Pithoragarh people demand naming of medical college after Prayag Datt Pant<\/p>\n
B.D.Kasniyal<\/p>\n
Pithoragarh, Aug 12<\/p>\n
As the Independence day approaches, this year, besides remembering all freedom fighters from this border district, people have demanded to name the upcoming medical College in the district after Prayag Datt Pant, the first\u00a0 Gandhian freedom fighter of the district and first leaders from the district who led Congressmen to abolition of \u2018Kuli Begar\u2019 agitation organised by the then top Congress leader of Kumaon region Badri Datt Pandey by the Saryu river, at Bageshwar in 1921.<\/p>\n
Pant, who led Congress workers from Pithoragarh to \u2018Kuli Begar\u2019 abolition movement in 1921 at Bageshwar, was sentenced to 1 years\u2019 rigourous imprisonment for violating prohibitory orders in non-cooperation movement\u00a0 called by Gandhi in 1921.<\/p>\n
“After getting released from jail he started activism and took part in nationwide agitation to\u00a0 boycott of Simon Commission in 1927 and Civil Disobedience movement launched by Gandhi in 1930,” said Jugal Kishor,a local social worker.<\/p>\n
“Besides remembering all freedom fighters for their contribution in freedom movement, we have decided to send a memorandum to state government to name the medical College after him,” said Jugal Kishor Pandey, a social worker and convenor of the move.<\/p>\n
Prayag Datt Pant, who was born in Halpati village of Pithoragarh district, was a student of BA classes in Allahabad University when he left his studies on the call of Mahatma Gandhi and\u00a0 reached his native place to awaken the people for freedom movement.<\/p>\n
“Before\u00a0been successful to aware people to take part against forced \u2018Kuli Begar\u2019 \u00a0prevalent in Kumaon region to facilitate carrying touring British officer’s luggage free of cost by villagers, he worked hard to make aware people despite opposition from British loyalists,” said Pandey.<\/p>\n
Born in 1898, Prayag Datt Pant took part in three main Gandhian movements namely \u2018Kuli Begar\u2019 abolition movement called by prominent Congress leader of that time, Badri Datt Pandey, opposition of Rowlet Act movement in 1919 and opposition of Simon Commission agitation in 1928.”The British confiscated his property and house for opposing Simon commission in 1928,” said\u00a0Pandey.<\/p>\n
“Amidst sharp\u00a0opposition from British loyalists spread everywhere that time, he opened a congress office at Huneti village in the then Pithoragarh tehsil and worked towards persuading\u00a0the people to send their children to schools specially the girls from their families,\u201d said Jugal Kishor.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0 first freedom fighter from district, who was hit\u00a0 by a British loyalists during his visit to, Almora, due to which he became mentally disturbed due to injuries and\u00a0died in 1940 at\u00a0 early age of 42. Former CPI leader Janardhan Pant \u00a0and nephew of Prayag Datt Pant, during his life time raised the question of honouring the first freedom fighter of district, but failed to get any decision from the government and used to say that due to absence of political will of the government’s and people’s representatives, his ‘Tauji’ could not get his right place. “We are out to take his (Janardan Pant’s) fight to the conclusion,” claimed Jugal Kishor.<\/p>\n
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Pithoragarh people demand naming of medical college after Prayag Datt Pant B.D.Kasniyal Pithoragarh, Aug 12 As the Independence day approaches, this year, besides remembering all freedom fighters from this border district, people have demanded to name the upcoming medical College in the district after Prayag Datt Pant, the first\u00a0 Gandhian freedom fighter of the district …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":9286,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[92,33,1284,91,56,59],"tags":[4236,1538,4235],"class_list":["post-9285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-international","category-international-political-national","category-national","category-politics","category-uttarakhand","tag-janardan-pandey","tag-pithoragarh-medical-college","tag-prayag-datt-pandey"],"yoast_head":"\n