Lala Lajpat Rai was an Indian political leader who is chiefly known for leading movements against British Raj in India. The freedom fighter was popularly known as Punjab Kesari (The Lion of Punjab).

Early Life

Rai was born on January 28, 1865 in village Dhudi Ke, in present day Moga district of Punjab, India. He was the eldest son of Munshi Radha Kishan Azad and Gulab Devi.

Political career

He was one of the famous three Extremist leaders of the Indian National Congress who had fought and given their lives during the Indian independence movement in the first half of the twentieth century. The other two were Bal Gangadhar Tilak of Maharashtra and Bipin Chandra Pal of Bengal. Collectively, they were dubbed Lal-Bal-Pal.

It was the Partition of Bengal in 1905 that aroused their robust nationalism and set them firmly on the path to fighting for freedom. The repressive measures of the British Government against the growing nationalist movement inspired them to infuse greater

Rai presided over the first session of the All India Trade Union Congress in 1920. He also went to Geneva to attend the eighth International Labour Conference in 1926 as a representative of Indian labour. He had an opportunity to watch the labour movement in the USA and England where he was required to prolong his stay for political reasons.

Rai led the Punjab protests against the Amritsar Massacre (1919) and the Non-Cooperation Movement (1919 - 1922). He was repeatedly arrested. Rai however disagreed with Mohandas Gandhi's suspension of the movement due to the Chauri Chaura incident, and formed the Congress Independence Party, which was particularly pro-Hindu in voice and policy.

He was not only a good orator but also a prolific and versatile writer. His journal Arya Gazette concentrated mainly on subjects related to the Arya Samaj. Bande Mataram and People, contained his inspiring speeches to end oppression by the foreign rulers. He founded the Servants of the People Society, which worked for the freedom movement as well as for social reform in the country. He also wrote an autobiography

Simon Commmission protests

A strong believer in leading by example, he himself led a procession to demonstrate against the Simon Commission, which was to prove fatal for him. He was made the target of a brutal lathi charge in which he was injured badly. A meeting was held the same evening where he spoke with such vigour that his words, "Every blow aimed at me is a nail in the coffin of British imperialism", became historic. Though he recovered from the fever and pain within three days yet his health had received a permanent setback and on November 17, 1928, he succumbed to the fatal injuries.

Inspiration and memorial

Lajpat Rai was one of the most important nationalist leaders from the Punjab, where he is remembered reverently today. He was a key mentor of nationalists like Bhagat Singh and Chandrasekhar Azad.

The Lajpat Nagar , Lajpat Nagar Central Market and Lala Lajpat Rai Institute of Engineering and Technology, Moga are named in his honor.

See also

• Leaders of the Independence Movement
• Indian Independence Movement, Indian National Congress
• Indian Nationalism, Hindu Nationalism