08-14-2007, 06:39 AM
<!--emo&:ind--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/india.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='india.gif' /><!--endemo--> NDTV poll: icons from Mahatma Gandhi to Sachin
People vote on independent Indiaâs greatest personalities, achievements â as well as the low points
NEW DELHI: Mahatma Gandhi leads a list of distinguished Indians as the âGreatest Icon of Indiaâ during the period since Independence, leading television channel NDTV has found in an opinion poll. It announced the results of the exercise, conducted last month, on Saturday night in a programme titled âIndia at 60â, in the run-up to the celebration of the 60th year of Independence on Wednesday. The Hindu was the âPrint Partner.â
Thousands of respondents made their choices on the Web, through SMS, and also in direct street-corner polls.
The NDTV poll sought to identify events and landmarks that have preoccupied Indians. People were asked to mark their choices in nine categories: âIndiaâs Greatest Icon,â âIndiaâs Greatest Pride,â âIndiaâs Worst Shame,â âOne Event that Changed India,â âIndiaâs Greatest Political Blot,â âIndiaâs Greatest Sportsperson,â âIndiaâs Greatest Film,â âIndiaâs Greatest Song,â and âWhat Best Describes India Abroad.â
Asked about the greatest icon, 53 per cent of the respondents, from person-on-the-street to software geek, voted in favour of Mahatma Gandhi. Mother Teresa came second, winning 17 per cent of the vote. Then came industrialist J.R.D. Tata and Infosys Chief Mentor Narayana N.R. Murthy, and actor Amitabh Bachchan. Jawaharlal Nehru was placed behind his daughter Indira Gandhi.
Democracy remains Indiaâs pride. This was confirmed by over 44 per cent of the respondents. Secularism came second, ranked above the IT industry, the armed forces, and the Railways. The judiciary claimed 4 per cent. And what makes Indians hang their head in shame? More than untouchability, hunger, dowry, and manual scavenging, people felt it was bribery.
What has changed India most dramatically is the IT revolution, more than economic liberalisation or the nuclear bomb, the respondents felt. About 12 per cent of them believe that ever since Indians got mobile phones, the country has not been the same.
Biggest blot
The biggest blot is Operation Bluestar, and the anti-Sikh riots sparked by the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984. The riots after Partition, the Babri Masjid demolition, and the imposition of Emergency in the mid-1970s follow in that order. The 2002 Gujarat riots that claimed over a thousand lives came last: only 9 per cent of the people felt it was the biggest political blunder to date.
Sachin Tendulkar emerged as Indiaâs greatest sportsperson. Viswanathan Anand, a former World No. 1 in chess, came second, followed by Milkha Singh and P.T. Usha. Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi together were in the fifth position.
In cinema, the 1957 classic directed by Mehboob Khan, Mother India, was the topper. The Nargis-starrer fared better than Ramesh Sippyâs Sholay. Rang De Basantiâs appeal surpassed tha t of Mughal-e-Azam.
Favourite song
Indiaâs favourite song, steeped in patriotism, is the one that famously moved Jawaharlal Nehru to tears: âAye Mere Watan ke Logonâ, sung by Lata Mangeshkar. âDum Maro Dumâ from Hare Rama Hare Krishna ca me second, closely followed by âMera Joota Hai Japaniâ (Shree 420) and âJab Pyaar Kiya to Darna Kyaâ (Mughal-e-Azam).
And, what best describes India to the world? Brains, Yoga, Bollywood, Curry, and Gurus â in that order.
People vote on independent Indiaâs greatest personalities, achievements â as well as the low points
NEW DELHI: Mahatma Gandhi leads a list of distinguished Indians as the âGreatest Icon of Indiaâ during the period since Independence, leading television channel NDTV has found in an opinion poll. It announced the results of the exercise, conducted last month, on Saturday night in a programme titled âIndia at 60â, in the run-up to the celebration of the 60th year of Independence on Wednesday. The Hindu was the âPrint Partner.â
Thousands of respondents made their choices on the Web, through SMS, and also in direct street-corner polls.
The NDTV poll sought to identify events and landmarks that have preoccupied Indians. People were asked to mark their choices in nine categories: âIndiaâs Greatest Icon,â âIndiaâs Greatest Pride,â âIndiaâs Worst Shame,â âOne Event that Changed India,â âIndiaâs Greatest Political Blot,â âIndiaâs Greatest Sportsperson,â âIndiaâs Greatest Film,â âIndiaâs Greatest Song,â and âWhat Best Describes India Abroad.â
Asked about the greatest icon, 53 per cent of the respondents, from person-on-the-street to software geek, voted in favour of Mahatma Gandhi. Mother Teresa came second, winning 17 per cent of the vote. Then came industrialist J.R.D. Tata and Infosys Chief Mentor Narayana N.R. Murthy, and actor Amitabh Bachchan. Jawaharlal Nehru was placed behind his daughter Indira Gandhi.
Democracy remains Indiaâs pride. This was confirmed by over 44 per cent of the respondents. Secularism came second, ranked above the IT industry, the armed forces, and the Railways. The judiciary claimed 4 per cent. And what makes Indians hang their head in shame? More than untouchability, hunger, dowry, and manual scavenging, people felt it was bribery.
What has changed India most dramatically is the IT revolution, more than economic liberalisation or the nuclear bomb, the respondents felt. About 12 per cent of them believe that ever since Indians got mobile phones, the country has not been the same.
Biggest blot
The biggest blot is Operation Bluestar, and the anti-Sikh riots sparked by the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984. The riots after Partition, the Babri Masjid demolition, and the imposition of Emergency in the mid-1970s follow in that order. The 2002 Gujarat riots that claimed over a thousand lives came last: only 9 per cent of the people felt it was the biggest political blunder to date.
Sachin Tendulkar emerged as Indiaâs greatest sportsperson. Viswanathan Anand, a former World No. 1 in chess, came second, followed by Milkha Singh and P.T. Usha. Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi together were in the fifth position.
In cinema, the 1957 classic directed by Mehboob Khan, Mother India, was the topper. The Nargis-starrer fared better than Ramesh Sippyâs Sholay. Rang De Basantiâs appeal surpassed tha t of Mughal-e-Azam.
Favourite song
Indiaâs favourite song, steeped in patriotism, is the one that famously moved Jawaharlal Nehru to tears: âAye Mere Watan ke Logonâ, sung by Lata Mangeshkar. âDum Maro Dumâ from Hare Rama Hare Krishna ca me second, closely followed by âMera Joota Hai Japaniâ (Shree 420) and âJab Pyaar Kiya to Darna Kyaâ (Mughal-e-Azam).
And, what best describes India to the world? Brains, Yoga, Bollywood, Curry, and Gurus â in that order.