Lala Lajpat Rai: lion of Punjab

Lala Lajpat Rai: Lion of Punjab

By Latha Iyer on one Bharat Mission

Punjab has given India several freedom fighters and tall leaders. One name which stands out is that of Punjab Kesari Sri Lala Lajpat Rai. He led several agitations and actively participated in India’s freedom struggle. He was influenced by Hinduism and believed that Hinduism encouraged practices that brought peace to humanity and it was this peaceful belief system mixed with nationalism would create a truly secular nation. His views and belief system were shaped by his father who was a school teacher and his deeply religious mother. He was also influenced by Swami Dayanand Saraswati and became a member of Arya Sabha as well.

He was born in a Hindu Aggarwal family in Dhudike which lies in Moga district of present day Punjab. He participated in various nationalist agitations; the most famous one being the protest against Simon commission in 1928. On 30th October 1928 he led the protest march against the visiting Simon commission members in Lahore. The protestors were lathi charged and Lalaji received severe injuries. He succumbed to his injuries on 17th November 1928. In his address to the crowd, which unfortunately turned out to be the last one, after receiving fatal injuries during the lathi charge he declared “I declare that the blows struck at me today will be the last nails in the coffin of British rule in India”. The day of his martyrdom is celebrated as Martyr’s day in Odisha.

He spearheaded Indian National Movements and Hindu reforms movement. He inspired the younger generation to take part in India’s independence movement by leading from the front. His journalism boosted the morale of nationalist and patriotic citizens thereby encouraging them to contribute in whatever capacity they could towards the freedom movement. Like most nationalists of that time, he obtained a degree in law and practised in Hisar as well. He was not just a lawyer and journalist but also founded several reputed organizations including the Punjab National Bank, Hisar Arya Samaj, Hisar Bar council and national DAV managing committee among others. He set up a trust in memory of his mother Gulab Devi, who died of tuberculosis, in Lahore. This trust was entrusted with the task of building and running a tuberculosis hospital. The hospital known as Gulab Devi Chest Hospital was inaugurated on 17th July 1934. Even today the Gulab Devi Memorial Hospital is one of the biggest hospitals in Pakistan and treats close to 2000 patients every day.

He was a journalist par excellence and the founding editor of Arya Gazette. He also regularly contributed to several reputed newspapers and magazines in the Hindi, English, Punjabi and Urdu languages. He penned several books such as The Story of My Deportation, Arya Samaj, The United States of America: A Hindu’s Impression, Unhappy India, England's Debt to India and Young India: An Interpretation and a History of the Nationalist Movement from Within. His writings inspired young leaders like Chandrashekar Azad and Bhagat Singh to take up arms against the British Raj and lay down their lives for the cause of freeing India. The injuries he sustained took his life but his sacrifice did not go in vain as Bhagat, Azad, Rajguru and Sukhdev vowed to avenge his death.

He was a part of the triumvirate Lal Bal Pal along with Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Bipin Chandra Pal. Lala was given the epithet ‘Punjab Kesari’ meaning the ‘Lion of Punjab’ and he lived up to his name fighting the British till the end. Let us salute this great martyr who lost his life on this very day 89 years ago but not before inspiring the next generation to free Bharat from the clutches of the British.

Written By

Latha Iyer