Gostha Behari Pal, Padma Shri (1962)

In the world of football (or soccer, as some call it), there was an incredible player named Pal. He played every single game without shoes! While his opponents had fancy football shoes that gave them an advantage on the muddy field, Pal liked to play barefoot. But shoes or no shoes, Pal soon earned the nickname Great Wall of China because his opponents felt they just couldn’t get the ball past him. Playing against Pal felt like playing against a wall!

In 1936, Pal and his team were playing a match against an all-English team in Kolkata. The referee made decisions based on the players’ skin colour instead of how they played. Pal knew this was wrong and decided to stand up against this unfairness. He told his teammates to lie down on the ground during the match. All the players lay on the ground in silent protest, as if to say, “We won’t play until things are fair.” In a peaceful way, the players showed they wanted things to change. The match authorities wanted to punish Pal and his team, but Pal walked off the field before they could do anything.

Pal retired after this incredible match. He had made a huge impact, even though he never played football again. Pal once said, “In an era when we (Indians) were humiliated and insulted in every step of life . . . the football arena was the only one place where we could fight . . .”

People loved Pal so much that they made a life-size statue of him, named a road after him and even issued a special stamp. Even though he never wore shoes while playing, he left behind giant shoes for other Indian footballers to fill. Gostha Behari Pal was truly a hero, both on and off the field.

Keshava Shankar Pillai, Padma Shri (1956), Padma Bhushan (19660, Padma Vibhushan (1976)

When Shankar was a young boy, he came across a funny sight – his teacher had fallen asleep during class! The sight of the sleeping teacher inspired Shankar, and he quickly sketched a cartoon. As you can imagine, the headmaster wasn’t happy with the cartoon (nor was the teacher!) and Shankar got into trouble. But despite the headmaster’s annoyance, one of Shankar’s uncles recognised his talent and encouraged him to keep drawing. And he did!

As an adult, Shankar continued to draw cartoons fearlessly, poking fun at important people, even viceroys and prime ministers! Shankar’s humour spared no one, no matter how powerful. His cartoons began to be published in Hindustan Times, and soon, people from all over the world came to know and love his work. His cartoons became so popular that one day Mahatma Gandhi asked Shankar, “Did Hindustan Times make you famous, or did you make Hindustan Times famous?” Even though Shankar made fun of politicians, he had a friendly relationship with many of them, and he encouraged them to laugh at themselves. Jawaharlal Nehru once said to him, “Don’t spare me, Shankar!” The cartoonist took this seriously, poking fun at Nehru in over 4,000 cartoons!

Ever the child with his cartoons and comics, Shankar was convinced that children were much more interesting than adults. He wrote and illustrated several children’s books. “Children are beautiful, unspoilt, lovable. They deserve the best of everything,” he said. So, Shankar established the Children’s Book Trust and the Doll Museum. Both of these wonderful places still exist in Delhi’s Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg. You can head there to be inspired by Shankar who taught us to be brave, creative and fearless about sharing our talents with the world.

Mary Verghese, Padma Shri (1972)

Mary was a little girl with a big dream – she wanted to become a doctor. But almost a hundred years ago, it wasn’t easy for girls to pursue such careers. Mary’s parents wanted her to be a teacher, but she wanted to help people through medicine. Seeing her determination, her parents supported her. After several years in medical school, Mary’s dream came true – she was finally a doctor! Unfortunately, life was about to become harder.

Just after her graduation, Mary was on her way to a picnic. But this picnic day changed Mary’s life forever. The car she was travelling in met with a terrible accident, and Mary was left paralysed from the waist down. The girl who dreamt of healing others was herself going to be in a wheelchair forever. But Mary was not one to give up easily.

Soon enough, Mary learnt how to take care of herself and manage without her legs. She could even drape a sari on her own. But she was worried. What about her dream to help others? That’s when Mary met another doctor who had a brilliant idea. He suggested that she could perform surgeries while sitting in her wheelchair. You might know that doctors always stand over patients during surgeries. So, a “sitting surgery” was a crazy idea! It had never been done before, but Mary was excited to try.

In no time, Mary was successfully performing complicated surgeries sitting in her wheelchair. To make an even bigger difference, Mary started a special centre for people with disabilities. She wanted to help others like her who faced challenges but had big dreams, too. Mary worked hard, and even though she couldn’t walk, she felt like she could fly! “I asked for feet,” said Mary, “and I have been given wings.”

Mary – India’s first paralysed surgeon – received the Padma Shri in 1972. Of course, she rolled up to receive the award in her trusty wheelchair.

Excerpted with permission from The Padmas: Fifty Stories of Perseverance, Neha J Hiranandani, illustrations by David Yambem, Puffin Books.