Govt. Girls Sr. Sec.

School
Basti Sheikh, Jalandhar
Project on The Great Patriot
Lala Lajpat Rai

Presented By:
Smt. Bharti & Smt. Krishna Devi
Hindi & S.S.Mistress
 The great patriot Lala Lajpat Rai was born on 28th January 1865 in
Dhudika village of Ferozepur District of Punjab Province, His father
Lala Radha Kishan was an Urdu teacher in a government school. He
belonged to the family of Agarwals, a family noted for its love of
freedom and self-respect. Although illiterate, Lajpat Rai's mother
Gulab Devi was an ideal Hindu woman. It was from her that Lalaji
imbibed patriotic sentiments. Lalaji was a very intelligent pupil. He
won scholarships. Poverty and sickness stood in the way of his higher
education. He passed the Entrance Examination of the Calcutta
University in the first class in 1880. The same year he also passed
the Entrance Examination of Punjab University. Afterwards he joined
the Lahore Government College. At the same time he studied law.
Because of the poverty of the family his education was interrupted
LALA LAJPAT RAI The Dawn of
Ideals

The two years spent in Lahore were important in Lalaji's

life. As he read the history of the past glory of India and
the biographies of her great sons, the boy shed tears. The
love of freedom and the keen desire to serve the country
took root in him at that time. During those days the Arya
Samaj founded by Swami Dayananda
Saraswati was dynamic in social service. It was a time
when enthusiastic Punjabi youths were attracted by the
progressive ideals and reformist plans of the Arya Samaj.
Lalaji was then hardly sixteen. When he joined the Arya
Samaj in 1882 his life of social service began. Patriotism
was kindled. The idea took root in his mind that the chains
of Indian slavery should be broken.
LALA LAJPAT RAI The Lawyer

Having passed the first examination in law in 1883 Lala

could practice as a muktiar (a minor lawyer). He had also
to bear the burden of running the family. Eighteen- year-
old Lalaji practiced in the revenue court of Jagrav town.
After passing the Pleaders' Examination he came to Hissar
in South Punjab and commenced practice as a lawyer.
He had no thought of making money in his profession and
settling down comfortably. He wanted to devote his life to
the service of his country. He wanted to read the biography
of Mazzini, the brave revolu- tionary of Italy. He could not
get a copy of the book in India. Lie wrote to a friend in
England and got it. Mazzini's bravery, magnanimity and
patriotism thrilled him.
 LALA LAJPAT RAI The
Beginning of Public Service
His life of six years in Hissar became the apprenticeship for public
service. After the death of Swami Dayananda, Lalaji with his
associates toiled to develop the Anglo- Vedic College. The three
tenets of Arya
Samaj are the reformation of society, the advancement of Hindu
Dharma and educational progress. Lalaji earned a thousand
rupees a month. He kept aside a part of his earnings to keep his
father above want and arranged for the interest on it to be paid to
his father. on tenth of his income was earmarked for work for the
nation. The greater part of that sum was being used for Arya
Samaj activities.
When the Lieutenant Governor visited Hissar, Lalaji pleaded that
the Welcome Address to be presented to him should be in Urdu.
To satisfy the British officer a speech had already been prepared
in English. Lalaji's suggestion madeeveryone nervous. But without
a trace of fear, he presented the Address in Urdu and there by
invited the wrath of the British.
Most of his time was given to Arya Samaj activities. Working
ceaselessly he set up branches of the Arya Samaj. He built up
educational institutions. But he was not partial towards any
community. He was elected unopposed to the Municipal Council
from a constituency where there were a number of Muslims.
 To the Political Sphere
LALA LAJPAT RAI
To The Political Sphere In 1888, still a lawyer, he
entered politics. The Indian National Congress was fighting
for the country's freedom. Realizing the dire need for
freedom, Lalaji joined the Congress as a freedom fighter.
Sir Syed Ahmed who was in the Congress had just then left
it. He had begun to argue that Muslims should not join the
Congress and that they should support the government.
Lala wrote bitter open letters to him in the Urdu weekly
Koh-i-noor'. The letters earned high praise in political
circles. The same year in the Congress session at
Allahabad, when Lalaji arrived with eighty delegates from
Punjab, he received a tumultuous welcome. his heroic
speech in Urdu there had a great effect on the Congress
leaders. Lala was a young man of 23 years. His fame
spread quickly in Congress.
 LALA LAJPAT RAI In Lahore

The small town of Hissar proved inadequate for his growing

social work. After qualifying to practice as an advocate in
the Punjab High Court, he settled down in Lahore in 1892.
The Congress session of 1893 was held at Lahore. The first
Indian to become a member of the British Parliament,
Dadabhai Naoroji, was the president of the session. Lalaji
served as an enthusiastic volunteer.
Lalaji worked like a bee. There was no time for rest. When
he was immersed in Congress work there was a split in the
Arya Samaj. Lalaji gave a new shape to the D.A.V. College
and stood by it.
 Lightining in his pen
LALA LAJPAT RAI
Lightning In His Pen Lalaji was not merely an
outstanding politician but also an able writer. The
biographies he wrote in Urdu are memorable. He
wrote the biographies of the patriots Mazzini and
Garibaldi who unified Italy. He also wrote
outstanding books about Indian great men
Shivaji, Sri Krishna and Dayananda Saraswati.
The books on Mazzini and Shivaji contained
passages, which encouraged people to fight for
freedom. So the government even thought of
arresting Lalaji.
 The Servant of the Suffering
LALA LAJPAT RAI
The Servant of the Suffering The sense of service shown by Lalaji and his devoted
endeavor to help the poor, the downtrodden and those in difficulties bestowed lustre
on his multifarious exertions. A terrible famine struck the Central Provinces in 1896.
The draught shook people. No one can forget the part played by Lalaji at the time.
Orphans and the destitute were at the mercy of the Christian missionaries and were
being converted to Christianity. Lalaji began
a movement to help the orphans. He saved 250 orphan children from Jabalpur,
Bilaspur and other districts, brought them to Punjab and admitted them to the
orphanages of the Arya Samaj.He realized that he did not have sufficient time for
both social service and legal practice; so in 1898 he reduced his legal practice. In
1899 a worse famine struck Punjab, Rajasthan,Kathiawad and Central Provinces.
Again Lalaji led the movement by the Arya Samaj to save helpless children.
It was a trying time for him. He organized an extraordinary movement. Not only
were 2,000 helpless persons saved but they were also provided with food, clothing,
education and employment. In this movement sometimes there were clashes with
Christian missionaries. Government set up a famine relief commission in 1901 and
got Lalaji's views. His account of famine conditions and his views led to a change in
the government's attitude to the destitute. Hindus and people of other religions were
able to establish orphanages for destitute children of their folds. In 1905 an occasion
arose for Lalaji to dive deper into another matter. There was an earthquake in
Kangra district resulting in enormous loss of life and property. The Arya Samaj of
Lahore set up a relief committee, As its secretary Lalaji toured Punjab province
extensively and collected money for the committee. His service to the people at that
time was unforgettable
LALA LAJPAT RAI'The Lion of
Punjab'

The lesson which the Lion of Punjab Lala

Lajpat Rai taught the country was to be
brave. To the Indians in the chains of
slavery his message was "Begging or
prayer cannot bring freedom. You can win
it only through struggle and sacrifice."
Because throughout his life he fought
fearlessly, he was called the Lion of
Punjab. The sacrifice of his life was like a
warrior's death in battle.
 A Multifaced Diamond
LALA LAJPAT RAI
A Multifaced Diamond Lala Lajpat Rai the martyr was a store- house of many good qualities.
Efficiency, tireless industry and patriotism gave lustre to his personality. He was friendly. For the
sake of his country he won a large number of friends both in India and abroad. From the platform
he spoke for hourseloquently. His speeches were fiery and galvanizing. People heard him
spellbound and his words opened their eyes. He was indeed a lion among men.
He was a brilliant man and he wasdevoted, in body and mind, to the cause of education. The D.A.V.
College, the National College, the Tilak School of Politics and others are living monuments to his
patriotism. His service in the field of journalism was no less valuable. He founded the Urdu weekly
Vande Mataram and the English weekly 'The People' - and both maintained high standards. In the
field of commerce too, he will be remembered forever. It was Lalaji who established the Punjab
National Bank and the Lakshmi Insurance Company. As a member of the Arya Samaj he worked
incessantly. He fought against Untouchability. When Gandhiji started the 'Harijan Sevak Sangh' he
worked for it. He was like a father to the orphans. He was responsible for starting numerous
orphanages in the country. The Gulab Devi Hospital and the Servants of People Society are living
monuments to the memory of that great man. Lalaji was one of those who sowed the seeds of
socialism in India. He was well acquainted with Henry Meyers, Beatrice Webb, Lansbury and others
whopromoted the growth of socialism inBritain. He was in the vanguard of labor organization. He
founded the 'All-India Trade Union Congress' and was himself its president. He started an organized
effort to improve the conditions of the working class. He pleaded that a part of the profits of an
industry should be given to the workmen. The people of India were in chains, and they had to be
aroused. They had to be organized. Lalaji was the symbol of the power, which did this. As Mahatma
Gan dhi said: "So long as the sun shines in the Indian sky, persons like Lalaji will not die." Lajpat
Rai once said: "If I had the power to influence Indian journals, I would have the following headlines
printed in bold letters on the first page: Milk for the infants Food for the adults Education for all,"