Unforgettable India: 25 Most Important Events in 2008

By Sagar Satapathy

At the stroke of midnight today, we have entered the New Year 2009. We thank our readers and team for being with us through thick and thin. We have achieved tremendous support and response from our esteemed readers in the past 12 months. Our writing and marketing team left no stone unturned in making the portal a big success on the web.

Although we do write on topics that draw the attention of world community, our main target audience are Indians. We wish a Happy and Prosperous New Year to our readers and hope that the new year brings more joy and peace to all.

India witnessed many rise and falls in the year 2008. While some important events brought cheers to the millions of Indians, some others sent them into grief and despair. Although there are hundreds of such events, we have listed 25 events that we consider most important based on our readership and the popularity of our articles. Links to our old articles have been highlighted in bold letters. Here you go:

1. Rs. 1 lakh Tata Nano - People's Car launched

One of the India's largest car makers, Tata Motors had brought revolution in the car industry, by launching the Tata Nano - People's Car. The Rs. 1 lakh Tata Nano is all set to fulfill the dreams of millions who could not afford to buy a car because of high prices. The Tata Nano was scheduled to hit the market in October 2008. However, it could not because of constant opposition from Trinamool Chief Mamata Banerjee in Singur.

The Tatas later moved the Nano project out of Singur, West Bengal and embraced Narendra Modi's Gujarat. The Tata Nano may be available in the market in early 2009.

2. Sydney Test Controversy

The second test match between India and Australia at Sydney, raised controversial issues of bad umpiring and racism charges, which later snowballed into a wide division between the Australians and Indians. At the end of Sydney Test, the world was on the opinion that umpires won the Sydney test for Australia. Some even charged the umpires of collusion with the Aussies.

Harbhajan Singh was targeted by the Australian cricketers. Andrew Symonds, Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden and other Australian cricketers charged Harbhajan with racism. The scandal, known as "monkey-gate" raised the Indian emotions, as Harbhajan was banned on racism charges. Indian public could not digest the charges of racism, against which the country fought since the colonial era.

Under pressure from the Indian cricket board BCCI, the ICC and Cricket Australia had to back down. ICC Appeals Commissioner Justice Hansen absolved Harbhjan of racism charges and fined him for a mild offence. The Aussies could not digest it easily, but they had no other options. India's supremacy in world cricket was yet again established.

Later, India went on to win the Perth test and ended Australia's supremacy in world cricket. India also won the triangular VB Series by beating Australia in the finals. India later emerged as a superpower in world cricket in 2008.

3. The Great IPL Auction in India

India, where cricket is worshipped as a religion and cricketers as gods, witnessed the biggest IPL extravaganza this year. The Indian Premier League (IPL) was at its best and provided the real entertainment of T20 cricket to the viewers. Cricketers were sold to the teams like commodities, but nobody had any complaint or regret. It was fun, money and excitement.

The tournament was a big hit in the country also brought more money and exposure to both Indian and foreign cricketers. Rajasthan Royals, led by Shane Warne beat Chennai Super Kings, led by Ms Dhoni in the final to win the crown. There were 8 teams in the fray.

4. Union Railway Budget 2008

Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav presented his dream Railway Budget 2008, by announcing an unprecedented fare cut in all AC and Sleeper Class tickets. Lalu is credited for turning around the fortunes of Indian Railways. Although he failed as the Chief Minister of Bihar, he proved his mettle as the Union Railway Minister.

5. Union Budget 2008 - A People's Budget

Former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram satisfied all classes in his Budget 2008 and left the opposition speechless. There was nothing that could be criticized. The Union Budget 2008 turned to be a "Election Budget" with all major announcements directly benefiting the farmers, women, minorities, SCs and STs.

6. Sixth Pay Commission Report - Huge Cash Bonanza for Govt. Employees

The UPA government turned more generous than what the Sixth Pay Commission recommended for the government employees. Over 55 lakh Central government employees benefited from the unprecedented pay hike.

7. Indian Hockey Team fails to qualify for Olympics

In the wee hours of March 10, 2008, Indian hockey that had a glorious past to cherish, failed to survive the doomsday and died an unnatural death. For the first time since 1928, India failed to secure an Olympic berth, when they went down tamely to Great Britain in the Olympic Hockey qualifier final.

8. Arushi Murder Case - The Biggest Murder Mystery

Arushi Talwar murder case became the biggest-ever murder mystery in India. The case is still unresolved. The UP Police and CBI goofed up by nabbing different persons and ruining the case. The Arushi murder case generated tremendous curiosity in India, which was never seen before.

The 14-year-old Arushi and her servant Hemraj were brutally murdered. Her father Rajesh Talwar was arrested on the charges of her murder and spent 50 days in jail. He went through a series of traumatic experience. The CBI later arrested servants Krisha, Rajkumar and Vijay Mandal. In the end, all accused got bail and the case met a dead end.

9. Gujjar Agitation in Rajasthan

The Gujjars led by Col. Bainsla brought the Rajasthan government to its knees. More than 50 people died in the violence that continued in Rajasthan for several weeks. The Gujjars finally relented after the Rajasthan government agreed to a 5% special quota for their community. However, that did not go well with the Meenas.

The Vasundhara Raje government in Rajasthan was trapped between the Gujjars and Meenas and could not win the trust of either community. That spelled the disaster for the party, as it lost the assembly elections held in November. Ashok Gehlot-led Congress returned to power in Rajasthan, riding on the anti-Vasundhara Raje wave.

10. Amul Star Voice of India Ishmeet Singh dies in Maldives

The first Amul Star Voice of India winner Ishmeet Singh, who won millions of hearts in India and abroad, died under mysterious circumstances in Maldives. While the hotel authorities said that Ishmeet was drowned in the swimming pool, his family alleged that he was killed. The case was closed after the police confirmed Ishmeet Singh's death as drowning.

11. Olympic Torch Relay in Delhi

The much-awaited Olympic Torch Relay was held in Delhi amid war-like security arrangements. The entire Delhi turned into a fortress with more than 15,000 security personnel guarding the 2.3 km route where the relay was held. It was a proud moment for India.

12. UPA's Trust Vote and Cash-for-Vote Scam

After the Left Front withdrew support to the UPA government over the Indo-US Nuclear deal, the UPA sought trust vote on the floor of Lok Sabha. Amid high drama, new alignments of political forces and cash-for-votes scandal, the UPA managed to score a point over the opposition and won the trust vote by an unexpected margin. The country did not want another mid-term elections and the industry hailed Dr. Manmohan Singh government's victory.

13. Raj Thackery and MNS hold Maharashtra to ransom

Raj Thackery and his Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) drew flak for their divisive politics and tirade against North Indians including superstar Amitabh Bachchan. Raj Thackeray and his party turned against the Biharis and UP residents. Raj's call of "Marathi Manoos" polarized a sizeable number of Marathi people, who came out in his support.

Be it killing of Rahul Raj in a BEST bus or beating of North Indian railway aspirants or attack on taxi drivers, Raj Thackeray remained in news throughout the year and held Mumbai to ransom. He was arrested twice, spent days in jail and then got bail. There was a heavy backlash in Bihar and UP against Raj Thackeray. Raj fell silent only after the Mumbai terror attacks. The 26/11 shifted the focus from Raj Thackeray to Pakistan.

14. Amarnath Land Row and Trouble in J&K

The Amarnath land transfer issue rocked Jammu & Kashmir and created a wide divide between people in Jammu and Kashmir on religious and regional lines. Hundreds of people died and many injured, as the violence continued for over a month. The Amarnath land row triggered the fall of Congress-PDP government in the state.

For the first time, there was a huge polarization of people on religious lines. The PDP, which supported the separatists and protesters in Kashmir, gained in the recent assembly elections. The BJP, which spearheded the campaign in Jammu, increased its tally from 1 to 11 in the recent elections.

The Congress, which was caught between two communities lost its clout, but later came up with the National Conference to form the government in the state. Omar Abdullah of National Conference will be the next CM of J&K, while the Congress will be a part of the government.

15. River Kosi changes course, Bihar Floods play Havoc

Nearly 15 lakh people marooned in 15 districts in flood-hit Bihar, after river Kosi changed its course after 300 years. Over 200 people died and millions rendered homeless. The impact of the floods was so severe that Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh declared the Bihar floods as a "National Calamity" and announced Rs. 1,000 crore relief in addition to other assistance.

Even Britain provided an assistance of Rs. 1.2 crore for the flood victims in Bihar. Nepal, which was indirectly responsible for the Kosi fiasco, apologized and promised to strengthen the Kosi river embankment.

16. Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati's Killing and Kandhamal Riots

The killing of senior VHP leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and his associated in Kandhamal, Orissa, triggered a riot in Kandhamal, which lasted for over two months. Many lives were lost and thousands of houses were burnt. Prayer houses and churches were attacked elsewhere in the district. A nun was alleged raped, while another one was burnt alive.

Thousands of people were forced to flee to forest and later took shelter in relief camps. Situation is normal in the district now, but the scare is still open. The government, with the help of NGOs and security personnel is trying to restore peace and normalcy in the state. The rift between Hindus and Christians in Kandhamal has widened further aftermath the killing of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati.

17. Abhinav Bindra, Sushil Kumar and Vijender win Olympic Medals

Abhinav Bindra won the first-ever individual gold medal for the country in Olympic Games. He won the gold medal at Beijing Olympics in the 10m Air Rifle event. Sushil Kumar won a bronze medal in 66kg Freestyle Wrestling, while Vijender Kumar won a bronze medal in the 75kg Middleweight category boxing. For the first time in Olympic history, India returned with three individual medals.

18. Chandrayaan I - India's first-ever Lunar Mission

On October 22, 2008, India made history by sending its first-ever lunar mission to moon. As the Chandrayaan I took off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, India became the sixth country in the world to send a space mission to moon. Later, the Chandrayaan MIP landed on the surface of the moon with Indian tri-colour painted on its four sides. The Chandrayaan MIP also sent pictures of the moon's surface.

19. Sachin Tendulkar becomes highest run getter in Test Cricket

Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar created history in the Mohali test against Australia, when he surpassed Brian Lara's 11,953 runs to become the highest run-getter in test cricket. Sachin Tendulkar achieved this milestone in his 152nd test match.

20. Arvind Adiga wins Man Booker Prize

India's Arvind Adiga created history by winning the Man Booker Prize 2008 for his much-publicized debut novel "The White Tiger". Arvind Adiga's book "The White Tiger" is all about the poverty in India and the wealth gap between the rich and the poor. The Chairman of the judges described Arvind Adiga's "The White Tiger" as a revelation of "the dark side of India".

21. Sister Alphonsa becomes India's first-ever Woman Saint

Sister Alphonsa, a nun from Kottayam, Kerala became the first-ever woman saint from India today. She is the second from Indian Roman Catholic church to get canonised. On the previous occasion, half-Indian St. Goncalo Garcia, who died in Japan, was conferred the sainthood.

22. India, US sign Nuclear Deal

India and the USA signed the historic 123 Agreement in Washington. The US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and India's External Affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee signed the agreement. With this the operationalisation of the Indo-US nuclear deal formally began.

The Indo-US nuclear deal ended India's nuclear isolation. The main goal of the Indo-US nuclear deal is to enhance civil nuclear cooperation and trade between India and the US.

23. Mumbai Terror Attacks - 26/11

Although the year 2008 witnessed many terror attacks in the country, the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks shook the nation and led to a massive outrage. 10 terrorists backed by Pakistan's Lashkar-e-Toiba, attacked CST, Nariman House, Hotel Trident Oberoi and Hotel Taj in Mumbai. They held the city to ransom for 60 hours.

The ATS, NSG, Marine Commandos and other policemen fought hard to flush out the terrorists and save Mumbai. It took longer, as the terrorists had kept over 300 people as hostages. In total, 183 people were killed and over 300 were injured.

At least 18 brave policmen and NSG commandso became martyr in the attack. They included former ATS chief Hemant Karkare and NSG Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan. The security personnel killed 9 terrorists, while one terrorist, Ajmal Amir Kasab, a resident of Faridkot, Pakistan, was caught alive.

India stepped up diplmatic pressure on Pakistan and gained support from the globa community aftermath Mumbai terror attacks. At least 23 foreigners were killed in the terror attacks in Mumbai.

The 26/11 (November 26) terror attacks in Mumbai, witnessed an unprecedented public outrage. The public anger was at its peak and the politicians had to bear the brunt. Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Maharashtra CM Vilasrao Deshmukh and Dy. CM RR Patil had to resign. P Chidambaram became the new Home Minister of the counrty, while Ashok Chavan took over as the Maharashtra CM. Jayant Patil became the Dy. CM of Maharashtra.

War-of words continue unabated between Indian and Pakistani officials and leaders, while the world community has thrown its weight behind India. The US is vociferously putting pressure on Pakistan to act or perish. The UNSC also acted on India's request by banning LeT's political wing, Jamaat-ud-Dawa and four LeT operatives.

The world is watching Pakistan closely and that country is under pressure to act against the terrorists by dismantling the terror modules, operating from its soil. Although Pakistan tried to divert attention from the real issue by raising war hysteria, India and the World are not listening. Pakistan knows that it need to act tough or it will have a tough time ahead.

24. Stock Market Crash in India

The year 2008 brought bad luck for the investors, as the global meltdown took its toll on Indian stock market. The BSE Sensex, which had touched 22k mark, fell down over the past few months to trade below 9k and then recovered in December to touch 10k mark again.

The government and RBI had a tough time in dealing with the situation. Thousands of crores of money were pumped in to boost the market. The RBI took several measures like cutting the repo rate, reverse repo rate and CRR. Investors lost crores of rupees and went bankrupt. There were reports of many suicide cases, where people could not take the pain and ended their lives.

25. UPA Govt. passes New Terror Bills

The UPA government, under pressure to act tough against the terrorists and the menace of terrorism, brought two new bills in the Parliament. The opposition also supported the bills. The Parliament witnessed a rare unity of all political parties to tackle terrorism.

The National Investigating Agency (NIA) Bill 2008, was passed by the Parliament. The Parliament also passed the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment (UAPA) Bill , which has made several amendments to the existing law.

(Content © Breaking News Online)