- Lala Lajpat Rai was born on January 8,1865 in a well to
do family. If he wished he could have led a comfertable
life running his family business, but how could a person
of Lala ji's vigour and thoughts could allow himself the
luxries of life while millions of his countrymen were
suffering? When the Simon Commission was in India in
1928, he opposed it in assembly. He took active part in
demonstrations, against it and was beaten mercilesslyby
the police at Lahore. As he lay in the pool of blood he
uttered the prophetic words,"Every blow that
is raised today is a nail in the coffin of the British
Raj". He died on Nevember 17, 1928. Lalaji
started his political career while he was a practising
pleader at Hissar. At Hissar court he proved very
successful. He attended the congress session at Allahabad
in 1888 at the young age of 23. He devoted his financial
resources and time to the social service, to the Arya
Samaj in order to reform Hinduism, and to setting up
schools and colleges. He was instrumental in founding of
DAV College, Panjab National Bank, and Laxmi Insurance
Company. He also built orphanages and Homes for widows.
When India was hit by severe famine in 1897, he organised
relife work.
- In 1904 he, along with Lala Jaswant Rai launched a news
paper called 'Punjabee'. In the Banaras session of
Congress in 1905, it was decided to send a deligation of
two persons to England in view of teh impending
electtions in Britain, to present to British electorate
and political leaders the problems of Indians; Lala
Lajpat Rai and Gokhale were the delegates chosen. Once in
England they addressed as many as 40 meetings in a single
month. From there they went to US to study the working of
educational institutions. After hsi return in 1907 ,
Lalji was arrested for his outspoken views against the
Govt. and was deported to Mandalay Fort in Burma along
with Sardar Ajit Singh.
- Gandhi's methods had no appeal for him. In the central
Assembly elections drifted away from Congress and formed
the Nationalist party. But his love for country was not
hidden from any one. Ina deries of remarkable letters to
Sir, Syed Ahmed Khan, he denounced his switching over to
nerrow communal policies, when earlier had given
indications of liberal and nationalist tendencies. Paying
hma atribute Gandhi said," His nationalism was no
narrow creed. He loved the world. His nationalism was
internationalism. His activities were
multifarious...".
- He also established 'Servants of people society, whose
aim was to prepare young men for the taskof national
reconstruction and inclucating among them a sense of
discipline and sacrifice. In 1914 he went to England to
counter the propaganda against Nationalist movement.
After few days World War II started and he went to US. He
stayed there for next five years as he was not allowed to
enter in Inda. There he wrote 'Young India' and after the
war he returned to Lahore. 'Not only struggle, but
vigorous struggle is the law of progress he use to say.
And struggle he did all his life to achieve his goal of
freedom.
- During his short stay at Haryana Lalaji worked for the
propagation of congress ideals in Rohtak and Hissar
regions.
