A noted freedom fighter and a socialist political leader, Ram Manohar Lohia was born in the Akbarpur village of Uttar Pradesh on 23rd March, 1910.
Born to Hira Lal and Chanda, Lohia did his intermediate from Benaras Hindu University and completed his BA from Calcutta University in 1929. Later, he flew to Germany whereby he joined Berlin University and learned German.
Following the footsteps of his father Hira Lal, a patriot and freedom fighter, it did not take long for Lohia to decide the course of his life.
On his birth anniversary, here are some must-to-know facts about Ram Manohar Lohia
* The freedom fighter, popularly known for his contribution in the Quit India Movement, Lohia was highly influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and his ideology. In fact, ‘Salt Satyagraha’ was his subject in the Ph.D. thesis paper.
* Ram Manohar Lohia, who published several pamphlets on ‘Do or Die’, was jailed for writing an article ‘Satyagraha Now’ in Gandhi’s newspaper Harijan.
* After Independence, Lohia founded an organisation called Hind Kisan Panchayat to help farmers with agricultural solutions.
* Lohia’s contribution to India’s history and prosperity is unforgettable. He not only protested against the British rulers, but also raised voice against social injustice, class and caste discrimination and gender bias.
* Lohia is also famous for his remark against the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. He wrote a pamphlet named ‘25000 rupees in a day’ where he had said that the amount of money spent on the Prime Minister for a single day is much more than the poor country could afford.
* Janavani Divas is a tradition that is celebrated in Parliament. This day is devoted to hearing the pleas and problems of the citizens from across India. It was primarily Lohia’s idea.
* Lohia made Hindi the official language of India after Independence. He had said, “The use of English is a hindrance to original thinking, progenitor of inferiority feelings and a gap between the educated and uneducated public. Come, let us unite to restore Hindi to its original glory.”
