New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday paid tribute to Lala Lajpat Rai on his birth anniversary and said his courage, struggle and dedication in the freedom movement will always be remembered by the countrymen.
"Tributes to 'Punjab Kesari' Lala Lajpat Rai on his birth anniversary. The story of his courage, struggle and dedication in the freedom movement will always be remembered by the countrymen," tweeted the Prime Minister in Hindi.
Born on January 28, 1865, Lala Lajpat Rai played a pivotal role in the Indian Independence movement. He was one of the three in the Lal Bal Pal trio namely Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Bipin Chandra Pal who were social reformers and freedom fighters who helped India gain independence from the British rule.
Popularly known as Punjab Kesari, Lajpat Rai was an author, revolutionary, and politician. He played a pivotal role in the Indian Independence movement. He was also associated with activities of Punjab National Bank and Lakshmi Insurance Company in their early stages in 1894. He died a few weeks after sustaining severe injuries during a baton charge by police when he led a peaceful protest march against the all-British Simon Commission, a commission constituted by the United Kingdom for Indian constitutional reform.
Along with founding Arya Gazette as its editor, he regularly contributed to several major Hindi, Punjabi, English and Urdu newspapers and magazines. He also authored the following published books:
The Story of My Deportation, 1908.
Arya Samaj, 1915.
The United States of America: A Hindu’s Impression, 1916.
The problem of National Education in India, 1920
Unhappy India, 1928.
England's Debt to India, 1917.
Autobiographical Writings
Young India: An Interpretation and a History of the Nationalist Movement from Within. New York: B.W. Huebsch, 1916.[a]
The Collected Works of Lala Lajpat Rai, Volume 1 to Volume 15, edited by B.R. Nanda.
He also wrote biographies of Mazzini, Garibaldi, Shivaji, and Shrikrishna.
