Apr 26, 2014

Indian Communist Leader K. Damodaran - Kerala, 1958


K. Damodaran ( February 25, 1912 – July 3, 1976) was a Marxist theoretician and writer and one of the founder leaders of the Communist Party in Kerala, India.
Know more about him in Wikipedia

Photographer : James Burke
Source:  Life Archive hosted by Google

Jyoti Basu, Bhupesh Gupta and E. M. S. Namboodiripad (L to R), During a Meeting of Indian Communist Central Executive Committee Members - Kerala, August 1958


Photographer: James Burke
Source: Life Archive hosted by Google

Apr 20, 2014

Hindi Movie Actress Madhubala in White Sari - Photo shoot by James Burke in 1951

Madhubala (1933 - 1969) was one of the popular Hindi movie actresses of 1950's and 60's. She acted in various superhit and classic movies like Mahal (1949), Mr. & Mrs. '55 (1955), Howrah Bridge (1958), Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958), Mughal-E-Azam (1960), Half Ticket (1962) etc.

These beautiful photographs were taken by James Burke for Life Magazine. The Life archive hosted by Google wrongly documented the date of these photographs as 1941, but probably these photos were taken in 1951.










Source: Life Archive hosted by Google

Apr 19, 2014

Indira Gandhi Became Prime Minister of India - 1966 Video Report

Message from British Politician Sir Stafford Cripps after failure of Cripps' mission in India - 1942 Video Report

The Cripps mission was an attempt in late March 1942 by the British government to secure full Indian cooperation and support for their efforts in World War II. The mission was headed by Sir Stafford Cripps, a senior left-wing politician and government minister in the War Cabinet of Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Cripps was sent to negotiate an agreement with the nationalist leaders Gandhi, speaking for the Hindus, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah, speaking for the Muslims. Cripps worked to keep India loyal to the British war effort in exchange for a promise of full self-government after the war. Cripps discussed the proposals with the Indian leaders and published them. Both the major parties, the Congress and the League rejected his proposals and the mission proved a failure. Cripps had designed the proposals himself, but they were too radical for Churchill and the Viceroy, and too conservative for the Indians; no middle way was found. Congress moved toward the Quit India movement whereby it refused to cooperate in the war effort, while the British imprisoned practically the entire Congress leadership for the duration of the war.
Know more about Cripps' mission  in Wikipedia 

 

Indian Beauty Queen Reita Faria was Crowned the Miss World Title in 1966 - Video Report

Reita Faria Powell (born c. 1945) was the first Indian and Asian to win the Miss World title in the year of 1966. She is the only beauty queen who qualified as a doctor during her reign.
Know more about her in Wikipedia

Apr 15, 2014

First Lok Sabha General Election Scenes - Delhi, January 1952 - Part 2

 Vote for “Jan Sangh” – was a slogan raised by supporters of this Party.

 Young lady voters reading the poster of a Congress candidate.

A Polling Officers affixes indelible ink mark on the fore-finger of a voter before allowing her to cast the vote.

 Mir Mushtaq Ahmed, a Socialist candidate is seen here canvassing for himself in a Delhi Street. He contested for a seat in the State Assembly.

 A Communist Camp of Karol Bagh, Delhi.

 A large queue of Muslim voters at a polling station near Jama Masjid, Delhi.

 A Muslim lady at a Polling Booth near Jama Masjid.

 A refugee woman being given her ballot papers after identification, at a Polling Station in Lajpat Nagar.

 A view of the Polling Station at Town Hall, Delhi.

 A villager casting his vote according to his choice.

 A villager looking for the sign (election symbol) of a candidate of his choice, at a polling station.

 An Election Camp Office of Shri Durga Das, a candidate for the House of the People. Cycle was the symbol of this candidate.

 An election poster pasted on one of the pillars of Connaught Place, New Delhi a shopping centre of the elite of the town.

 An old Muslim woman being given a ballot paper at a Polling Station, near Jama Masjid, Delhi.

 An old Muslim woman on her way to polling station, near Jama Masjid.

 An old Muslim woman who came to vote at a polling booth near Jama Masjid, gets herself identified, before being issued with ballot papers.

 At Town Hall Polling Booth (Delhi) - A Polling Officer applies indelible ink mark in the forefinger of a woman voter.

 Mir Mushtaq Ahmed, a Socialist candidate of Delhi State canvassing votes for himself before a crowd near Jama Masjid, Delhi.

 Muslim Laides waiting outside a polling booth near Jama Masjid, to cast their votes.

 Muslim Pardahnishin women voters wait in a queue for their turn to cast their votes at a polling booth near Jama Masjid.

 Pardanishin Muslim women wait in a queue for their turn to cast their votes, at a Polling Booth, near Jama Masjid.

Through disabled, this old Muslim is anxious to cast his vote. He is being carried on his bed to the Polling Station, near Jama Masjid, Delhi.


Booksa, Probably Aboriginal - Moradabad, c1860's

Mirassees, Mahomedan, Minstrels - Moradabad, c1860's

Khate Bishnoi, Hindoo Mechanic - Moradabad, c1860's

Sook Narain Pundit, Hindoo, Misser Brahmin - Allahabad, c1860's

Kesarah Nutni, Low Caste Hindoo - Allahabad, c1860's

Deena and Nephew Hoseinee, Snake Charmers, Soonee Mahomedans - Allahabad, c1860's

First Lok Sabha General Election Scenes - Delhi, January 1952 - Part 1

 A blind old man being carried towards a polling booth by his son, to help him to cast his vote, near a polling station in Jama Masjid area in Delhi.

 A view of Polling Booth at Modern High School, in New Delhi. A long queue of women voters are seen waiting for their turn to cast their votes.

 Vote for Hut a symbol for Sucheta Kripalani (KMPP). One of the candidates for Parliamentary Constituency.

 A close up of a poster pasted on a government resident in Delhi.

 A Congress Election Camp near Willingdon Air Port, New Delhi.

 A Congress procession showing bullocks and flag. A pair of bullocks was the election symbol of Congress Party.

 A cyclist canvassing for the Congress candidate.

A front view of Congress Party election procession. A pair of bullocks was symbol of the Congress Party.

 A number of election campaigners on cycle doing propaganda work for a candidate of the Jan Sangh.

 A pair of bullocks – this was the election symbol for the Congress Party.

 A poster of Socialist Party posted on a gate of a New Delhi residence.

A rear view of a Congress election procession showing important landmarks in the Freedom Struggle.

 Communist election campaigners in Karol Bagh, a suburban area of Delhi, make use of Tonga.

 Election workers of a Political party on their mission to canvass votes for their party candidate.

Even the pipes scattered at a roadside bear the names of candidates. All possible avenues of publicity and propaganda were employed.

 Jan Sangh and Communist symbols (Lamp & Hammer and Sickle) were pitched side by side near Karol Bagh polling station in Delhi.

 Outside the Town Hall Polling Booth, Delhi - A Polling Officer is seen issuing an identity Slip to a voter.

 Posters were prominently displayed by the various candidates contesting the Election.

 The Election Head Office of the K.M.P.P. Party in New Delhi.

 The supporters of the Socialist Party carrying a poster to appeal to voters to cast their vote in favour of their candidate.

 ‘Hut’ was the election symbol of the K.M.P.P. Party. A model of ‘Hut’ for Sucheta Kripalani, one of the candidates for the House of People.

A Muslim lady being given her ballot paper at a Polling Booth.