Round-up 2021: From CDS Bipin Rawat to Vinod Dua, 10 personalities who passed this year

General Bipin Rawat 

General Bipin Rawat became the Indian Army's 27th Chief of Army Staff in 2016, following General Dalbir Singh Suhag. The 63-year-life old's was cut short on December 8, 2021, when his helicopter crashed in the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu, killing Rawat, his wife, and 11 people on board. Rawat was vital in diminishing militancy in the Northeast. One of his career highlights was the Indian Army's effective response to an attack by NSCN-K terrorists in Myanmar in 2015. 

He was also involved in preparation for the 2016 surgical strikes, which saw the Indian Army breach the Line of Control into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Rawat, it was claimed, was monitoring the situation from South Block in New Delhi. 

Also Read | Last video message of late General Bipin Rawat played out on Swarnim Vijay Parv

Vinod Dua

Vinod Dua, a Padma Shri awardee and pioneer of Hindi television journalism with interests ranging from politics to culture to gastronomy, died on December 4 at Apollo Hospital. He was 67 years old. The journalist was hospitalised with Covid earlier this year. His wife Padmavati 'Chinna' Dua passed away on June 11. Since then, his health has steadily deteriorated. Dua was born and raised in Old Delhi to a family of Saraiki Hindus. He received his BA in English from Hansraj College and his MA in English from DU. Dua was prominent in Delhi's theatre circles before entering the realm of journalism.

His journalism career began with Doordarshan, where he appeared on shows like as Yuva Manch, Yuv Jan and many more. Dua began election analysis on Doordarshan in the 1980s alongside NDTV co-founder Prannoy Roy, giving him his first substantial brush with fame.

Also Read | Veteran journalist Vinod Dua no more; daughter Mallika Dua confirms funeral to be held on Sunday

Dua became synonymous with almost effortless news reading paired with incisive wit and observations throughout the years.

Syed Ali Shah Geelani

Pro-Pakistan Syed Ali Shah Geelani, a Kashmiri separatist, died at the age of 92 on September 1 at his residence in Srinagar. The hardline Islamist leader, who has long been the face of separatist politics in Jammu and Kashmir, had been ill and had retired from politics and the Hurriyat last year. The funeral was held this morning. He was hospitalised in March 2018 after suffering a minor heart attack.

Also Read | Geelani's rabble-rousing and pragmatism: An Army general's account

Kalyan Singh

Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh, who led the Bharatiya Janata Party to power in the state for the first time in 1991, died of sepsis and multi-organ failure on August 21 at Lucknow's Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences.

Singh, charged with criminal conspiracy in the Babri Masjid demolition case since the 16th-century mosque was demolished during his stint as chief minister, was also the governor of Rajasthan between 2014 and 2015. During his term as party president, the state saw the rise of two prominent but ideologically opposing OBC leaders — Singh and Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Subrata Mukherjee 

Subrata Mukherjee, a veteran politician and state panchayat minister, died on November 4 evening after suffering a heart arrest. The minister was taken to SSKM Hospital for one week following heart-related difficulties. He had undergone angioplasty and had two stents inserted in his heart to unblock blockages. He was due to be discharged from the state-run hospital the next day. However, on November 4 evening, he experienced a major heart arrest and died at 9:22 p.m.

Mukherjee, along with Dasmunsi, was regarded as one of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's two close aides. Mukherjee was elected to the state Assembly from the Ballygunge Assembly seat in 1971 and 1972. Mukherjee was appointed Minister of Information and Cultural Affairs in the Siddhartha Shankar Ray administration as a Minister of State in 1972, at 26. As Minister of State for Local Government, he also had other responsibilities.

Rohit Sardana

Rohit Sardana, a senior journalist and Aaj Tak anchor, passed away on April 30. While seeking treatment at a private hospital in Noida, the 41-year-old died of a heart attack. Rohit Sardana's wife, two children, and parents survive him. The 41-year-old Aaj Tak .

Also Read | TV journalist and anchor Rohit Sardana passes away due to COVID-19

Rohit, the famous anchor of Aaj Tak, is from Kurukshetra in Haryana. Rohit received the NT Award, the ENBA Award, and the coveted Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Award for Hindi journalism.

Danish Siddiqui 

Danish Siddiqui, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Indian photojournalist, was "brutally assassinated" by the Taliban on July 16 after his identity was confirmed.

Siddiqui, 38, was slain in Afghanistan while on duty. The award-winning journalist was slain while documenting confrontations between the Afghan Army and Taliban in Kandahar's Spin Boldak region.

His corpse landed at the Delhi airport in the evening on July 18. Afterwards, it was taken to his apartment in Jamia Nagar, where a large crowd had assembled, including his family and friends.

Sunderlal Bahuguna 

Sunderlal Bahuguna, a well-known environmentalist and Padma Vibhushan recipient, died on May 21 while being treated for Covid-19 at the AIIMS hospital in Rishikesh. When his oxygen levels began to vary on May 8, the 94-year-old Chipko movement pioneer was sent to the hospital.

Sunderlal Bahuguna was a lifelong environmentalist credited with establishing the Chipko movement, a grassroots movement that swept across the Garhwal area in the 1970s, with residents clutching trees to prevent them from being felled. Later in the 1990s, he led the Anti-Tehri Dam movement, for which he was imprisoned in 1995.

Virbhadra Singh 

Virbhadra Singh, a former Himachal Pradesh chief minister and senior Congress leader, died on July 8 in Shimla after a long illness. The six-time Chief Minister has recovered from COVID-19 on two occasions. Singh was a nine-term MLA who was first elected to the State Legislative Assembly in October 1983. 

Also Read | Himachal Pradesh ex-CM Virbhadra Singh passes away, state govt announces 3-day mourning

Buta Singh

Buta Singh, a senior Congress politician and former Home Minister, died on January 2. He was 86 years old and had been in a coma since October of last year due to a brain haemorrhage. He leaves behind a daughter and two boys. Singh was a Communist for a brief time before joining the Shiromani Akali Dal and later the Congress in the early 1960s.

He was elected to the Lok Sabha eight times from the Punjab Lok Sabha seat of Moga. In 1974, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi elevated him to Deputy Minister for Railways. He was a close confidante of hers and was involved in Operation Blue Star, which sparked controversy in the Sikh community. Later, as a Union Minister, he was also involved in the restoration of the Golden Temple.