Current Affairs Dec 2015 - Deaths

News 1 - Veteran Communist leader Noorul Huda passed away.

Noorul Huda, veteran leader of Communist Party of India (M) of Eastern India, passed away on 17 December 2015 following a cardiac arrest in Kolkata. He was 86. Huda is survived by his wife. He was a member of the Assam State Assembly from 1978 to 1983, and also a member of the CPI-M for three decades.

News 2 - British Novelist Peter Dickinson passed away.

British Novelist Peter Dickinson passed away on 16 December 2015 following a brief illness in Winchester, Hampshire. He was 88. He had the distinction of being the first author to receive the prestigious Carnegie medal twice. He wrote almost 60 books.

News 3 - Noted theatre artiste Chatla Sriramulu passed away.

Noted writer and theater artiste Chatla Sriramulu passed away on 18 December 2015 at Secunderabad, Telangana following a brief illness. He was 84. He acted in and directed more than 100 plays and wrote several books on a wide range of subjects. Sriramulu was a railway employee, who hailed from Vijayawada.

He was awarded as the Best Actor twice by Andhra Nataka Kala Parishad and was also a recipient of the Union Government’s Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1982.
He was the first artiste from Andhra Pradesh to receive Emeritus Fellowship from the Human Resources Department of Union Government.
He was awarded the certificate of Producer and Teacher by the British Drama League, London in 1970.

News 4 - Russian film-maker Eldar Ryazanov expired.

One of the most popular Russian film directors of the Soviet era, Eldar Ryazanov, expired following a prolonged illness. He was 88. In 1984, he received one of the top Soviet artistry title - People's Artist of the USSR and received the USSR State Prize in 1977.

News 5 - Sarangi Maestro Ustad Sabri Khan passes away.

Renowned sarangi player, Ustad Sabri Khan, died on 30 November 2015 in New Delhi due to breathing problems. He was 88. He was born on 21 May 1927 in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. Khan belonged to the Sainia Gharana, which traces the tradition of its music back to Tansen.

News 6 - Industrialist MAM Ramaswamy is no more.

Industrialist, founder of Chettinad Group, former parliamentarian MAM Ramaswamy passed away on 2 December 2015 in Chennai due to prolonged illness. He was 84. He was a Member of the Parliament and controlled the 103 year old Chettinad Group of Businesses.

News 7 - Famous German conductor Kurt Masur passed away.

Kurt Masur, widely regarded as one of the world's greatest conductors, passed away on 19 December 2015 in the United States. He died from complications of the Parkinson’s Disease. He was 88.

Known as one of the last old-style maestros, Masur became principal conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) and held the position until 2007. In April 2002, he became music director of the Orchestre National de France (ONF) and served the post until 2008.

News 8 - Senior Telugu actor Chilukoti Kashi Viswanath passed away.

Senior Telugu actor and dialogue writer Chilukoti Kashi Viswanath passed away on 22 December 2015 following a massive cardiac stroke, while traveling in the Lokmanya Tilak Express from Hyderabad to Visakhapatnam. He was 69.

He started his career as a dialogue writer in 1980 with Ramayanamloo Pidakala Veta. Since then, he worked as a dialogue writer for over 70 films. He was awarded the Sahitya Academy award in 1980. He also got Nandi awards for his plays Kala Sagar, Manavatvaniki Maro Konam and Trend Marindi.

News 9 - Veteran actress Sadhana passes away in Mumbai.

Hindi film actress Sadhana, known for some of the memorable films, such as Love in Shimla, Parakh, Waqt, Woh Kaun Thi, Mera Saaya, Geeta Mera Naam among others, passed away in Mumbai at the age of 74. She was one of the leading actresses in the 1960s and early 1970s.

News 10 - Renowned science-fiction writer George Clayton Johnson passes away.

Popular science-fiction writer George Clayton Johnson, passed away on 25 December 2015 due to cancer in Los Angeles, California. He was 86. He is famous for his script for the first Star Trek episode, The Man Trap and The Twilight Zone.

News 11 - Oscar-winning cinematographer Haskell Wexler passed away.

Oscar-winning cinematographer Haskell Wexler passed away on 27 December 2015 in California, US. He was 93. He was one of America’s most influential cinematographers. He won Oscar Awards for his films, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf (1966) and Bound for Glory (1976).

News 12 - Mangesh Keshav Padgaonkar, Marathi poet, passed away.

Marathi poet and Padma Bhushan recipient Mangesh Keshav Padgaonkar passed away on 30 December 2015 after a brief illness. He was 86. In 2008, Padgaonkar was awarded with the prestigious Maharashtra Bhushan Award as well.

News 13 - Ian Fraser Lemmy Kilmister, founding member of metal band Motorhead, died.

Ian Fraser Lemmy Kilmister, founding member and singer in the British heavy metal band, Motorhead passed away on 28 December 2015 after battling cancer. He was 70. Rock Metal Band, Motorhead released 23 studio albums. They are famous for their 1980's single, Ace of Spades.

News 14 - Veteran singer Subir Sen passed away.

Veteran singer Subir Sen passed away on 29 December 2015 due to lung cancer in Kolkata. He was 81. He is also known for his work in the movie, Chhoti Bahen. Subir Sen sung many songs in Hindi and Bengali films. He had also sung duets with Asha Bhonsle and the legendary Lata Mangeshkar.

News 15 - Ex Chief of Indian Army General Om Prakash Malhotra passes away.

General Om Prakash Malhotra, former Punjab Governor and ex-Chief of Army, passed away at the age of 93. He was the 13th Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army from 1978 – 1981. For his outstanding services to the nation and the Indian Army, he was honored with Param Vishsist Seva Medal in 1976.