiced law. After participating in t...

Vajpayee, Atal Bihari

(Encyclopedia)Vajpayee, Atal Bihari äˈtäl bihärˈē väjˈpīˌ [key], 1926–2018, Indian politician, prime minister of India (1996, 1998–2004). He began his career as a journalist, entering politics as an u...

Harijans

(Encyclopedia)Harijans hârˈĭjănzˌ [key] [children of God], in India, individuals who are at the bottom of or outside the Hindu caste system. They were traditionally sweepers, washers of clothes, leatherworkers...

New Delhi

(Encyclopedia)New Delhi dĕlˈē [key], city (1991 pop. 294,149), capital of India and of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, N central India, on the right bank of the Yamuna River. Predominantly an administra...

Deve Gowda, H. D.

(Encyclopedia)Deve Gowda, H. D. (Haradanahalli Dodde Gowda Deve Gowda) härˌədänˌəhäˈlē dōˈdā dāˈvā gouˈdə [key], 1933–, Indian political leader, prime minister of India (1996–97), b. Haradanaha...

Savarkar, Vinayak Damodar

(Encyclopedia)Savarkar, Vinayak Damodar vĭnäˈyək däˈmōdär səvärˈkər [key], 1883–1966, Indian nationalist. Educated in Pune, he was militantly anti-British and anti-Muslim. He founded a terrorist organ...

Rajagopalachari, Chakravarti

(Encyclopedia)Rajagopalachari, Chakravarti chəkrəvärˈtē räˌjəgōpäˈləchäˌrē [key], 1878–1972, Indian political leader. He was educated in Bangalore (now Bengaluru) and Madras (now Chennai) and admit...

mahatma

(Encyclopedia)mahatma məhătˈmə, –hätˈ– [key] [Sanskrit,=great-souled], honorific title used in India among Hindus for a person of superior holiness. Mohandas Gandhi is the best-known figure to whom the ti...

Naidu, Sarojini

(Encyclopedia)Naidu, Sarojini sərōˈjĭnē nīˈdo͞o [key], 1879–1949, Indian poet and political leader. Born Sarojini Chattopadhyay, she was educated in Madras (now Chennai) and at King's College, London, and...

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