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A close look at some people who engaged public attention in the year 2004; those who brought cheer, winners who made us proud, and those who affected our lives.
Sonia Gandhi:
Leading the Congress in a relentless political campaign that saw personal attacks on her arising out of her antecedents, the 57-year-old, Italian-born Sonia Gandhi braved it all, naming party colleague and confidante Manmohan Singh as her party's choice for prime minister. Sonia Gandhi has shown herself to be an exceptional leader, one who led her comatose party to electoral victory, was offered power and turned it down. In the process, her political stature has soared. Sonia Gandhi is no longer boss of a political party, not a minister or even prime minister - she's a formidable leader that the entire country will look at with awe and admiration.
Arundhati Roy:
Winner of the Booker prize for her 1997 novel "The God of Small Things", the Magsaysay award winner, Arundhati Roy was chosen by the Sydney Peace Prize jury as the recipient of the Sydney Peace Prize. The Indian novelist and human rights campaigner has always been known for her Narmada Dam crusade and her critique of the Enron scam. Arundhati Roy is a distinguished world citizen and an outstanding communicator who writes with great clarity and grace.
Sachin Pilot:
The year 2004 saw the emergence of Sachin Pilot, the Wharton Business School educated 26-year-old son of the late Congress leader, Rajesh Pilot, as he won the Congress seat from Dausa parliamentary constituency in Rajasthan. Pilot is one among the few youth congress leaders, who has been handpicked by the AICC president Sonia Gandhi and has the onerous responsibility of proving his mettle and win goodwill like his father. As he makes his maiden entry in the field of politics, Sachin tries to win hearts of all by trying to fulfill all well intentioned promises.
Roger Federer:
Switzerland's Roger Federer during the year 2004 comes and walks off with three of the four Grand Slams - Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open. With his US Open victory over Lleyton Hewitt, Federer became the first player to win three Grand Slams in the same year. He was the Wimbledon champion in 2003. By November this year, the smooth Swiss had notched up 11 singles titles -Indian Wells AMS, US Open, Bangkok, Canada AMS, Halle, Australian Open, Hamburg AMS, Tennis Masters Cup, Wimbledon, Dubai and Gstaad. At 23, Federer still has many years of tennis. Reason that many believe Pete's mantle could finally pass on to him. An heir apparent, one could say.
George W Bush:
George W Bush, America's so-called 'cowboy' president has been named 'Person of the Year' in Time magazine's annual assessment of the world's most influential people. For sticking to his guns (literally and figuratively), for reshaping the rules of politics to fit his ten-gallon-hat leadership style and for persuading a majority of voters that he deserved to be in the White House for another four years, Bush gained attention and power, purveying an image of being 'average'. He dominated both national and world events in 2004.
