Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya Jayanti

In News 

• Recently, the Prime Minister of India has paid tributes to Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya on his Jayanti.

About Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya

• Background:
  • He was born in Allahabad and took early education under the ‘pathshala’ system, and was proficient in Sanskrit.
  •  In 1879, he graduated from the Muir Central College (today’s Allahabad University) and started working as a teacher at a local high school.
  • He joined the Indian National Congress at its Calcutta session in 1886  
    • He rose up the ranks, and became president four times — in 1909 (Lahore), in 1918 (Delhi), in 1930 (Delhi), and in 1932 (Calcutta). 
• Contributions:

• He was a scholar and thinker who worked towards spreading education among citizens and supported the nationalization of railways.
• He helped establish the Hindu Mahasabha (“Great Society of Hindus”) in 1906, which brought diverse local Hindu nationalist movements together.
• He is known for founding the Banaras Hindu University in 1916 and for becoming one of the torchbearers of the freedom struggle acting as a bridge between the Moderates and the Extremists in the Congress.
• He played a big role in the Civil Disobedience and Non-cooperation movement which were led by Mahatma Gandhi.
• He is credited with popularizing the slogan Satyameva Jayate (the truth alone shall triumph).
• He was the journalist who started the newspaper The Leader and chairman of the Hindustan Times.

• Awards to honor him: 

• In 2015, the government bestowed Malaviya with the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honor, 68 years after his death.
•  In 2016, the Indian Railways started the Varanasi-New Delhi Mahamana Express in the leader’s honor.

Source: PIB