• Rakesh Bhardwaj

When we walk through the roundabout of the Parliament station, we can’t help seeing a human-sized statue!

‘Do you know which great freedom fighter’s statue is that?

That statue is of a scholar’s, a scholar of law, a well-known social reformer, freedom fighter and great economist - ‘Pt. Govind Ballabh Pant!’

The First Chief Minister of United Provinces in 1937 and First Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh from 1946 to 1954!

Pt. Govind Vallabh Pant ji was born on September 10, 1887, in a village named Khunte (Dhamas) of Almora district of Uttarakhand state, to Pt. Manorath Pant ji but he was brought up by his aunt Dhan Devi, who lived in Almora. Govind visited Pauri, Garhwal, only two or three times. After gaining education from Ramsay College till 10th, Pandit had tied the knot at the age of 12 with Ganga, the daughter of Bal Dutt Joshi. He pursued further education from Allahabad University which was a wonderful confluence of ‘great personalities of India’ like Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Pt. Motilal Nehru, Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, Shri Satish Chandra Banerjee and Sunder Lal!’

In 1909, Govind Ballabh Pant was awarded the Lumsden Gold Medal for standing first in the law examination.

Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant was influenced in such a way in Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s proximity, that while once in Kashipur, Pant ji went to the court wearing a ‘dhoti kurta’ and Mahatma Gandhi cap. The British magistrate objected to his dress-code, to which Pant ji replied. At that time, Pant Ji earned 500 rupees per month!

The British government was so afraid of Pandit Pant that due to the independence movement, Kashipur was blacklisted and because of Pant ji ‘English government used to address Kashipur as ‘Govind Garh’!’

Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant, who emerged as a social reformer from 1914, worked for land reforms, free compulsory education, establishment of Hindu High School. Along with this, he worked for publicizing Swadeshi in Kumaon under Mahatma Gandhi’s Non-Cooperation Movement against the British. Apart from boycotting foreign clothes, he led movements against ‘Lagaan Bandi’. In 1928, Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant boycotted the Simon Commission in Lucknow under the leadership of Pandit ‘Jawaharlal Nehru!’

Lala Lajpat Rai was killed while opposing the Simon Commission in Lahore due to the lathi-charge ordered by the British!

‘1921, 1930, 1932 and 1934 - Govind Ballabh Pant was imprisoned approximately for seven years during the freedom struggle!’

His son K.C. Pant was a Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Planning Commission.

Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant died of cardiac arrest on March 7, 1961.

Whenever you get to see such a statue anywhere while passing through a crossroads, take some time to observe it. You will experience the truth in life and will also be introduced to the reality of today’s polluted political environment!

Each one of our freedom fighters is a precious heritage of the nation, whom we should revere just like we revere our ‘Ganga Jal’. (Holds cultural significance where Indians intake a sip of the holy river Ganga’s waters before initiating any auspicious work.)

(The author is a member of the All-India Congress Committee)