Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi

Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi was born on 26 October 1890 in a Hindu Kayastha family at Hathgaon/Hathgam in Fatehpur district of Uttar Pradesh.

Ganesh Shankar was an Indian Journalist, a leader of the Indian National Congress and independence movement activist and he was an important figure in the non-cooperation movement and the freedom movement of India.
Ganesh Shankar received his early schooling and passed the high school examination privately in 1907 after studying in Mungaoli and Vidisha and after that enrolled at the Kayastha Pathshala College in Prayagraj but he couldn’t study further due to poverty and became clerk in the currency office and later teacher in high school in Kanpur. At age 16, he wrote his first book “Hamari Atmogsargart”.

Due to his interest in journalism, he understood the power of the pen very well. He used to contribute his articles in popular revolutionary Hindi and Urdu journals- Karamyogi and Swarajya. He used to write the articles with the pen-name ‘Vidyarthi’- the seeker of knowledge.

In the year 1911, Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi(prominent name in Hindi journalism), offered him the job of sub-editor in the Hindi monthly editorial ‘Sarswati’. Later he joined the Hindi political journal ‘Abhyudaya’, due to developing interest in current affairs and politics.

In the year 1913, Ganesh Shankar started a revolutionary weekly magazine, he used to take part in a vigorous campaign for social, political and religious change.
*With the help of his editorials, he became the voice of the farmers and peasants.

*He advocated for the peasants working in the champaran indigo plantations, the mill workers of kanpur and the coolie emigrants in overseas colonies.
*He was punished with high fines and was sent to prison five times due to his exploding articles but this could not stop him to raise his voice against the cruelty of Landlords and Britishers.
*In 1925, Congress decided to contest elections of Provincial Legislative Councils and organized the Swaraj Party, Ganesh Shankar won from Kanpur and served as a Member of the U.P. Legislative Council until 1929 when he resigned at the behest of the congress.
*In 1929 he was appointed as the President of the U.P. Congress Committee and he was given the authority to lead the Satyagrah movement in Uttar Pradesh.

In March 1931, communal riots broke in Chaubegola, in Kanpur. He tried his best to restore communal peace and harmony but nothing worked out. At last, he jumped in the midst of riots to save the lives of thousands of innocent people. In March 1931, at the age of 40, when he was out to visit one of the riot affected areas, he was killed by the mob.

~✓Honours

(1) Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Puraskar is given to renowned journalists by the honourable President of India every year from 1989.
(2) Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi on a 1962 stamp of India.
(3) The Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Inter College, Fatehpur is named in his remembrance.
(4) Phool Bagh, earlier Queen’s park in Kanpur is also called as Ganesh Vidyarthi Udyan.
(5) The Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial Medical College Kanpur is renamed in his remembrance.
(6) On 18 July 2017, the Uttar Pradesh government has renamed Kanpur Airport as Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Airport to pay respect to his contribution for the independence of India.

Source- Wikipedia . Written By Rajat Ranjan