Bhubaneswar: The year 2018 has been full of various good and bad events. Amidst all the happenings, many eminent persons left us for the heavenly journey this year, making the world a little empty. The death of these personalities took the entire world by surprise. Although their worldly journey might have come to an end, the legacy which these eminent persons left behind will remain alive forever.
As 2018 draws to a close, here is a quick look at all the eminent persons who passed away this year.
Sridevi
The untimely death of actress Sridevi literally sent shockwaves all across the world. The female superstar passed away in Dubai due to accidental drowning in her bath tub. Her cremation ceremony was attended by thousands of her fans who flocked to catch a last glimpse of their beloved Sri.
M. Karunanidhi
M. Karunanidhi, the five-time chief minister of Tamil Nadu and president of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) passed away in Chennai on August 7. He had been suffering from various ailments since October 2016 and was confined to a wheelchair since then.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
India’s former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee passed away at AIIMS in New Delhi on August 16. The 93-year old political icon was suffering from kidney tract infection, urinary tract infection and even respiratory problems.
Kuldeep Nayar
Veteran journalist and Rajya Sabha member Kuldeep Nayar on August 23 after a period of brief illness. Nayar was known for his stand against the Indira Gandhi government during the emergency period. Nayar was a Urdu poet and had worked briefly for The Indian Express and also served as the Indian High Commissioner to United Kingdom.
Brigadier Kuldip Singh Chandpuri
Honoured with Maha Vir Chakra for heroic stand-off against tanks and forcing the enemy to retreat in the battle of Longewala, Brigadier Kuldip Singh Chandpuri passed away on November 17, just five days before his 78th birthday. Chandpuri served as a Major during the 1971 India-Pakistan war. He had held his post through the night in the famous battle of Longewala in Rajasthan with just 120 men against a full-fledged attack by advancing Pakistani Patton tanks and over 2,000 soldiers.
HN Ananth Kumar
BJP leader HN Ananth Kumar passed away on November 12 this year. The three times Union Minister and MP from Karnataka was a key face in BJP’s national leadership. He was undergoing treatment for cancer at Bangalore’s Shankara Cancer Hospital.
VS Naipaul
Nobel Prize-winning author VS Naipaul passed away on August 12 at his London residence. Naipaul’s novels like “A Bend in the River” and “A House for Mr Biswas” had made him one of the world’s most admired and contentious writers.
Stephen Hawking
World-renowned physician and scientist Stephen Hawking passed away at the age of 75 on March 14 this year. The British scientist was famed for his work with black holes and relativity, and wrote several popular science books including A Brief History of Time. At 22, he was diagnosed with a rare form of motor neurone disease which left him in a wheelchair and largely unable to speak except through a voice synthesiser.
Somnath Chatterjee
Fomer Lok Sabha speaker and Veteran Communist leader Somnath Chatterjee passed away at the age of 89 in Kolkata on August 14. He was admitted to a private hospital for kidney-related ailment and passed away due to a multi organ failure.
Rita Bhaduri
Veteran Bollywood actress Rita Bhaduri passed away on July 17 due to kidney related ailments. Bahduri had acted in both films and TV was still active and was playing the grandmother’s role in Star Bharat’s Nimki Mukhiya. She passed away due to cardiac arrest.
George HW Bush
Former American President George HW Bush, who steered the USA through the end of the Cold War, passed away on December 1 at Washington DC. Bush’s death came months after the death of his wife and the former first lady of USA Barabara Bush in April. The couple were married for 73 years.
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