Two rupee coins: Republic India

Two rupee coins: Republic India - VIII

 

2 rupee, water for life

The food and agriculture organization or the F.A.O. celebrates the world food day every year on 16th October, starting from 1945. The organization has themes for each year, and the theme for 1994 was water for life, recognizing the value of water in our lives which is so easily overlooked simply because water is so abundantly available , that too for a negiligible amount of money. But it has to be realized that we cannot keep on using and polluting water indiscriminately without even a second thought. Water may comprise 70% of the planet, but fresh water is in limited supply so it has to be treasured. Unmindful pumping out the ground water can cause water table depletion and that can have some dire consequences in the long run. So, the Indian government decided to mint the above coin in an effort to educate the people regarding the importance and the value of water.

2 rupee, 150 years of railways

This coin was minted on the occasion of the completion of 150 years of the Indian railways since its inception on April 16, 1853. The 150th year was marked by year long celebrations and was capped off by unveiling the railway mascot, Bholu the elephant, which is also shown on the obverse of this coin. The elephant was chosen as a mascot because elephants carry load, and are not aggressive. Thus the mascot keeps in line with the projected "big, friendly and helpful" image of the Indian railways.

History of Indian railways: The railway network was laid in India by the British to intermesh the economies of the two countries. The building of railways in India brought about unintended as well as hoped for consequences in economic, political and military front. The new railways tied the the different parts of India together more closely than ever before.

There were Indian merchants , both in Calcutta and Bombay who took an interest in founding of the railways. The most prominent of these was a remarkable Bengali merchant Prince Dwarkanath Tagore , grandfather of Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore. Dwarkanath's firm Carr, Tagore & Company, is reported to have offered in 1844, to raise one-third of the capital required for a railway from Calcutta northwest to the coalfields above Burdwan. After Dwarkanath's premature death a few years later the other Indian businessmen played only a passive role. The conception, promotion and launching of India's railways were all British. ( Daniel Thorner 1955)

The Railway Age dawned in India on 16th. April 1853, when the first train ran from Bombay to Thane, a distance of 21 miles(33.81 Km.) For some years before that the idea of building railways in India had taken concrete shape with the Court of Directors of the East India Company in London. The East India Company had obtained a foothold in India as a trading company, but gradually lost most of its privileges it had enjoyed as an instrument of commerce. It had , however been made responsible for the governance of India under the supervision of a Court of Directors in London. The final authority lay , of course , with the British Cabinet, who acted on the advice of its special Board of \control for Indian Affairs. There was a Governor General at Fort William in Calcutta, having superintending authority over the administration of India.

The first proposals for construction of railways in India were presented in 1844 to East India Company in London by, (a) East Indian Railway Company headed by R.McDonald Stephenson, and (b) Great Indian Peninsula Railway Company.

George Stephenson the great British Locomotive inventor was one the first Directors of GIPR and his son Robert Stephenson was appointed as the consulting engineer based at London.

Both E.I.R. and G.I.P.R were incorporated in England for the purpose of constructing railway lines in Calcutta and Bombay presidencies respectively. Though GIPR company was formed in 1844. George Stephenson could not see his Locomotives run on Indian soil as he died in 1848.

Lord Hardinge was the Governor General of India at this point of time. He considered the proposals from political, military and commercial point of view and thought that Court Of Directors of East India Company should liberally give assistance to private capitalists, willing to make railways in India , without waiting for proof that the construction of railways in India should yield reasonable profit. The Court of Directors in their suggestion that the first attempt should be made on a limited scale due to some difficultiesn like

1. Periodical rains and inundations;

2. The continued action of violent winds, and influence of a vertical sun;

3. The ravages of insects and vermin upon timber and earth work;

4. The destructive effect of spontaneous vegetation of Underwood upon earth and brick work;

5. The unenclosed and unprotected tracts of the country though which railroads would pass;

6. The difficulty and expenses of securing the services of competent and trustworthy engineers.

Inspite of all the difficulties, and whatever may the reason be for the British building the railways, this was one good work that the British did in India that proved immensely beneficial for us in the long run.

2 rupee, Sri Aurobindo

On the reverse, we can see the figure of Sri Aurobindo within the circumscribing lettering "Sri Aurobindo all life is yoga", which is also written in Hindi. Sri Aurobindo was born in Calcutta on 15 August 1872. At the age of seven he was taken to England for education and in 1890 went up to King's College, Cambridge. Here he stood in the first class in the Classical Tripos and also passed the final examination for the Indian Civil Service. Returning to India in 1893, he worked for the next thirteen years in the Princely State of Baroda in the service of the Maharaja and as a professor in Baroda College. During this period he also joined a revolutionary society and took a leading role in secret preparations for an uprising against the British Government in India.

After the Partition of Bengal in 1905, Sri Aurobindo quit his post in Baroda and went to Calcutta, where he soon became one of the leaders of the Nationalist movement. He was the first political leader in India to openly put forward, in his journal Bande Mataram, the ideal of complete independence for the country. Prosecuted twice for sedition and once for conspiracy, he was released each time for lack of evidence.

Sri Aurobindo had begun the practice of Yoga in 1905 in Baroda. In 1908 he had the first of several fundamental spiritual realizations. In 1910 he withdrew from politics and went to Pondicherry in order to devote himself entirely to his inner spiritual life and work. During his forty years in Pondicherry he evolved a new method of spiritual practice, which he called the Integral Yoga. Its aim is a spiritual realisation that not only liberates man's consciousness but also transforms his nature. In 1926, with the help of his spiritual collaborator, the Mother, he founded the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. Among his many writings are The Life Divine, The Synthesis of Yoga and Savitri. Sri Aurobindo left his body on 5 December 1950.

Two rupee coins: Republic India-VII

2 rupee: Chhatrapati Shivaji

Chhatrapati Shivaji founded the Hindu kingdom in the Deccan against all odds , fighting against the mighty Mughals.He inspired and united the common man to fight against the tyranny of Mughal ruler Aurangjeb, by inculcating a sense of pride and nationality in them.

At the age of 16, he took a pledge to establish a sovereign Hindu state.He clearly outstands all the rulers and generals of India by the exemplary life he lived and is thus respected by the entire cross section of Indians. Shivaji's military skills could be compared to those of Napolean.

He raised a strong army and navy, constructed and repaired forts, used gureilla warfare tactics,developed a strong intelligence network,gave equal treatment to the people from all religions and castes based on merit, and functioned like a seasoned Statesman and General. He appointed ministers with specific functions such as Internal security,Foreign affairs,Finance,Law and Justice,Religious matters,Defence etc.

He introduced systems in revenue collection and warned the officials against harassment of subjects.He thought ahead of times and was a true visionary.In his private life, his moral virtues were exceptionally high.His thoughts and deeds were inspired by the teachings of his mother Jijabai,teacher Dadaji Konddev,great saints like Dnyaneshwar & Tukaram and the valiancy and ideals of the Lords Rama and Krishna.

The tiny kingdom established by Chhatrapati Shivaji known as "Hindavi Swaraja" (Sovereign Hindu state) grew and spread beyond Attock in Northwest India (now in Pakistan)and beyond Cuttack in East India in course of time, to become the strongest power in India. After the death of Chhatrapati Shivaji & his son Sambhaji, their prime ministers or ‘the Peshwas' became the defacto rulers. The Peshwas and the Maratha Sardars (Chieftans) like Shindes of Gwalior, Gaekwads of Baroda & Holkars of Indore contributed to the growth of the Maratha Confederacy.

The history of India is incomplete without the history of Marathas and Shivaji is the nucleus of Maratha history. Shivaji has been a source of inspiration and pride to the past generations and will continue to inspire generations in future.

2 rupee: Chittaranjan Das

Chittaranjan Das, whose life is a landmark in the history of India's struggle for freedom, was endearingly called 'Deshbandhu' (Friend of the country). Born on November 5, 1870 in Calcutta, he belonged to an upper middle class Vaidya family of Telirbagh in the then Dacca district. His father, Bhuban Moban Das, was a reputed solicitor of the Calcutta High Court. An ardent member of the Brahmo Samaj, he was also well-known for his intellectual and Journalistic pursuits. Chittaranjan's patriotic ideas were greatly influenced by his father's.

In 1894 Das came back to India and enrolled himself as a Barrister of the Calcutta High Court. But he did not get the backing badly needed to make a good start in the profession.

In 1907 he appeared as the defence lawyer of Brahma (bhadhav) Upedhyaya and Bhupendranath Dutta who were prosecuted for sedition. His abilities as an advocate evoked general admiration, though he did not succeed in baffling the prosecution. The turning point in his career came when he was called upon to appear on behalf of Aurobindo Ghose in the Alipore Bomb Case (1908). It was due to his brilliant handling of the case that Aurobindo was ultimately acquitted. This case brought Das to the forefront professionally and politically.

Chittaranjan was the defence counsel in the Dacca Conspiracy Case (1910-11). He was famed for his handling of both civil and criminal law.He came to the forefront of nationalist politics in 1917.

In 1918, both at the Congress special session in Bombay and at the Annual Session in Delhi, Das opposed the scheme of Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms as wholly inadequate and disappointing. The demand for Provincial Autonomy was successfully propounded in the teeth of vehement opposition from Mrs. Besant and others. In 1919 Chittaranjan went to Punjab as a member of the non-official Jallianwala Bagh Enquiry Committee. At the Amritsar Congress (1919) he made the first advocacy of obstruction while opposing the idea of co-operation with the Government in the implementation of the 1919 Reforms.

Deshbandhu wanted "Swaraj for the masses, not for the classes." He believed in non-violent and constitutional methods for the realisation of national independence. In the economic field, Das stressed the need of constructive work in villages. A champion of national education and vernacular medium, he felt that the masses should be properly educated to participate in the nationalist movement. Chittaranjan also made his mark as a poet and an essayist. His religious and social outlook was liberal. A believer in women's emancipation, he supported the spread of female education and widow re-marriage. An advocate of intercaste marriage, he gave his own daughters in marriage Brahmm and Kayastha families.

Chittaranjan passed away on June 16, 1925 at Darjeeling at the age of 55. Great as a jurist, Chittaranjan was the greatest and most dynamic leader of the then Bengal. Above all, he was an apostle of Indian nationalism.

Two rupee coins: Republic India-VI

2 rupee Syama Prasad Mukerjee

Shyama Prasad Mukherjee is considered the godfather of modern Hindutva and Hindu Nationalism. He inherited a rich tradition of erudite scholarship, fervent nationalism and fearlessness from his illustrious father, Sir Asutosh Mookerjee. Mukherjee founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the first Hindu nationalist political party of its kind, and was also the leader of the Hindu Mahasabha and closely associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. His death created a void in the public life of the nation as a whole and of West Bengal in particular, which is hard to fill. He was one of the few persons who could have given a lead to the intelligentsia of West Bengal in the difficult situation arising out of partition.

Along with Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Mookerjee is considered the godfather of Hindu nationalism in India, especially the Hindutva movement. He is widely revered by members and supporters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.

Mookerjee was a major role model to Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who made the BJS the chief Hindu conservative political party in the 1960s and 1970s, and founded its successor, the Bharatiya Janata Party. The BJP has become one of the two largest national political parties, the other being the Indian National Congress Party, and had formed the Government from 1998 to 2004, with Vajpayee serving as the Prime Minister of India.

The Post and Telegraphs Department feels privileged to issue a commemorative stamp in honor of this great son of India. On August 27, 1998, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (governed by the BJP) named a bridge after Mookerjee. In 2001, the main research funding insitute of the Government of India named CSIR instituted a new fellowship named after him. The Shyama Prasad Mukhejee Fellowship is the most prestigious fellowship given in India for doing PhD.

2 rupee: Globalizing Indian agriculture(Agriexpo 95)

2 rupee: Sant Tukaram

Tukaram was born in 1608, in the small village of Dehu in the West Indian state of Maharashtra to Bolhoba and Kanakai a couple belonging to the lower Sudra class. He had two other brothers. Despite their lower class status the family was well to do and enjoyed good social standing in the village. Tukaram's troubles started with the illness of his father, due to which he had to start supporting his family at the tender age of thirteen. Shortly thereafter, both his parents died. Tukaram's problems only mounted; death of his family members and economic hardship seemed to plague him. Tukaram was married twice, his first wife Rakhumabai died due to starvation during a famine, his second wife Jijabai or Avali as she was called, was much younger than his first had been and had little patience with his devotion and for God and she nagged him continuously. He had three sons. Tukaram was initiated without any intermediaries as the other saints usually were. He dreamt that he was initiated by the Lord Hari himself dressed as a Brahman. Tukaram continuously sang the praises of the Lord, he sang it in the form of abhangs which he wrote. These were in his mother tongue Marathi. The abhangs express his feelings and philosophical outlook. During his 41 years, Tukaram composed over 5,000 abhangs. Many of them speak of events in his life, which make them somewhat autobiographical. Yet, they are focused on God, Pandurang, and not Tukaram. His abhangs became very popular with the masses of common people. It was this very popularity that caused the religious establishment (the high caste Brahmins) to hate and persecute Tukaram. as, he was causing them to lose their power over the people. There are many miracles attributed to Tukaram.

Two rupee coins: Republic India-V

Subhash Chandra Bose netaji 1996 error date

The above coin may look like a normal circulated coin. A look at the date and we see 1996; but Subhash Chandra Bose, also known as Netaji, was born in 1897 and his centenary was completed in 1997. The Calcutta mint released a small quantity of Bose centenary coins in 1996, making the above coin a rare one. The date on the coin is the error. This one is quite pricey even in the shown condition, and the current price is shooting up like anything because it is not available at any place.

2 rupee: Subhas Chandra Bose, 1997

Subhas Chandra Bose ( born January 23, 1897; presumed to have died August 18, 1945 although this is disputed), popularly known as Netaji (literally "Respected Leader"), was a leader in the Indian independence movement.

Bose was elected president of the Indian National Congress for two consecutive terms but had to resign from the post following ideological conflicts with Mahatma Gandhi and after openly attacking Congress foreign and internal policy. Bose believed that Mahatma Gandhi's tactics of non-violence would never be sufficient to secure India's independence, and advocated violent resistance. He established a separate political party, the All India Forward Bloc and continued to call for the full and immediate independence of India from British rule. He was imprisoned by the British authorities 11 times.

His stance did not change with the outbreak of the Second World War, which he saw as an opportunity to take advantage of British weakness. At the outset of the war, he went away from India and travelled to the Soviet Union, Germany and Japan, seeking an alliance with the aim of attacking the British in India. With Japanese assistance, he re-organised and later led the Indian National Army, formed from Indian prisoners-of-war and plantation workers from British Malaya, Singapore, and other parts of Southeast Asia, against British forces. With Japanese monetary, political, diplomatic and military assistance, he formed the Azad Hind Government in exile and regrouped and led the Indian National Army in battle against the allies at Imphal and in Burma.

His political views and the alliances he made with Nazi and other militarist regimes at war with Britain have been the cause of arguments among historians and politicians, with some accusing him of fascist sympathies, while others in India have been more sympathetic towards the inculcation of realpolitik as a manifesto that guided his social and political choices.

Bose advocated complete freedom for India at the earliest, whereas the Congress Committee wanted it in phases, through a Dominion status. Other younger leaders including Jawaharlal Nehru supported Bose and finally at the historic Lahore Congress convention, the Congress had to adopt Purna Swaraj (complete freedom) as its motto. Bhagat Singh's martyrdom and the inability of the Congress leaders to save his life infuriated Bose and he started a movement opposing the Gandhi-Irwin Pact. He was imprisoned and expelled from India. But defying the ban, he came back to India and was imprisoned again.

He is presumed to have died on 18 August 1945 in a plane crash over Taiwan. However, contradictory evidence exists regarding his death in the accident.

2 rupee: Louis Braille

The lettering on the reverse below figure in Braille script reads: L.BRL , short for Louis Braille.

There was a time, not long ago, when most people thought that blind people could never learn to read. People thought that the only way to read was to look at words with your eyes.

A young French boy named Louis Braille thought otherwise. Blind from the age of three, young Louis desperately wanted to read. He realized the vast world of thought and ideas that was locked out to him because of his disability. And he was determined to find the key to this door for himself, and for all other blind persons.

This story begins in the early part of the nineteenth century. Louis Braille was born in 1809, in a small village near Paris. His father made harnesses and other leather goods to sell to the other villagers. Louis' father often used sharp tools to cut and punch holes in the leather.

One of the tools he used to makes holes was a sharp awl. An awl is a tool that looks like a short pointed stick, with a round, wooden handle. While playing with one of his father's awls, Louis' hand slipped and he accidentally poked one of his eyes. At first the injury didn't seem serious, but then the wound became infected. A few days later young Louis lost sight in both his eyes. The first few days after becoming blind were very hard.

But as the days went by Louis learned to adapt and learned to lead an otherwise normal life. He went to school with all his friends and did well at his studies. He was both intelligent and creative. He wasn't going to let his disability slow him down one bit.As he grew older, he realized that the small school he attended did not have the money and resources he needed. He heard of a school in Paris that was especially for blind students. Louis didn't have to think twice about going. He packed his bags and went off to find himself a solid education.When he arrived at the special school for the blind, he asked his teacher if the school had books for blind persons to read. Louis found that the school did have books for the blind to read.These books had large letters that were raised up off the page. Since the letters were so big, the books themselves were large and bulky. More importantly, the books were expensive to buy. The school had exactly fourteen of them.Louis set about reading all fourteen books in the school library. He could feel each letter, but it took him a long time to read a sentence. It took a few seconds to reach each word and by the time he reached the end of a sentence, he almost forgot what the beginning of the sentence was about. Louis knew there must be a better way.There must be a way for a blind person to quickly feel the words on a page. There must be a way for a blind person to read as quickly and as easily as a sighted person.That day he set himself the goal of thinking up a system for blind people to read. He would try to think of some alphabet code to make his 'finger reading' as quick and easy as sighted reading.

Now Louis was a tremendously creative person. He learned to play the cello and organ at a young age. He was so talented an organist that he played at churches all over Paris. Music was really his first love. It also happened to be a steady source of income. Louis had great confidence in his own creative abilities. He knew that he was as intelligent and creative as any other person his own age. And his musical talent showed how much he could accomplish when given a chance.

One day chance walked in the door. Somebody at the school heard about an alphabet code that was being used by the French army. This code was used to deliver messages at night from officers to soldiers. The messages could not be written on paper because the soldier would have to strike a match to read it. The light from the match would give the enemy a target at which to shoot. The alphabet code was made up of small dots and dashes. These symbols were raised up off the paper so that soldiers could read them by running their fingers over them. Once the soldiers understood the code, everything worked fine. Louis got hold of some of this code and tried it out. It was much better than reading the gigantic books with gigantic raised letters.

But the army code was still slow and cumbersome. The dashes took up a lot of space on a page. Each page could only hold one or two sentences. Louis knew that he could improve this alphabet in some way. On his next vacation home, he would spend all his time working on finding a way to make this improvement. When he arrived home for school vacation, he was greeted warmly by his parents.

His mother and father always encouraged him on his music and other school projects. Louis sat down to think about how he could improve the system of dots and dashes. He liked the idea of the raised dots, but could do without the raised dashes. As he sat there in his father's leather shop, he picked up one of his father's blunt awls. The idea came to him in a flash. The very tool which had caused him to go blind could be used to make a raised dot alphabet that would enable him to read. The next few days he spent working on an alphabet made up entirely of six dots. The position of the different dots would represent the different letters of the alphabet. Louis used the blunt awl to punch out a sentence. He read it quickly from left to right. Everything made sense. It worked...

And thus, we got the Braille script, which enabled thousands of blind people around the world to read, and give and take ideas and knowledge with the world.

2 rupee: Indian Air Force platinum jubilee

The Indian Air Force ( Bhartiya Vāyu Senā) is the air arm of the armed forces of India. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict. It was officially established on October 8, 1932 as an auxiliary air force of the Indian Empire and the prefix Royal was added in 1945 in recognition of its services during the World War II. After India achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1947, the Royal Indian Air Force served the Union of India, with the prefix being dropped when India became a republic in 1950.

Since independence, the IAF has been involved in four conflicts with neighboring Pakistan and one with the People's Republic of China. Other major operations undertaken by the IAF include Operation Vijay, Operation Meghdoot and Operation Cactus.

The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the IAF. The Chief of Air Staff, an officer with the rank of Air Chief Marshal, commands the Air Force. There is usually only one serving officer of that rank at any given time in the IAF. One officer has been conferred a 5-star rank, that of Marshal of the Air Force.

Two rupee coins: Republic India-IV

2 rupee, 1990: National integration

The theme for the 2 rupee coin has been national integration since the inception of the 2 rupee coin in 1982, and the design continued till 2004-05 when the controversial 2 rupee with the cross was introduced. The reverse on this coin shows the denomination, country and the four headed lion symbol. The obverse shows the map of India. The small dots on the left are the Lakshadweep Islands, and the line of dots below the "national integration" inscription and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Hindi inscription above the map reads "rashtriya ekta" which means national integration. The date can be seen at the bottom. This was the first design of the 2 rupee coin, released for the first time in 1990.

2 rupee, Asian Games 1982

This 2 rupee coin was released on the occasion of the IXth Asian games, which were held at Delhi in 1982. The Asian Games, also called the Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The games are regulated by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) under the supervision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Medals are awarded in each event, with gold for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition which started in 1951.

The first Asian Games were held in New Delhi in 1951, where they were held again in 1982.

Competitors are entered by a National Olympic Committee (NOC) to represent their country of citizenship. National anthems and flags accompany the medal ceremonies, and tables showing the number of medals won by each country are widely used. In general only recognised nations are represented, but a few non-sovereign countries are allowed to take part. The special case of Taiwan was handled by having it compete as Chinese Taipei, due to the political status of Taiwan.

The figure on the obverse is the Jantar Mantar, which was the logo of the Asian games of 1982 and has also featured on many coins and stamps. The jantar mantar is situated at what is now the Connaught place area of Delhi, and was built by raja Sawai Jai Singh, the founder of Jaipur between 1710 and 1724. It is actually a complex observatory built in the 18th century, the dark age of Indian history. The Maharaja built five such Jantar Mantars including one at Delhi. The other four monuments are built at Jaipur, Varanasi, Ujjain and Mathura. Delhi’s monument, however, is historically the most important in all the five.it also serves somewhat like London’s Hyde Park, as the venue of all sorts of protests and demonstrations by individuals, groups and even larger political parties.

As you enter the Jantar Mantar, you find some abstract structures within its premises. They are, in fact, yantras- instruments to track the celestial bodies, plot their course, predict the eclipses and keep the time. There are four yantras-- Samrat, Misra, Jai Prakash and Ram. They tell a lot about the technological achievements under the Rajput kings and their efforts to understand the mysteries of astronomy. These yantras were designed by the Maharaja himself.

Jantar Mantar at Delhi

2 rupee, Vallabhbhai Patel

Sardar Patel was popularly known as Iron Man of India. His full name was Vallabhbhai Patel. He played a leading role in the Indian freedom struggle and became the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of India. He is credited with achieving political integration of India.

Vallabhbhai Patel was born on October 31, 1875 in Nadiad, a small village in Gujarat. His father Jhaverbhai was a farmer and mother Laad Bai was a simple lady. Sardar Vallabhai's early education took place in Karamsad. Then he joined a school in Petlad. After two years he joined a high school in a town called Nadiad. He passed his high school examination in 1896. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was a brilliant student throughout his schooling.

Vallabhbhai wanted to become a barrister. To realize this ambition he had to go to England. But he did not have the financial means to even join a college India. In those days a candidate could study in private and sit for an examination in Law. Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel borrowed books from a lawyer of his acquaintance and studied at home. Occasionally he attended courts of law and listened attentively to the arguments of lawyer. Vallabhbhai passed the Law examination with flying colours.

Sardar Patel returned to India in 1913 and started his practice in Ahmedabad. Soon he became popular. At the urging of his friends, Patel contested and won elections to become the sanitation commissioner of Ahmedabad in 1917. Sardar Patel was deeply impressed by Gandhiji's success in Champaran Satyagraha. In 1918, there was a drought in the Kheda division of Gujarat. Peasants asked for relief from the high rate of taxes but the British government refused. Gandhiji took up peasants cause but could not devote his full time in Kheda. He was looking for someone who could lead the struggle in his absence. At this point Sardar Patel volunteered to come forward and lead the struggle. He gave up his lucrative legal practice and entered public life.

Vallabhbhai successfully led peasants revolt in Kheda and the revolt ended in 1919 when the British government agreed to suspend collection of revenue and roll back the rates. Kheda Satyagraha turned Vallabhbhai Patel into a national hero. Vallabhbhai supported Gandhi's Non-Cooperation Movement, and as president of the Gujarat Congress, helped in organizing bonfires of British goods in Ahmedabad. He gave up his English clothes and started wearing Khadi. Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel was elected Ahmedabad's municipal president in 1922, 1924 and 1927. During his terms, Ahmedabad was extended a major supply of electricity and underwent major education reforms. Drainage and sanitation systems were extended over all the city.

In 1928, Bardoli Taluka in Gujarat suffered from floods and famine. In this hour of distress the British government raised the revenue taxes by thirty percent. Sardar Patel took up cudgels on behalf of the farmers and appealed to the Governor to reduce the taxes. The Governor refused and the government even announced the date of the collection of the taxes. Sardar Patel organized the farmers and told them not to pay even a single pie of tax. The government tried to repress the revolt but ultimately bowed before Vallabhbhai Patel. It was during the struggle and after the victory in Bardoli that caused intense excitement across India, that Patel was increasingly addressed by his colleagues and followers as Sardar.


Crowning glory:

There were 565 princely states in India at that time. Some of the Maharajas and Nawabs who ruled over these were sensible and patriotic. But most of them were drunk with wealth and power. They were dreaming of becoming independent rulers once the British quit India. They argued that the government of free India should treat them as equals. Some of them went to the extent of planning to send their representatives to the United Nations Organization. Patel invoked the patriotism of India's monarchs, asking them to join in the freedom of their nation and act as responsible rulers who cared about the future of their people. He persuaded the princes of 565 states of the impossibility of independence from the Indian republic, especially in the presence of growing opposition from their subjects. With great wisdom and political foresight, he consolidated the small kingdoms. The public was with him. He tackled the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Nawab of Junagarh who initially did not want to join India. Sardar Patel's untiring efforts towards the unity of the country brought success. He united a scattered nation without much bloodshed. Due to the achievement of this massive task, Sardar Patel got the title of 'Iron Man'. Sardar Patel died of cardiac arrest on December 15, 1950. For his services to the nation Sardar Patel was conferred with Bharat Ratna in 1991.

Two rupee coins: Republic India-III

2 rupee: small family happy family

India is the second most populous country in the world after China, and a few years back the population touched the one billion mark. India thus became the second 'billionaire' country after China. Now the government of India realizes the pressure that such a huge population would put on the country's resources, and certain measures had to be taken to counter the rapid rate of growth of the population. India is facing an intense crisis of resources. There is fierce competition for the nation's limited natural resources leading to quarrels between states, between communities and even families. Our land and water resources are being exploited to the hilt. The exploitation of mineral resources is threatening forests, nature reserves, and ecology. Seventy percent of the energy resources need to be imported putting constant pressure on us to export more or face currency devaluation. Over use of resources is contributing to natural disasters occurring more frequently and with greater devastation.

To counter the explosive growth of population, family planning has been advocated and advertised for long by the government. In the advertisements, a small family is talked to be the key to happiness, and for long a policy of "hum do, hamare do" has been advocated by the government. This means that the two people(husband and wife) should have no more than two children, thus controlling the population; and this is the very theme for this coin.

2 rupee, 2007

An uproar was created by the release of the 2 rupee coin with the cross-like sign, which the government says to be based on unity in diversity. You can see the post on the 2 rupee with cross sign. due to the uproar, the government had to withdraw the previous design , and it was replaced with the design shown above.

2 rupee, 1995: Saint Thiruvalluvar

St. Thiruvalluvar, the author of THIRUKKURAL was born about 30 years before Jesus Christ in Mylapore, the village of peacocks (Myl in Tamil means peacock), the present day Chennai, at a time when the Tamil Land was rich in culture, vivid in its life and adventurous in its commerce. Valluvars were the priests of outcaste people at that time. Tamilians take cognizance of the birth of Thiruvalluvar as a basis of Tamil calendar according to which we are now in the year 2032 of Thiruvalluvar Aandu (Year). Thirukkural is regarded as a renowned work, eulogized as a directory of code of conduct and ethics to humanity. The revered poet not only deals with the general administration, but also codified clear-cut directions to the mankind on how they should behave and act in a social, political, religious and family circles.

Thiruvalluvar used to keep by his side, when he sat for meals, a needle and a small cup filled with water. Once, his host asked him as to why he insisted on having these two placed by the side of the plate. He said, "Food should not be wasted, even a grain is precious. Sometimes, stray grains of cooked rice or stray pieces of cooked vegetables fall off the plate or away from it. While I eat, I lift them off the floor, with the help of this needle and stir them in the water to clean them and eat them." What a great lesson this is for those who waste more, than they consume in today’s consumerist society!

As Emmons White has said, Thiruvalluvar was a kindly, liberal-minded man and his poetry is a kind of synthesis of the best moral teachings of his age. In the words of Dr. John Lazarus who has made an English translation of the Kural, “It is refreshing to think of a nation which produced so great a man and so unique a work. The morality he preached could not have grown except on an essentially moral soil.” This classical work in Tamil has been widely translated in over 60 languages of the world. Nearly 300 years ago, the Italian Jesuit missionary, Constantius Beschi (known as Veeramamunnivar in Tamil) who came to Tamil Nadu in 1710, translated the Thirukkural into Latin. Rev. G U Pope who hailed Thiruvalluvar as “the Bard of Universal Man” translated the Kural and printed the it first in English. Many European missionaries have made translations into English between 1820 and 1886. Freedom fighters and statesmen, C Rajagopalachari and VVS Iyer have also translated the Kural into English. Barring perhaps the Bible and the Koran, the Kural is the most translated work.

Erudite Tamil Poets as well as the kings of the three Tamil Kingdoms – Chera, Chola and Pandya – acknowledged the literary greatness of Thirukkural. It is said that at the time of its first presentation to the king’s court, the Pandyan king wanted its greatness to be known to his whole kingdom. He put it to test by placing the manuscript along with those of other contemporary works in a golden lotus plank and allowed it to float in the tank at the Madurai Meenakshi temple. The sanctified plank that would recognize only the masterpieces is said to have rejected all other works and retained only the Thirukkural.

People in Tamil Nadu worship Thiruvalluvar as a guru. They have erected a beautiful shrine to him and to his wife in the midst of a garden in Mylapore. It lies not far from the waves of the sea that are often referred to in his verses. Every year in the month of April, people celebrate a grand festival at the shrine. Another important memorial to the immortal saint is Valluvar Kottam in Chennai, which is shaped like a temple chariot. A life size statue of Thiruvalluvar has been installed in the tall chariot. The 133 chapters of his work have been depicted in bas-relief in the front hall corridors of the chariot. The auditorium at Valluvarkottam is said to be the largest in Asia with accommodation capacity for 4000 people. Recently, Tamil Nadu government has erected a magnificent 133-foot height statue of the saint denoting the 133 chapters in Thirukkural for tourists in the midst of sea in Kaniyakumari (Cape Comerin) at the confluence of the three seas.

While being sworn in as the president of India, Dr. Abdul Kalam said that a country needs to have the characteristics as enshrined in Thirukkural and quoted from the Kural: “ Pini inmai Selvam Vilaivinbam Emam, aniyenba Nattirku vainthu”. That is “The important elements that constitute a nation are: being disease free; wealth; high productivity; harmonious living and strong defence.” It makes deep sense in this fast-moving world. If only there is more forbearance and patience, mutual respect and understanding, the world would become a better place for all of us to live.

Two rupee coins: Republic India-II

2 rupee, 2005

2 rupee, 2006

In this two rupee coin, the obverse shows a "double plus" symbol with four dots on each side instead of the usual lion capital or the map of India. This symbol is believed to be a Christian cross, introduced on the coins through the RBI by the tsarina, the ElizabethI of India. A lot of hue and cry was raised as the symbol was believed to be a Christian cross , even though officially the theme of this coin is 'unity in diversity', and Mr. Narendra Modi has gone to lengths bringing this symbol on the rupee to the notice of the prople, causing the RBI to withhold the mintage of this design of the Indian rupee with the "cross". This rupee with the cross was minted only for the years 2005, 2006 & 2007 and after that this rupee was withdrawn.

What is the difference between the Christian Cross seen on 2 Rupee Coins minted in 2006 and 1 Rupee Coins minted in 2005? The Christian Cross put into the 2 Rupee Coins issued in 2006 was supposedly a calculated and mischievous pseudo-secular experiment deriving its sanction from Suppressio Veri Suggestio Falsi (suppression of truth and suggestion of falsehood) for which the UPA Government in general and the Congress Party in particular own global monopolistic patents. Perhaps there was an element or grain of vagueness about it. Such vagueness or ambiguity or ambivalence as existed about the Christian Cross on the 2 Rupee Coins of 2006, was completely removed in respect of the 1 Rupee Coins of 2005. The Christian Cross inscribed on the 1 Rupee Coins of 2005 makes it loud and clear that it is a routine Christian Cross.

The 1 Rupee Coin minted in 2005 bearing the ‘Christian Crusader’s Cross’ resembles the Gold Coin issued by Louis the Pious (778 AD-840 AD), also known as Louis I, Louis the Fair, and Louis the Debonaire. He was Emperor and King of France from 814 to his death in 840. He issued a coin bearing a Christian Crusader’s Cross which has been copied by the Mint Master who included the same Cross on one side of the new 1 Rupee coin minted in 2005.

When there was a massive public outcry against these Christian Coins, the UPA Government quietly withdrew these coins from circulation.

All that being said, I still support the current government since lots of progress has been there in the last 5 years; it doesnt matter to me if the above symbol is a christian cross or not.

2 rupee, bio diversity:1993

The reverse of this coin shows some mountains, plants, sun, clouds and some living beings like birds or fish. The inscription in Hindi reads " vishwa khadya diwas jaiwik vividhta" which means world food day biodiversity. This is also one of the themes of the food and agricultural organization or the F.A.O. , published in Rome and emphasizing on understanding the importance of the natural resources and managing and utilising nature's diversity with efficiency and preserving it for the posterity.

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization is highlighting biological diversity as a key to ending world hunger. VOA's Peter Heinlein reports on World Food Day observances Monday at U.N. headquarters in New York.

The Food and Agriculture Organization is warning that crops and animal species are fast disappearing from the earth.FAO officials estimate that over the past century, more than three quarters of the genetic diversity of agricultural crops has been lost. Today, just 12 crops and 14 animal species provide most of the world food.

At a World Food Day observance, FAO chief Jacques Diouf told an international audience that the shrinking gene pool means fewer opportunities for growth and breakthroughs in agriculture.

"No one can predict the future," he said. "No one knows which traits from which species may hold the key to tomorrow's agricultural breakthrough. For this reason we must preserve as much as we can of the world agricultural biodiversity."

Mr. Diouf said he remains hopeful of reaching the U.N. goal of cutting in half the number of people suffering from hunger by 2015. He said for many poor farmers, the diversity of life may be their best protection against starvation.

"While we all depend on biodiversity, the people who rely most directly on it and who are most immediately affected by its loss are the roughly 900 million extremely poor men, women and children who live in rural areas," she said. "There, in the Great Lakes valleys of Africa, in the forests of the Amazon or in the vital river systems of Southeast Asia, women and men farmers apply their formidable experience to harvest plants, raise livestock and fish every day to ensure their families food security."

The U.N. observance also featured a video-conference link between farmers and school children who are participating in a pilot project linking school gardens in Latin America, Africa and the United States.

World Food Day was proclaimed in 1979 to heighten public awareness of the challenges of hunger, malnutrition and poverty.

Two rupee coins: Republic India -I

2 rupee, supreme court of India

The symbolism on the reverse: on the centre there is the four headed lion capital taken from the original sculpture which was erected around 250 BC atop an Ashoka pillar at Sarnath, and is now preserved at a museum in Sarnath. The sculpture was sculpted in sandstone and has been adopted as the national symbol of India. at the base of the symbol, there is a horse on the left and a bull on the right, and in the middle there is Ashoka chakra, which can also be found on the centre of the Indian flag.

Above the lion capital we can see the Ashoka chakra, which is a depiction of the Dharmachakra, or the wheel of dharma. It has 24 spokes and it symbolizes the teachings of lord Buddha. The Ashoka chakra has been widely inscribed on many relics of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka the great including the lion capital and the Ashoka pillar, and it also finds its way on the Indian flag. The Ashoka chakra award is an Indian decoration award for soldiers who show exemplary bravery on the field of battle.

The lettering on the right reads "supreme court of India", and the lettering on the left in Hindi reads "Bharat ka ucchatam nyayalay" which means the same thing. The lettering below the lion capital reads "yato dharmastato jaya" in Sanskrit, which means that where there is virtue or Dharma, there is victory; thus enshrouding the principle that is the bottomline for any court of jutice: May the truth triumph! This line is taken from the Mahabharata where it is said by Gandhari.

The supreme court of India: The Supreme Court in India is the ultimate interpreter of the constitution and the laws of the land. It has appellate jurisdiction over all civil and criminal proceedings involving substantial issues concerning the interpretation of the constitution. The court has the original and exclusive jurisdiction to resolve disputes between the central government and one or more states and union territories as well as between different states and union territories. And the Supreme Court is also empowered to issue advisory rulings on issues referred to it by the president. The Supreme Court has wide discretionary powers to hear special appeals on any matter from any court except those of the armed services. It also functions as a court of record and supervises every high court.

2 rupee, 2004

The 2 rupee was minted in the shown design until 2004, when because of rise in the metal prices, the mintage of this 2 rupee coin was stopped and the new 2 rupee coin with the cross design was started to be minted. Also, a majority of the shown 2 rupee coins of 2004 were melted back into the base metal because of the higher metal base values. This makes the 2004 2 rupee coin a rare one.

2 rupee, 2000

The theme for the 2 rupee coin has been national integration since the inception of the 2 rupee coin in 1982, and the design continued till 2004 when the controversial 2 rupee with the cross was introduced. The reverse on this coin shows the denomination, country and the four headed lion symbol. The obverse shows the map of India. The small dots on the left are the Lakshadweep Islands, and the line of dots below the "national integration" inscription and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Hindi inscription above the map reads "rashtriya ekta" which means national integration. The date can be seen at the bottom.