Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi

Their crime was only that they wanted to free their country from the cruel clutches of colonial rulers. They would not breathe the air loaded with the foul smell of slavery. From a far off land aliens had descended on India and usurped the power through superior force and trickery. They were now deciding who […]

23rd March, 1931 was a black day.On that day the barbaric colonial rulers hanged three precious sons of India namely Sardar Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev for the revenge killing of Sanders whose lathi blows had felled Lala Lajpatrai in Lahore.The people were shocked and plunged in grief.For Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi it was simply devastation.

Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi was truly a progressive liberal person.There was no place for communalism and narrow mindedness of any kind in the world of Vidyarthi. Caste, creed, religion or gender were of no consideration to him. He knew that the key to the success of India lay in all the Indians standing together as one

Alongside politics, revolution and journalism Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi’s interest was also evolving in literature.He used to go to Chirgaon where the famous Hindi writer Babu Maithili Sharan Gupta lived for literary interaction.He would reveal to the writer his literary thoughts on Indian and foreign literature.He was greatly surprised when he was nominated as the president

In 1925 a Congress conference was organised at Kanpur with the help of Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi. An industrialist of Kanpur Lala Chunnilal Garg was acquainted with Vidyarthi. He used the occasion and his familiarity with the Pratap editor to further his own political career.Chunnilal gave a dinner to all the delegates and earned some popularity

In the latter half of the second decade of the 20th century political and social conditions were changing fast. The British tyranny was scaling new heights.The patience of the natives was running out. The tolerance of the people was reaching the break limit fast. The political situation was at the flash point.On 18th March, 1919

Vidyarthi was a true idealist and dauntless battler against all kinds of injustice. Besides using pen in this respect he did not hesitate in physical intervention as well whenever required. He took it as his moral duty. The following incident a typical example.Once the annual fair of Bithoor was on. Thousands of people used to

Public speaking made Vidyarthi a respected and popular figure. As an editor he merely was an invisible phantom, a powerful mind. It had no face. But the public stage presented him to the people a figure with a charming face and sweet manners. Vidyarthi had a very pleasing personality which he was not conscious of.His

Some politically conscious people decided to put Kanpur on the political map of the country. A political conference was organised at Kanpur. Vidyarthi took active part in the effort. Pundit Iqbal Narain Guttu was nominated as the chairman of the meeting. Gokarnnath Mishra was invited to speak on the occasion. Mishra was a renowned orator.

Ganesh Shankara Vidyarthi was true well wisher of the down trodden, suffering, exploited and the poor. He could feel their pain as he himself had faced hardships. He would write about their woes and help them materially whenever possible.His pen was able to pen the problems and state of the poor in moving words. He

Vidyarthi’s domestic life was sedate. There was no usual passion play displayed by married couple of health. His most of the time was used up in managing Pratap or in attending public functions, meeting or in interacting with prominent persons.In true sense he was married to Pratap, his journalistic passion. The wife in his home

Thus, Pratap was making great waves.It had become a band wagon of national sentiments and public awareness. The popularity of Pratap was becoming headache for the government as it was creating troubles.The newspaper’s anti-government views and criticism was deeply hurting the administrators and their bosses. Its regular features and columns were full of barbs and

Inspite of bring witness to the demise of Karmayogi and Swarajya Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi dared to venture into the mine field of freedom journalism.He had already thought of the name of the brain child ‘Pratap’.He started contacting people who could be interested in his dangerous venture.The editor-publisher of Karmayogi, Pundit Sunderlal heard about the plans

It was in November, 1909 that Vidyarthi had resigned from the Currency Office. Now he was jobless and the question was what to do to keep the body and soul together.He had a wife to think of as well.The piece of the newspaper that caused the losing of his job drew his attention. The fiery

Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi didn’t waste time in Allahabad. He went to Kanpur where his brother was stationed. He stayed with his brother and started looking for a job. At last, after sustained efforts he got a job in the government currency office in the month of February, 1908.The salary the job paid was thirty rupees