Lala Lajpat Rai was an Indian writer and a great politician. He was one of the leading politicians of Punjab as well as all India. He contributed immensely in Indian politics to drive out British from Indian Territory.
He was born on January 28, 1865 at Dhudike in Punjab. His father’s name was Radha Krishna and his mother was Gulabi Devi. Rai was there only child. He passed matriculation from local high school.
He joined the Lahore Government College to study law in 1880. At this time he came in touch of Lala Hans Raj and pandit Guru Dutt. They became common friend of each other. Then they came in touch of “ARYA SAMAJ” which was founded by Swami Dayananda Saraswati. They started fund collection for ARYA SAMAJ to improve the Indian national program. He passed the Vakil's Hip examination in 1885 and started practicing for the vakil ship at Hisser. After that he started to join Indian politics directly. He was elected as the member of Hisser Municipality Corporation and later he became the secretary of the municipality.
During the SWADESHI movement, he was the leading force in India. To use the swadeshi, he arranged a vigorous campaign all over Punjab as well as all over India. He was arrested in 1907 for creating turmoil. He was taken to Mandalay jail and he had to spend six months in that jail.
Rai believed that to drive out the British from the nation special public opinion should build within the nation as well as outside the nation. With this mission he went to Britain in 1914. There he organized many associations to build public opinion regarding the British ruthless policy in India. Meanwhile the First World War broke out in the western countries and Rai failed to come back in India. After that he went to USA and there he established “INDIAN HOME LEAGUE SOCIETY IN AMERICA” for preaching British brutality around world. There he wrote “YOUNG INDIA”. In this book he demonstrated British’s injustice and inhuman role prevailing in India. This book was prohibited in Britain but was very popular in America.
In 1920 he came back to India and joined in politics heartily. He became the president of Indian National Congress in 1920. He launched immense campaign against the British for the “JALLIANWALA BAGH” massacre. He was the prime supporter of Gandhi's NON COOPERATION MOVEMENT. But he was very depressed when Gandhiji suspended the NON COOPERATION movement due to the CHAURI CHAURA incident in 1922. He was sent in prison several times due to indulging different anti-British movement.
On 30 October 1928 British govt. decided to send SIMON COMMISSION in India and since then congress and the entire nation decided to boycott the commission. When the Commission finally reached to in 1929 India the entire country became a fireplace. As there were no Indian members within the commission the Indian National Congress also boycotted the commission. There were protest all over India and one such processing was also held by Lala Lajpat Rai and the procession was peaceful. Yet the superintendent of police Mr. Scott ordered the police force for “lathicharge” and their target was Mr. Rai. In this attack Lala Lajpat Rai was seriously beaten. The English soldiers attacked in his chest and head and he was spot dead. His political zeal is felt still in Punjab and all over India.
Comments
Post a Comment