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Vote! Who deserves the Bharat Ratna?
Speculation is rife that the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance government may shortlist a few names for Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award, after the ministry of home affairs reportedly placed an order for five medallions.
It is being said that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and iconic freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose are frontrunners for the prestigious award.
While it’s not surprising that that Bharatiya Janata Party-led government is endorsing Vajpayee’s name, something it vociferously demanded even during the earlier United Progressive Alliance regime, the family members of Netaji are not keen on receiving the award as they feel that the government should first declassify the files which can reveal the truth behind his disappearance since 1945.
However, there are other names in the reckoning as well.
Here's a list of some renowned personalities in the fray for Bharat Ratna.
You decide whether they deserve the honour or not.
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Atal Bihari Vajpayee
A veteran BJP ideologue, Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the first prime minister from outside the Congress party to serve a full five-year term. Widely respected within the country and abroad as a statesman of the genre of Jawaharlal Nehru, he was conferred Padma Vibhushan in 1992 in recognition of his services to the nation.
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Netaji Subhas Chandra
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose is among the notable names in the fight for India's freedom. He was the founder of the Indian National Army. His sudden disappearance from Taiwan, led to various theories, concerning the possibilities of his survival
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Madan Mohan Malviya
Madan Mohan Malviya was a freedom fighter, an educationist and a social reformer with a vision of new India. This educationist founded the Banaras Hindu University or the Kashi Vishvidyalaya. A nationalistic to the core, he believed that the freedom from the foreign rule can be achieved only through right kind of education.
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Dhyan Chand
Dhyan Chand is considered the greatest Indian hockey player of all time. Born in Uttar Pradesh, Chand earned three Olympic gold medals in 1928, 1932 and 1936 in field hockey during India's most dominant phase in the sport. Known for his extraordinary goal-scoring feats and ball control, Chand scored over 400 international goals in his career. He was conferred the Padma Bhushan award after he retired from the army with the rank of major in 1956. He passed away on December 3, 1979.
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Kanshi Ram
Kanshi Ram was a politician and social activist who challenged the caste system into which he was born and founded the Bahujan Samaj Party in 1984 to give greater political power to the Dalits. Although he only briefly (1996–97) held a seat in Parliament, the BSP became a political force in Uttar Pradesh, where his protege, Mayawati, was the first Dalit chief minister (1995, 1997, 2002–03) of an Indian state.
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Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
Syed Ahmed Khan was an educator, politician and Islamic reformer. He helped pioneer modern education in Muslim communities through his foundation of the Aligarh Muslim University. His work inspired a new generation of Muslim reformers and led to the revival of Indian Islam in the late 19th century.
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Bhagat Singh
Bhagat Singh was among the prominent revolutionaries who shaped the base of a grand national movement. Following his execution, on March 23, 1931, the supporters and followers of Bhagat Singh regarded him as a 'shaheed' or 'martyr'.
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Rajguru
Rajguru laid down his life along with Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev for the freedom of India on March 23, 1931. They were hanged in Lahore (now in Pakistan) prison by the British rulers for killing of a British police officer J P Saunders in 1928 in order to take revenge for the death of another freedom struggle leader Lala Lajpat Rai due to excessive police beating. In the memory of these brave fearless sons of India March 23 is celebrated as Shaheed Diwas.
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Sukhdev
Sukhdev laid down his life along with Bhagat Singh and Rajguru for the freedom of India on March 23, 1931. They were hanged in Lahore (now in Pakistan) prison by the British rulers for killing of a British police officer J P Saunders in 1928 in order to take revenge for the death of another freedom struggle leader Lala Lajpat Rai due to excessive police beating. In the memory of these brave fearless sons of India March 23 is celebrated as Shaheed Diwas.
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Lala Lajpat Rai
Lala Lajpat Rai was one of the foremost leaders who fought against British rule in India. He was popularly known as Punjab Kesari (Lion of the Punjab). Lala Lajpat Rai was one of the three most prominent Hindu nationalist members of the Indian National Congress. He was part of the Lal-Bal-Pal trio. The other two members of the trio were Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Bipin Chandra Pal. They formed the extremist faction of the Indian National Congress, as opposed to the moderate one led first by Gopal Krishna Gokhale.
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Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Netaji Subhas Chandra
Madan Mohan Malviya
Dhyan Chand
Kanshi Ram
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
Bhagat Singh
Rajguru
Sukhdev
Lala Lajpat Rai