90th Birthday of the 14h Dalai Lama

The 14th Dalai Lama, born on 6 July 1935; full spiritual name: Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, shortened as Tenzin Gyatso; né Lhamo Thondup is the incumbent Dalai Lama, the highest spiritual leader and head of Tibetan Buddhism. He served as the resident spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet before 1959 and subsequently led the Tibetan government in exile represented by the Central Tibetan Administration in Dharamsala, India.

A belief central to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition as well as the institution of the Dalai Lama is that the reincarnated person is a living Bodhisattva, specifically an emanation of Avalokiteśvara, (in Sanskrit) or Chenrezig (in Tibetan), the Bodhisattva of Compassion. The Mongolic word dalai means ocean. The 14th Dalai Lama is also known to Tibetans as Gyalwa Rinpoche ("The Precious Jewel-like Buddha-Master"), Kundun ("The Presence"), and Yizhin Norbu ("The Wish-Fulfilling Gem"). His devotees, as well as much of the Western world, often call him His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He is the leader and a monk of the newest Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism.

The 14th Dalai Lama was born to a farming family in Takster (Hongya village), in the traditional Tibetan region of Amdo, at the time a Chinese frontier district. He was selected as the tulku of the 13th Dalai Lama in 1937, and formally recognized as the 14^th Dalai Lama in 1939. As with the recognition process for his predecessor, a Golden Urn selection process was waived and approved by the Central Government of the then – Republic of China.  His enthronement ceremony was held in Lhasa, on 22 February 1940. As Communist Chinese forces re-entered and annexed Central Tibet, Ganden Phodrang invested the Dalai Lama with temporal duties on 17 November 1950 (at 15 years of age) until his exile in 1959.

During the 1959 Tibetan uprising, the Dalai Lama escaped to India, where he continues to live. On 29 April 1959, the Dalai Lama established the independent Tibetan government in exile in the north Indian hill station of Mussoorie, which then moved in May 1960 to Dharamshala, where he resides. He retired as political head in 2011 to make way for a democratic government, the Central Tibetan Administration. The Dalai Lama advocates for the welfare of Tibetans and since the early 1970s has called for the Middle Way Approach with China to peacefully resolve the issue of Tibet. This policy, adopted democratically by the Central Tibetan Administration and the Tibetan people through long discussions, seeks to find a middle ground, "a practical approach and mutually beneficial to both Tibetans and Chinese, in which Tibetans can preserve their culture and religion and uphold their identity," and China's assertion of sovereignty over Tibet, aiming to address the interests of both parties through dialogue and communication and for Tibet to remain a part of China. He criticized the CIA Tibetan program, saying that its sudden end in 1972 proved it was primarily aimed at serving American interests.

Until reaching his mid-80s, the Dalai Lama travelled worldwide to give Tibetan Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism teachings, and his Kalachakra teachings and initiations were international events. He also attended conferences on a wide range of subjects, including the relationship between religion and science, met with other world leaders, religious leaders, philosophers, and scientists, online and in-person. Since 2018, he has continued to teach on a reduced schedule, limiting his travel to within India only, and occasionally addressing international audiences via live webcasts. His work includes focus on the environment, economics, women’s rights, nonviolence, interfaith dialogue, physics, astronomy, Buddhism and science, cognitive neuroscience, reproductive health and sexuality.

The Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1889. Time magazine named the Dalai Lama Gandhi’s spiritual heir to nonviolence. The 12th General Assembly of the Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace in New Delhi unanimously recognized the Dalai Lama's contributions to global peace, his lifelong efforts in uniting Buddhist communities worldwide, and bestowed upon him the title of "Universal Supreme Leader of the Buddhist World"; they also designated 6 July, his birthday, as the Universal Day of Compassion.

Cape Verde Independence Day

 

Independence Day is a public holiday in Cape Verde, observed on July 5th each year.

This is the National Day of Cape Verde and commemorates the country's independence from Portugal on this day in 1975.

History of Independence Day

Cape Verde is an island country consisting of 10 volcanic islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Northwest Africa.

The islands were uninhabited when they were discovered by Portuguese navigators in the middle of the 15th century. Portuguese settlers arrived in 1462, establishing the first permanent European settlement in the tropics.

The islands benefited from their position, first as a stopping off point for the Atlantic slave trade and then as a location for re-supplying ships bound for the Americas.

The call for nationalism had grown louder after the end of the second world war. So much so that in 1951, Portugal changed Cape Verde's status from a colony to an overseas province to try and reduce the increasing disenfranchisement with colonial rule.

The nationalist movement in Cape Verde was entwined with the other Portuguese territory in the area, Portuguese Guinea. In 1956, Amílcar Cabral, a Guinean organized the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC). The aims of the PAIGC were to improve the economic, social and political conditions in Cape Verde and Portuguese Guinea and formed the basis of the two nations' independence movements.

These demands erupted into a war on the African mainland, with Portuguese Guinea declaring independence in 1973.

The April 1974 revolution in Portugal led to change of approach to its overseas territories, and in 1974 the PAIGC and Portugal signed an agreement providing for a transitional government composed of Portuguese and Cape Verdeans. On June 30th 1975, Cape Verdeans elected a National Assembly which received the instruments of independence from Portugal on July 5th 1975.

 

World Badminton Day

 

World Badminton Day, held on July 5th each year is an eagerly anticipated event for passionate badminton enthusiasts worldwide. It pays homage to its journey through the years, while embodying its unrelenting spirit in this annual gathering. Furthermore, it showcases how practicing badminton can catalyze personal growth and positively transform both communities and nations alike.

On July 5th,1934 the International Badminton Federation (IBF) was founded marking a historical moment for world badminton and inclusive badminton activities. Thus, World Badminton Day was inaugurated, to commemorate this momentous occasion. Originally known as the IBF, this unified governing body of badminton sport worldwide, was established by nine founding member nations.

World Badminton Day signifies not only a celebration but it showcases the essential values ingrained in badminton. It emphasizes inclusivity that promotes global badminton culture, collaboration and elevates development at all levels. This day acts as a catalyst in promoting awareness about badminton. We witness diverse age groups and backgrounds come together to celebrate. This includes players, athletes and enthusiasts who have driven badmintons' success to become one of the most compelling sports of modern history.

World Badminton Day collaboratively develops events with vibrant themes that encompasses culture, music and food. This helps to broaden its network and enrich the platform appropriately.  It provides players globally with a sense of camaraderie fostering unity- a bond irrefutable by geographical borders. This occasion transcends limitations and unites people from diverse backgrounds through their mutual admiration for badminton.

 

Alluri Sitarama Raju's Birth Anniversary

 

Alluri Sitarama Raju, born on 4 July 1897 or 1898, in Pandrangi, Madras Presidency, British India (present-day Andhra Pradesh, India), was an Indian revolutionary who waged an armed rebellion against the British colonial rule in India. He led the Rampa rebellion (1922–1924) which was borne from rising discontent towards British colonial rule in the backdrop of the non-cooperation movement (1920–1922). To recruit for his force, Raju harnessed grievances caused by the 1882 Madras Forest Act that effectively restricted the free movement of adivasis in their forest habitats and prevented them from practicing their traditional form of agriculture called ‘podu’, which threatened their very way of life. Mustering combined forces of tribals and other sympathisers to the cause, he engaged in guerilla campaigns against British forces across the border regions of present-day Andhra Pradesh and Odisha states in India. He was given the title "Manyam Veerudu" (transl. Hero of the Jungle) by the local people for his exploits.

Born into a Telegu family in present day Andhra Pradesh as Alluri Rama Raju, he prefixed the name "Sita" to his in memory of a girl whom he loved during his youth and whose untimely demise at a young age left him heartbroken. He later took up sannyasa at the age of 18 and grew to become a charismatic leader of the downtrodden tribal people in the 20th century colonial India. As the leader of the Manyam rebellion or the Rampa Rebellion of 1922, Alluri Sitarama Raju led his forces against the British colonial rulers with an aim of expelling them from the Eastern Ghats region in the erstwhile Madras Presidency. During the rebellion he led numerous raids on the imperial police stations to acquire firearms for his under-equipped forces. After each raid, he would leave a written note in the station signed by him informing the police about the details of his plunder there, including details of the weaponry he acquired daring them to stop him if they could.

Police stations in and around areas of Annavaram, Addateegala, Chintapalle, Dammanapalli, Krishna Devi Peta, Rampachodavaram, Rajavommangi, and Narsipatnam were all targeted by his forces, which resulted in significant police casualties. In response to these raids and to quell the rebellion, the British colonial authorities undertook a nearly two year long manhunt for Alluri Sitarama Raju that resulted in expenditures reaching over ₹4 million rupees. Eventually, in 1924, he was trapped at Koyyuru village in Chintapalle forests. There, he was captured, tied to a tree, and was summarily executed by a firing squad. A mausoleum with his final remains was built in the village of Krishnadevipeta in Andhra Pradesh.

 

Gulzarilal Nanda's Birth Anniversary

Gulzarilal Nanda, born on 4 July 1898, in Sialkot, Punjab, British India [now in Pakistan], was an Indian politician who twice served briefly as interim prime minister, in 1964 following the death of Jawaharlal Nehru and in 1966 upon the death of Lal Bahadur Shastri. Nanda was a member of the cabinet of both prime ministers whom he succeeded, and he was known for his work on labour issues.

Nanda grew up in Punjab and was educated in Lahore, Agra, and Allahabad. He researched labour problems at the University of Allahabad in 1920–21 before becoming an economics professor at the National College in Bombay (now Mumbai). He joined Mahatma Gandhi’s non-cooperation movement and was twice jailed for civil disobedience.

Nanda was elected to Bombay’s legislative assembly in 1937, where he served as Parliament secretary for labour and excise (1937–39) and as Bombay’s secretary of labour (1946–50). In the latter capacity, he was instrumental in forming the Indian National Trade Union Congress (and later became its president), and in 1947 he represented India at the International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, where he was a member of its Freedom of Association Committee.

Nanda held several cabinet positions in the government of India. He was named minister of planning in 1951, and the following year, after his election to the Lok Sabha (legislative assembly), he was also given the portfolio of irrigation and power. In 1957 he became minister of labour, employment, and planning. He also served as minister of labour and employment (1962–63) and of home affairs (1963–66) in addition to being called on as interim prime minister. He later was minister of railways (1970–71). In 1997, Nanda was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award.

 

 

World Meerkat Day

 

World Meerkat Day is celebrated annually on July 3rd to raise awareness about meerkats and promote their conservation.

Significance of the Day

World Meerkat Day was established to highlight the importance of meerkats in their ecosystems and to encourage conservation efforts. The day aims to educate the public about these fascinating creatures, which are part of the mongoose family and are known for their social behaviour and unique roles within their groups, called mobs or clans. 

History

World Meerkat Day was founded in 2018 by Australian zookeeper Karen James at the Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, New South Wales, Australia. The initiative was created to provide a dedicated day for meerkats, as there was no specific celebration for this beloved species. 

Patrice Lumumba's Birth Anniversary

 

Patrice Émery Lumumba, born Isaïe Tasumbu Tawosa;on 2 July 1925, in Onalua, Belgian Congo [now Democratic Republic of the Congo], was a Congolese politician and independence leader who served as the first Prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo (then known as the Republic of the Congo) from June until September 1960, following the May 1960 election. He was the leader of the Congolese National Movement (MNC) from 1958 until his assassination in 1961. Ideologically an African nationalist and pan-Africanist, he played a significant role in the transformation of the Congo from a colony of Belgium into an independent republic.

Shortly after Congolese independence in June 1960, a mutiny broke out in the army, marking the beginning of the Congo Crisis. After a coup, Lumumba attempted to escape to Stanleyville to join his supporters who had established a new anti-Mobutu state called the Free Republic of the Congo. Lumumba was captured enroute by state authorities under Joseph-Désiré Mobutu (Sese Seko), sent to the State of Katanga and, with the help of Belgian mercenaries, tortured and executed by the separatist Katangan authorities of Moïse Tshombe. In 2002, Belgium formally apologized for its role in the execution, admitting "moral responsibility", and in 2022, they returned Lumumba’s tooth to his family. He is seen as a martyr for the pan-African movement.