In News
- Recently, the Prime Minister recalled Lala Lajpat Rai’s bravery and dedication in the freedom struggle on his birth anniversary (28 January).
About Lala Lajpat Rai
- Born:
- Born in 1865.
- In a small village named Dhudike in Punjab’s Ferozepur district.
- Also known by:
- Punjab Kesari and Lion of Punjab
- Influenced by:
- The teachings of Swami Dayananda Saraswati had maximum impact on Rai.
- Later he even joined Arya Samaj in Lahore.
- Belief:
- He believed that the ideals in Hinduism combined with nationalism will lead to the establishment of a secular state.
- Worked for:
- He was a fervent nationalist who also worked for social reforms and wrote regularly, inspiring revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh.
- He fought against untouchability.
- Lal-Bal-Pal:
- Along with Bipin Chandra Pal and Bal Gangadhar Tilak, he formed the Lal-Bal-Pal trio of extremist leaders.
- Political actions:
- He joined the Indian National Congress (INC) and participated in many political agitations in Punjab.
- Opposed the Partition of Bengal and played an important role in the Swadeshi Movement. Lal-Bal-Pal fervently advocated the use of Swadeshi goods and mass agitation in the aftermath of the controversial Partition of Bengal in 1905 by Lord Curzon.
- He supported the non-cooperation movement of Gandhi at the Nagpur session of the Congress in 1920.
- He protested against the Rowlatt Act and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre that followed.
- He was elected deputy leader of the Central Legislative Assembly in 1926.
- In 1928, he moved a resolution in the assembly refusing cooperation with the Simon Commission since the Commission had no Indian members.
- Social:
- He founded the Hindu Relief movement in 1897 to provide help to the famine-stricken people and thus prevent them from falling into the clutches of the missionaries.
- The Servants of People Society was founded by him in 1921.
- Miscellaneous:
- He founded the Home Rule League of America in 1917 in New York. In the USA, he worked to get moral support for the Indian independence movement from the international community.
- He was also elected President of the All India Trade Union Congress.
- He helped in the establishment of the Punjab National Bank in 1894.
- In 1885, he established the Dayanand Anglo-Vedic School in Lahore and remained a committed educationist throughout his life.
- Literary Works:
- Young India,
- England’s Debt to India,
- Evolution of Japan,
- India’s Will to Freedom,
- Message of the Bhagavad Gita,
- Political Future of India,
- Problem of National Education in India,
- The Depressed Glasses, and
- the travelogue ‘United States of America’.
- Death:
- In 1928, he was leading a silent protest against the Simon Commission in Lahore when he was brutally lathi-charged by Superintendent of Police, James Scott. He died of injuries sustained a few weeks later.
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