2003 STARS ‘N’ STRIPES

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kalpana Chawla, the first Indian-born nasa astronaut died on February 1, when space shuttle Columbia, carrying a crew of seven astronauts, disintegrated upon re-entry in the Earth’s atmosphere. Chawla, as she attained immortality in sudden death, had clocked over 10 million km and 760 hours in space. Born in Karnal, a small town in Haryana, she did her graduation in aeronautical engineering from Punjab Engineering College at Chandigarh and went on to become the second person of Indian origin after cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma to fly in space in 1996. An avid maker of aero models even as a child, she considered it her birthright to be “a resident of the Milky Way”. For her scores of admirers in India, a number swollen by the tragedy of her death, her life was an epigraph of small-town, middle-class success. More so for her as she wore her Indian ness on her sleeve, proudly saying at a NASA press briefing, “I am from Karnal, India”.

MUMBAI MADNESS

Terror returned to Mumbai when twin bomb blasts rocked the city on August 25. The blasts took place at the Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar, killing 52 and injuring 149. The two bombs, which were suspected to have been planted by the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba, were placed in taxis and went off during the peak time.

FIRST CUT

• Welcomed by the tune of “Saare jahaan se achcha” and the raving Mumbai crowd, the first stealth warship, Shivalik, was launched on April 18.
• Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon made the first-ever visit by an Israeli PM to India even as neighbour Pakistan raised its eyebrows and other Islamic countries watched silently.

The Rolling Stones performed for the first time in India in Bangalore, rocking the crowd with their all-time classics like Satisfaction, Street fighting man and Sympathy for the devil.

“I’LL WORK TO HEAR THE ANTHEM ON THE PODIUM.”

With that singular thought, Anju Bobby George pushed herself and entered the history books, winning a bronze medal in long jump at the Paris World Athletics Championships. She was the first Indian to win a medal at the event. Aishwarya Rai scored a win of sorts too, on an altogether different turf. Domestic fashionistas notwithstanding, the French her when she went to the Cannes Film Festival as the first Indian actor on the jury. Rxxxbbed Shoulders with international celebrities and for a time threatened to take Bollywood global.

POWER PLAY Atal Bihari Vajpayee

The Gujarat riots, though they shook the foundation of India’s deep-rooted secularism, couldn’t come in Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s way in restoring peace within the bjp. His visit to China in June led to the establishment of a Joint Study Group for economic cooperation. Vajpayee was able to facilitate ceasefire in Kashmir, free prisoners, resume bus and rail travel and break down barriers on trade between India and Pakistan. And at home, he gave the economy the booster shot it needed to step up into the world.

ELSEWHERE…

• On December 12, Saddam Hussein’s reign came to an end after he was captured at a farmhouse near his hometown, Tikrit. Hussein, as he emerged from his underground hiding-place, was bearded and disheveled, a shadow of his fearsome former self. After capture, Hussein was put on a speedy trial on charges. Of crimes against humanity. With his conviction US President George Bush hoped to gain support for his War Against Terror, both at home and abroad.

1,560 is the number of kilometers that was marked to be added to the National Highway network, taking the total kilometers to 3,477 since the year 2000. The World Bank decided to invest $1 billion (Rs 4,500 crores) in the country’s transport sector in the same year.

Courtesy By India Today