Name: Samir Shah
Email: hnv@bom3.vsnl.net.in
Nomination: Mr Mukesh Ambani - Reliance
Reason why: Mukesh Ambani has shown his vision and conviction to charter the growth of RIL. When all other people/industries are struggling to survive, RIL has shown capacity to take on MNC's. An Indian should be proud of RIL's achievements.

Name: Dr Anil Mehra
Email: mehra@giasbm01.vsnl.net.in
Nomination: Mother Teresa
Reason why: No words are needed to explain the fact that she indeed was the Indian of the Year. May God give us mothers like her.

Name: SNEHA RAJAGOPALAN
Email: Rajagopalan_V@inJapan.net
Nomination: I K Gujral
Reason why: For his policy towards Pakistan. He realised the need to talk to our neighbour, listen to what they have got to say, and at the same time not given up India's position on the core issue concerning Kashmir. Though the talks have not yielded any fruits, it certainly has paved the way for hopes that this problem could be solved if like-minded people work on this issue from both sides.

This made the rest of the world's notice that India is willing to talk to Pakistan and only to Pakistan (without any mediation from any other third party). I don't know how many Indians would agree with me on this, but if one sees the huge military spendings of India, in order to defend herself against any hostilities, one would realise that if the money is spent on other important problems of India (which are so many in number), our mother country could also become a leading player in the world front. I think, the same holds true for Pakistan too. I treat this as the most important issue that needs to be solved at the earliest, as it is pending for so many years. That way, I've not seen any other PM in the recent past, who has taken this issue that seriously.

Name: Sumit Khemka
Email:steelal@hotmail.com
Nomination: Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi
Reason why: This Indian tennis pair has done what no Indian has ever done in the international arena till date because tennis is a game played by almost all of the literate world. Whereas cricket is played at the international level by only a few countries. Imagine them winning a Grand Slam title in the years to come!

Name: Dr DEVANG SHAH
Email: kailasco@bom3.vsnl.net.in
Nomination: Sachin Tendulkar
Reason why: Sachin Tendulkar, the captain of current Indian team, deserves to be nominated as the Man of the Year. He has got very good sportsman spirit which is unique in the history of the Indian cricket team, and which is very inspiring to the present youth of India. Because of the above qualities he shines like a Kohinoor diamond among other diamonds of India.

Name:Vijay Tikoo
Email: vijaytikoo@htomail.com
Nomination: Mahatma Gandhi
Reason why: A saint among politicians

Name: Rajesh
Email: rjoshi@hotmail.com
Nomination: Leander Paes
Reason why: Unshadowed, consistent performance.

Name: S Mahadevan
Email: secy@giasbm01.vsnl.net.in
Nomination: President K R Narayanan
Reason why: The President, though by appearance looks timid, took a bold decision to return the recommendation of the Cabinet to dismiss the UP government. The decision was impartial and upheld the democratic principles. Again, he asked the Cabinet to recommend the dissolution of the Parliament, though he could have ordered it. This shows the President's deep commitment to the nation and to uphold democratic principles. I, therefore, vote him as the Indian of the Year. No one else deserves the title. Jai Hind.

Name: Swarna Rao
Email: swarna_rao@syntelinc.com
Nomination:N Chandrababu Naidu
Reason why: Innovative CM. Hi-tech. Very good administrator. No corruption.

Name: Jagadish Namburi
Email: consult3@browning.com
Nomination:Chandrababu Naidu
Reason why: Good administrator.

Name: Jagan Mohan
Email: jagan@aol.com
Nomination:Chandrababu Naidu
Reason why:Good politician.

Name:Y R Radhika
Email:Yradhika@worldbank.org
Nomination:Neeraj Jain
Reason why: Neeraj works for the International Finance Corporation and was able to persuade me to be proud of being Indian this year. I left India in 1992 and was reluctant to ever go back. He pushed me to visit, to shoot some beautiful photographs and to start writing a travelogue based on my travels to India. He deserves this award because he was able to get an Indian to appreciate India -- I think that is the most important contribution an Indian citizen can make.

Name:Ven Hari
Email: vhari@sun.science.wayne.edu
Nomination: President K R Narayanan
Reason why: My field of nominees included: President Narayanan, Mother Teresa, Professor Kalam, Mr Chandrababu Naidu, Saurav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Javagal Srinath, Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi and yes T NSeshan. But I chose President Narayanan because he showed guts and objectivity in handling the UP crisis. He showed us all that there are Indians who still hold on to principles in their life. President Narayanan has reached the top purely by merit and against great odds.

He also clearly showed during the UP crisis that he was not going to forsake basic values for the sake of political expediency as was the case with some of his predecessors. President Narayanan again enhanced his stature by not giving in to the demands of the Congress or BJP who wanted to form a government when the Gujral government fell. He knew that asking either of these parties to form a government would only lead to horse-trading on a grand scale to the detriment of Indian democracy.

Name: Madhusudhan Rangarajan
Email:mr01@engr.uark.edu
Nomination: Palaniappan Chidambaram
Reason why: He has advanced reforms despite all the uneducated rural yahoos who fill Parliament. He has delicately balanced politics and the betterment of our country to present a good budget. Although he could have done more, I believe he has done everything he can with all the pressure on him from egoistic politicians at the Centre.

Name:Anand Krishnamoorthi
Email:Akrishnamo@aol.com
Nomination:Shri Narayanan, President of India
Reason why: This is for the one man who kept his head and his honour while everybody around him was losing theirs! Sad to say, but the choice was made difficult because, try as I did, I could not even come up with a short list of people from which to choose! But that should not detract from the sterling common sense and unimpeached integrity shown by Shri Narayanan in his handling of the farce in UP.

Democracy in India, faced what could have been its darkest hour -- the threat was from within, but was no less a threat for that -- when the hour produced the hero. I was particularly thrilled with the President's response because it is all too often the lot of us NRIs to squirm in shame when yet another political scandal rocks our country. In an era where probity in public life is practically extinct all around the world, we can truly be proud to have a President to whom we can point with pride.

Name: Tarun Dwivedi
Email: tdwivedi@usa.net
Nomination:President Sri K R Narayanan
Reason why:He restored the faith in the system. We all thought that he is just a wild card of the backward class drive. But he showed us all how wrong we were to take him for granted. He has shown how wisely a President can work. I think he deservers to be the 'Indian of the Year.'

Name:Ashutosh Khunte
Email:ashutoshk@hotmail.com
Nomination: Mr K R Narayanan
Reason why:Handled the UP situation in a right way and in accordance with our Constitution. Also not a President who will announce wrong decisions under pressure.

Name: Pulkeshi Jape
Email: pulkeshi@hotmail.com
Nomination: President K R Narayanan
Reason why: I feel that after a long time we finally have a President who has a say of his own. We've had enough of nodding heads at Rashtrapati Bhavan. When President Narayanan took charge I thought, 'fine, here was another bureaucrat at the helm. VP and then to the top post, what's different about him?' But it became evident during the UP episode. I am sure IK and the Kesri gang was in for a surprise when they heard that their request had been turned down.

I believe these are testing times for India and that we are fortunate to have President Narayanan at the helm, especially when Parliament as of now is a stigma. I feel ashamed to say that such selfish, corrupt and incredulously ruthless people are my political leaders today. I mean look at them, are they educated? Are they cultured? Do they have the decency to at least fulfill half of their rosy election campaigns? And why is it that every time they come back to us with those same promises of stability, we still care to listen to them.

Even when these people have been the prime cause of instability in recent years. I feel that the system needs an overhaul. A discussion needs to be initiated on whether the system that we have is right for us? Are we truly represented in the government? Do I have a say in who leads my country or is that going to be decided by the horse traders in New Delhi?

I am studying in the USA, and I shall be here only for a year or so. And every day when I log on to the Internet to read what's going on in India, I feel so angry and so bitter. I fail to see what those people who laid their lives down for the country's freedom will be thinking of the situation today.

Name: Sidney Fernandes
Email: saf8@hotmail.com
Nomination:R K Laxman's 'Common Man'
Reason why: He has had to put up with all that has been going on in the country and that too as a silent spectator.

Name: Salil Bhargava
Email: salilbhargava@hotmail.com
Nomination: Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi
Reason why: In a year of disgust for most Indians, Leander along with Mahesh has given us some hope that Indians are not losers. They are the duo who helped us hold our heads up with pride and not down in shame. More power to these two! They have broken the myth that India can never produce great sportspersons (barring cricketers). The very fact that these two are now included in the Superstars of the Tennis Calendar for 1998 speaks volumes for their achievement.

Name: Prem Uppuluri
Email: prem@cs.iastate.edu
Nomination: Chandrababu Naidu
Reason why: As a politician Mr Naidu has presented himself to be of a different creed. Not only has he started a Computer Revolution, but has instilled for perhaps the first time in federal dominated India, a spirit of competition among the states. In politics too, Mr Naidu was in the forefront in bringing together the various regional parties to form the United Front. The key to India's development is stronger power to states, so that there is more competition.

Name:Arun Gundlapally
Email: arunk@bi.csc.lsu.edu
Nomination: Mahesh Bhupathi
Reason why: The reason is obvious -- the first Indian to win a Grand Slam title, the 1997 French Open mixed doubles. In addition, Mahesh along with Leander has also claimed one of the top spots in doubles. Kudos to the pair for their World #4 ranking. Politicians are not worth nominating for this award, simply because they don't deserve it. Saurav Ganguly is another contender, but then there have been many heroes in cricket. So this is nothing great. Mahesh is bound to bring more laurels to India.

Name: Sanjay Verma
Email: sv1@mole.bio.cam.ac.uk
Nomination:Saurav Ganguly
Reason why: Simply the best. This guy has united India with his superb performances. Indians can do anything if they set put their hearts and souls into it!!

Name: Prasad Kotra
Email: pkotra@asic.sc.ti.com
Nomination: N Chandrababu Naidu
Reason why: A true leader who has put the state of AP in the hi-tech map, as well as doing an excellent job as the UF convener.

Name: Venu Govindu
Email: venu@cfar.umd.edu
Nomination: Sanjoy Ghose
Reason why: For leading an exemplary life and demonstrating the singular trait of humanism, that sustains society through ages of tumult and darkness.

Name: Lakshmi Munugoor
Email: lakshmi@ssnotes.mt.att.com
Nomination: K R Narayanan
Reason why: He is the first President of India to exercise the "real" Presidential powers to protect democracy. He has proved to the nation that the post of the President is just not a "rubber stamp." He has set a great precedent which would remain as an example and inspiration for our future Presidents.

Name: Geeta Bhagat
Email: shubhashree@rocketmail.com
Nomination: The common man
Reason why: For existing, when the very roof over his head seemed to give way. Prices skyrocketed. As a good citizen of the biggest democracy, he went and cast his precious vote, not that there were good men to elect, but he made the best choice in the circumstances, like he has always been doing. And these leaders took his vote and gave him zilch, as they had always done.

Governments fell, basic amenities seemed too much to ask for. There seemed no reason to be alive the next day, still he awoke, went to work, in horrendous travelling conditions, got back home, fulfilled his other duties and woke up the next day for some more. For escape, he looked towards cricket, movies and cable television, all of which mostly let him down. He hummed a good old melody and smiled and still lives on. For in his heart, he cherishes a dream -- of a Bharat, land of milk and honey, that one day his descendants will probably have as reward for his sufferings.

Name: Shravan Pulijala
Email: Shravan.Pulijala@alltel.com
Nomination: K R Narayanan
Reason why: Because he has proved that the President is not merely a rubber stamp in the hands of the government. By returning the Cabinet recommendation on the UP assembly dissolution issue, he has acted with sagacity and courage. Kudos to the little man from the backwaters of Kerala.

Name: Naren Chawla
Email: chawla@home.net
Nomination: Kalpana Chawla
Reason why: She gave India and more specifically, Indian women a moment of pride.

Name: Mahesh T Velu
Email: vako@vakoseals.com
Nomination: Mother Teresa
Reason why: She was mother to every Indian. The saint of the gutters dedicated her whole life serving the poor and the homeless.She'll be proudly remembered by every Indian for her contributions to mankind.

Name: Vasant Shankarling
Email: SLDHY@CC.USU.EDU
Nomination: Rabri Devi, Bihar's Chief Minister
Reason why: Why?? Ye bhi koi poochne ki baat hai! She epitomises the Indian tradition! True Pativrata! Sincerely following Laloo's footsteps!

Name: Nikhil Pednekar
Email: pedne@engr.ukans.edu
Nomination: Dr Abdul Kalam
Reason why: For selflessly guiding India's space and missile program, and making s success out of it even in the face of adversity, resource crutches and virtually a total lack of appreciation.

Name: C B Nair
Email: cb_nair@hotmail.com
Nomination: K R Narayanan
Reason why: An oasis in the desert. Sheds light when there is darkness all around.

Name: J Parthasarthy
Email: "J.Parthasathy]K4~)1d2" Nomination: Sitaram Kesri
Reason why: He has repeatedly tired to prove to the world that India is a viable democratic country by promising general elections every year.

Name: Madhav Ganesh Bhole
Email: Nomination: P A Sangma
Reason why: He is the person of the year 1997.