Parashar's

Swami Sahajanand Saraswati:born in uttar pradesh (village:deva, ghazipur) Social worker, saint, was the foremost leader of peasants of the previous century. International journalists term him as one of the ten most influential people of India of the last century. Our Indian journalist have largely glossed him over and ignored him as a caste leader when the fact is that he worked for all peasants irrespective of their caste. It was at the behest of the yadav peasants that he formed Kisan sabha which became the biggest anti -zamindari peasant movement of India. Landlords and big zamindars both respected and feared him. Other brahmins who lived off the donations of these hardworking brahmins like bhumihars, chitpawans, tyagis and anavails didn't consider them equal to their social status and consider them beneath them in social hierarchy. Swami Sahajanand worked for the equal status for these hardworking brahmins. Basawon Singh (Sinha): Great Nationalist, Trade Unionist and First Leader of Opposition in Bihar; earlier active with HSRA (Hindustan Socialist Republican Army) and later joined Congress Socialist Party. He had spent eighteen and a half years in prison in British India fighting for India's independence. In the early phase of his life he was a revolutionary but later turned to Democratic Socialism. He was among the foremost proponents of Democratic Socialism in India. Pandit Karyanand Sharma : Great nationalist and peasant leader. Yogendra Shukla: Among the greatest nationalists the country has produced and who also served in the Cellular Jail, Andamans(Kalapani), among the founders of HSRA (Hindustan Socialist Republican Army) Yogendra Shukla (1896-1966) as well as his nephew Baikunth Shukla (1907-1934) hailed from village Jalalpur in Muzaffarpur (now Vaishali), district of Bihar and were torch bearers of the revolutionary spirit of freedom struggle. Young Yogendra made his greatest contribution to the cause of Indian freedom between 1930 and 1942, as one of the leaders of the revolutionary movement in Bihar and U.P. becoming "Almost a legendary figure for his many exploits". He was a close associate of Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Datta. He had to serve prison terms for a total of more than sixteen and a half years for his revolutionary activities. During imprisonment in different jails of India, he was subjected to extreme torture, which corroded his iron constitution. Baikuntha Shukla: Great nationalist who was hanged for murdering Phanindrananth Ghosh who had become a government approver which led to hanging of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru. He was a nephew of Yogendra Shukla. Baikunth Shukla was also initiated into the freedom struggle at a young age taking active part in the 'Salt Satyagraha' of 1930. He was associated with revolutionary organisations like the Hindustan Seva Dal and Hindustan Socialist Republican Association. The execution of the great Indian revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev in 1931 as a result of their trial in the 'Lahore conspiracy case' was an event that shook the entire country. Phanindra Nath Ghosh, hitherto a key member of the Revolutionary Party had treacherously betrayed the cause by turning an approver, giving evidence, which led to the execution. Baikunth was commissioned to plan the execution of Ghosh as an act of ideological vendetta which he carried out successfully on 9 November 1932. He was arrested and tried for the killing. Baikunth was convicted and hanged in Gaya Central Jail on May 14, 1934. He was only 28 years old. Chandrama Singh Another nationalist who was given life term imprisonment for being an accomplice with Baikuntha Shukla in murdering Phanindranath Ghosh for ideological vendetta. Sir Ganesh Dutt Singh: Only minister in the province of Bihar from 1923 to 1937 and great philanthropist who initiated World famous Prince of Wales Medical College, Patna University, Darbhanga Medical School etc. Sri Krishna Sinha Eminent nationalist and first Chief minister of Bihar. He was from Maur village of Shekhpura District of Bihar. Ram Dayalu Singh: First Speaker of Bihar Assembly. He was from Gangawa village of Muzaffarpur and strong advocate of SRI BABU candidature of premiership of the province of Bihar in 1937 assembly election (first). There is a famous college in Muzaffarpur which is named after him. Ram Binod Singh: Great nationalist and revolutionary who was brought into the freedom struggle by Acharya Jivatram Bhagwandas Kripalani when he used to teach in Langet Singh College in Muzzafarpur. In fact, Acaryaji has also mentioned about him in his autobiography "My Time". Ram Nandan Mishra: Nationalist and Socialist leader who spent years in jail in British India. A close associate of Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan. Ramnandan Mishra shot into fame when he, along with JP, scaled the walls of the Hazaribagh central jail during the Quit India movement to lead the underground movement against the British. After Independence he become saint. Ram Manohar Lohia always regarded him as his guru. Pandit Raj Kumar Shukla: After his return from South Africa, Mahatma Gandhi started the freedom movement in India by his satyagraha in the Champaran District of Bihar at the request of Raj Kumar Shukla-- against the British, who were forcing the local farmers to plant indigo which was very harmful to the local soil. In India’s struggle for Independence the "Champaran Satyagraha", marks a very important stage. Raj Kumar Shukla drew the attention of Mahatma Gandhi, who had just returned from South Africa, to the plight of the peasants suffering under an oppressive system established by European indigo planters. Besides other excesses they were forced to cultivate indigo on 3/20 part of their holding and sell it to the planters at prices fixed by the planters. This marked Gandhiji’s entry into the India’s Struggle for Freedom. On his arrival at Motihari, the district headquarters, accompanied by Raj Kumar Shukla, Gandhiji was ordered to leave by the next available train which he refused to do and was arrested. He was released and the ban order was withdrawn in the face of a, "Satyagraha" threat. Gandhiji conducted an open enquiry into the peasant’s grievances. The Government had to appoint an enquiry committee with Gandhiji as a member. This led to the abolition of the system. Raj Kumar Shukla has been described by Gandhiji in his "Atmakatha", as a man whose suffering gave him the strength to rise against the odds. In his letter to Gandhiji he wrote "Respected Mahatma, You hear the stories of others everyday. Today please listen to my story….. I want to draw your attention to the promise made by you in the Lucknow Congress that you would come to Champaran. The time has come for you to fulfil your promise. 19 lakhs suffering people of Champaran are waiting to see you." Gandhiji reached Patna on 10 April, 1917 and on 16 April he reached Motihari accompanied by Raj Kumar Shukla. Under Gandhiji’s leadership the historic "Champaran Satyagraha" began. The contribution of Raj Kumar Shukla is reflected in the writings of Dr. Rajendra Prasad, first President of India, Acharya Kriplani and of course, Mahatma Gandhi himself. Raj Kumar Shukla maintained a diary in which he has given an account of struggle against the atrocities of the indigo planters, atrocities so movingly depicted by Deen Bandhu Mitra in "Neel Darpan", a play that was translated by Michael Madhusudan Dutt. This movement by Mahatma Gandhi received the spontaneous support of a cross section of people, including Dr. Rajendra Prasad, who ultimately became the first President of India. Mahavir Tyagi: Eminent nationalist and parliamentarian. Pandit Yamuna Karjee: Pandit Yamuna Karjee was born in a small village name Deopar near Pusa in Darbhanga District of Bihar in 1898. His father Anu Karjee was a marginal farmer who died when Jamuna Karjee was just 6 months old. From his school days itself, he was drawn towards India’s freedom struggle and the Kisan Movement and Peasant movement under Swami Sehganandji Saraswati’s leadership. For higher studies he went to the Presidency College, Calcutta, and also obtained a degree in Law. In Calcutta he came in contact with several freedom fighters and Congress leaders like Dr. B.C. Roy, Dr. Shri Krishan Sinha, Rahul Sankritayan etc. Spurning the offers of several government jobs, he became a Hindi journalist of repute. He joined the editorial wing of Hindi weekly Bharat Mirtra published in Calcutta. He also took part in Gandhiji’s non cooperation movement from 1920-21 and was jailed in 1929-30 for taking part in civil disobedience movement and Namak Satyagrah. He won the first election for Bihar and Orissa Assembly in 1937 as a Congress candidate. He was one of the strongest pillars of the peasant movement in Bihar under the leadership of Swami Sahajanand Saraswati. He along with Rahul Sankritayan and other Hindi literaries started publishing a Hindi weekly Hunkar from Bihar, in 1940. Hunkar later became the mouthpiece of the peasant movement and the agrarian movement in Bihar. He was elected to the post of President Bihar Journalist association in 1947-48. He died of cancer in October 1953 at an early age of 55. After his untimely demise the peasant movement lost momentum in Bihar and became rudderless. His name also appears in Bipan Chandra's masterpiece India's Struggle for Independence Also refer :people.indiatimes.com/articleshow/813210.cms Sheel Bhadra Yajee (1906-1996) the fiery freedom fighter from Bihar was associated with the non-violent and the violent form of freedom struggle. Yajee's participation in the freedom movement began in 1928 when, as a student, he attended the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress. He joined the Congress Socialist Party four years later and became involved in the Kisan movement. Later, he came in close touch with Subhas Chandra Bose, as well as Mahatma Gandhi. In 1939 he joined Subhas Chandra Bose to found the All India Forward Bloc. He was actively associated with the INA movement. Yajee raised his voice against caste prejudices and other social evils. He was a firm believer in the active participation of the peasants, workers and the middle classes in the struggle for the transformation of society. He authored several books like' A Glimpse of the Indian Labour Movement', 'Forward Bloc and Its Stand', 'Is Socialism a Necessity to India', and 'True Face of Monopolistic American Democracy'.The government of India issued a commemorative stamp on him on 28/01/2001.[] Ganga Sharan Singh: Littérateur and Nationalist. He was a member of Rajya Sabha from 1956 to 1974. He was elected to the upper house too later. He was also the Chairman of PSP from 1956—59. He was close to Jay Prakash Narayan as well as Mrs Indira Gandhi . He tried his best to make these two leaders close to each other but was suspected by both . Pupul Jaykar wrote about him in a book 'Indira Gandhi'. Pt. Jadunandan Sharma: Eminent nationalist and peasant leader. Kishori Prassana Sinha (Singh): Nationalist. Mithilesh Narayan Singh: Nationalist Rai Jagannath Singh: Great grandson of Rai Hriday Narayan Singh, a philanthropist close to British administration. He was a freedom fighter . His wealth was seized by the British government for his active participation in Indian freedom movement.Vir Keshwar Singh, Parihans-Gaya : Eminent nationalist and peasant leader.Dr.Shiv Pujan Rai,Freedom Fighter [Sherpur,Ghazipur]