Madan Mohan Malaviya
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ABP Live Rajeev Dikshit,TNN | Dec 24, 2014 The Times of India
10 things to know about Madan Mohan Malviya=
Late freedom fighter-educationist & lawyer Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya has been named for India's highest civilian honour, Bharat Ratna. The Allahabad-born visionary was the president of the Indian National Congress for two terms and was also among the first leaders of the right-wing Hindu Mahasabha.
Great minds and personalities like Annie Besant, Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, Shyama Charan De and many others joined hand with him in his quest for knowledge, arousing the national spirit in India and winning freedom with the power of education and righteousness.
An educationist with a vision, Malviya's main achievement was the establishment of the Banaras Hindu University in 1916
Born on December 25, 1861, Malviya was catapulted into the political arena immediately after his first moving speech at the second Congress session held in Kolkata in 1886. He was the President of INC in 1909 and 1918.
Besides being a freedom fighter and politician, he was also an eminent educationist. He died a year before India's independence Aug 15, 1947.
By 1918, it took the form of an Akhil Bharatiya Seva Samiti with centers at many places and a broad based objective of service to the needy during Kumbh Mela, floods, earthquakes, other natural calamities. In 1918, a sub unit modelled like the ‘Boy Scouts’ was started under the Akhil Bharatiya Seva Samiti. The main difference was that a patriotic leader was its Chief Scout and ‘Vande Mataram’ was sung instead of the British National Anthem. He worked for the emancipation of women.
Mahatama Gandhiji considered him as an elder brother and would call Him "Maker of Modem India". Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru said, "He was a great soul, one Of those who laid foundation of Modern Indian Nationalism".
The most important achievement in this decade by him was to get government acceptance of use of devanagari script in court works.
He gave much emphasis on spreading and providing form of education because he considered it the major part of cultural revival.
He was influenced by cultural revival of India during the last decades of the 19 century which finds expression in his speeches, thought and beliefs that enlivened many nationalists of his era.
Even after freedom from active politics and university administration, he maintained his old association with Sanatan Dharma Sabha whose office was at his residence where from carne out the weekly Sanatan Dharma. The office would encourage and award religious scholars and work for cow protection and welfare.
Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of the Republic of India, wrote at the time of Malviya’s death, "A great soul has left us. His name and work would inspire future generation and give – message that for a determined person nothing is impossible. His service to nation is beyond words. The vacuum created by his death can't be filled. He was a real patriot". (1861-1946)
Vignettes
Malaviya envisioned Banaras Hindu University to serve as a premier centre of world knowledge for vigorous search of deeper quest and knowledge in all possible disciplines ranging from classical ancient Indian culture, philosophy, religion, humanities, arts to modern science, medicine, agriculture, engineering and technology. According to BHU scholars as well as history available at varsity, Malaviya was a strong proponent of science and engineering education in India. Prior to establishment of the BHU, he had realized the role of modern science in building a strong India.
He was aware that science and technology could be the prime movers for the prosperity of resurgent India. He was of the view that India cannot regain its prosperity until the application of modern science becomes naturalized in the country. When Malaviya established the BHU in 1916, he had authored the prospectus of the university encompassing a comprehensive educational programme to impart the students the knowledge of Indian cultural heritage, ethics, and human values so that they do not get carried away by western civilization.
At the same time, he served as a crusader to introduce the teachings of various disciplines of basic as well as modern science and engineering including agriculture and medicine so that large number of scientists, engineers and industrial leaders could be produced from the university capable of alleviating the sufferings of the masses by scientific solutions to the problems, by increasing agricultural and industrial production and creating wealth.
Malaviya always advocated for revival of Indian industries. With the donations received from Maharaja of Patiala and the Jodhpur Darbar, Malaviya initiated degree courses in Electrical and Mechanical engineering in BHU in July 1919, on the pattern of the courses run in British universities. He had realized the vast potential of mineral wealth of India and the deficiency of expertise to handle metals and mineral resources.
Therefore Geology as a degree course was started in 1920 at BHU and degree courses in Mining and Metallurgy were started in the Engineering College in 1923. The first department of Industrial Chemistry in India was initiated in 1921 at BHU. Malaviya pioneered the beginning of the courses in Ceramics and Glass Technology in the Engineering College in 1924 where soaps, cosmetics, glass-wares and porcelain materials were manufactured.
For the first time in India BSc and MSc degree courses in Pharmacy were initiated by Malaviya at BHU in the year 1935.
Former Information and Public Relations Officer of BHU Dr Vishwanath Pandey said Malaviya's life was replete with innumerable social causes and commitments, which tested and proved the character of the happy warrior in him.
Social work started from the very beginning of Malaviya's life, when as a youth in 1889 he founded the Bharati Bhavan Library, which is still serving the citizens of Allahabad. He also started a Boy Scout Unit in 1918 under the Prayag Seva Samiti to inculcate the spirit of service from a young age. Malaviyaji's work for uplifting the oppressed classes was not due to any political motive, but more due to his own inner conscience and firm belief. In 1912, Malaviya encouraged his son Ramakant, to start the Yatri Seva Samiti, which later became Prayag Seva Samiti.
The main objective was to extend help to the thousands of illiterate and helpless pilgrims. In January 1933, he persuaded the Sanatana dharma leaders to ameliorate the condition of the deprived classes. When the Harijan tour undertaken by Gandhiji ended on 29 July 1934 at Banaras, a meeting was held at the Central Hindu School grounds. Malaviya spoke in support of equal civil and religious rights to Harijans.
According to Pandey, Malaviya was keen on educating the oppressed classes and the poor. His work started as early as in 1909 when he stressed the need for educating them. When BHU was established, he helped many poor, backward and needy persons to receive quality education there.
In 1925, Malaviya had gone for the Mahasabha Conference to Patna and on the way back he addressed a huge gathering in Arrah. When he was getting into the car someone brought a young lad, Jagjivan Ram, and said that he had matriculated but had difficulty in pursuing further studies.
Malaviya spontaneously told him to bring this boy with him to the university. Admitting him to the university, housing him in the hostel, waiving his fees and hostel expenses were all within the power of the vice chancellor, but what mattered most was the invitation to study along with his own son Govind.
This was the humane side of Malaviya. He opened a separate Women's College in the BHU campus in 1928, for undergraduate courses in the disciplines of the arts, sciences and humanities. He also encouraged women to take admission in other advanced courses.
