Dear Editor,
Through the medium of your esteemed daily, I would like to express gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that under his leadership, on the occasion of completion of 75 years of independence of our beloved motherland, hundreds of programs are being successfully organized across the country under the title Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav under which the contribution of numerois freedom warriors due their sacrifices for Mother India independent will be remembered and honored. Heartiest congratulations and best wishes to all the citizens on the pious occasion of 75th year of this proud independence from all Arya Samajs of India and especially Arya Samaj of Jammu and Kashmir. As you must be aware that Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati ji and his disciples participated vigorously and played an active role in the first freedom struggle of 1857 in freeing Maa Bharati from the shackles of slavery.
Taking inspiration and guidance from Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati, even in adverse circumstances of those horrible times, hundreds of his disciples struggled and sacrificed for independence in different roles. It is also worth mentioning here that about 70 years before Mahatma Gandhi’s Salt Movement (1930), Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati ji flew the flag of freedom and in the first edition of Satyarth Prakash, strongly opposed the tax on salt and finally said that no matter what, we need to relinquish the grasp of British rule from our country and establish Swarajya. Moreover, at the time when the people of the country used to refrain from uttering the words independence, swarajya etc., even in those perilous times, Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati not only wrote books about independence, swarajya and swadeshi etc. but also kept on roaming around the country, instilling those values in the citizens of the nation through his lectures, which kept awakening and motivating people for independence. Emphasizing how important and necessary independence is for India, Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati ji wrote in his book “Satyarth Prakash’s” Jaun Samullas, that whatever one may feel about the foreign rule, but the indigenous state is the best. Without voting rights, without grace, justice and mercy, us Indians should shunt away the British rule at the earliest. Inspired by this announcement of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati ji; Dadabhai Naurozi and Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak made such declarations that Swarajya is my birthright. Apart from this, inspired by the ideology of Arya Samaj founded by Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati ji; Lala Lajpat Rai, Sardar Bhagat Singh and his entire family, Madan Lal Dhingra, Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaq Ulla Khan, Sardar Udham Singh etc. sacrificed their lives for the independence struggle. Similarly Veer Savarkar, a disciple of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati ji was greatly influenced by the ideas of Arya Samaj.He also dedicated his life towards the cause of independence. Arya Samaj scholar Shyamji Krishna Varma, Bhai Parmanand, Bhai Balmukund, Lala Hardayal M.A. etc. hundreds of revolutionaries kept the flame of freedom movement lit even after going abroad and finally dedicated their lives at the feet of Maa Bharti. Along with this, hundreds of educational institutions were established all over the country after the Gurukul education system established by Arya Samaj and Gurukul Kangri established by Swami Dhaddhanand were created to raise public awareness for freedom and attain independence. Hundreds of students of DAV (Dayanand Anglo Vedic) schools established and run by Arya Samaj and Brahmacharis of Gurukulas left their educational institutions and jumped into the freedom movement. Recalling the contribution of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati towards the freedom movement, Dr Pattabhi Sitaramaiah said that Maharishi Dayanand did great work for the nation years before Gandhi. He first told the Indians the path of Swaraj. He was the perfect person to build the era of new age India. Similarly, Bal Gangadhar Tilak had also said that Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati ji awakened India sleeping in deep sleep. He was the first messenger of Swarajya and worshiper of humanity. Referring to these two historical facts, a poet has said the truth. You had shown the way to the country that was bound by chains, you had lit that Shaman, which no time could quench. You used to sow the seeds in the courtyard of the thunderstorm, you used to make a sound when you used to be the whole of India. In this way, Sardar Bhagat Singh had said about Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati ji, that the announcer of independence and the source of inspiration for hundreds of revolutionaries, that all of us brothers got an opportunity to study in Maharishi Dayanand’s Vedic DAV School. Arya Samaj has the biggest hand in the creation of our (revolutionary) thoughts and mental progress, we are indebted to Arya Samaj for these. Many such examples and evidences speak of Pattabhi Sitaramayya, the history writer of Congress. 100 percent seems to be true, he had said that in the struggle for India’s freedom and 80 percent of the heroes who died were inspired by Arya Samaj and Rishi Dayanand. On studying history, this statement it is proven to be hundred percent true. In this way, as much as the soldiers of Arya Samaj fought for freedom, hardly any other organization has done the same. Thus, keeping these facts in mind, Prime Minister is requested to specially mention the unprecedented contribution of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati in the freedom movement from the ramparts of the Red Fort on 15 August 2022 and the memorial of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati in the Central Hall of the new Parliament House.
Arun Chawdhary Pradhan,
Arya Pratinidhi Sabha,
Jammu and Kashmir