Lajpat Rai knew the importance of the education. All the blind faiths in the Indian society were the direct results of ignorance bred by centuries of illiteracy. So, the education was the key and the most potent weapon against the social evils born out of ignorance. Hence, for every reformist the spread of education was the first priority, the key to the door of the success of the reforms movement.
Lajpat Rai naturally wanted to be a part of the educational institutions. Hansraj D.A.V. College was a premier college based on Arya Samaj values. Lajpat Rai wanted to teach there. When a post fell vacant there he applied for it. A friend of his was a lecturer in that college who informed him about the vacancy. He didn’t get the job as he had no proper University degree.
It was the time when he took only rare legal cases and devoted most of his time to reforms work and the politics.
Although he didn’t get the lecturer’s job he was invited to deliver lectures as a guest speaker on the merit of his being a reformist and a political leader of nationalist hue. He spoke on history. His lectures were passionate and emotionally charged which impressed the listeners deeply. The college authorities also recognised his authority on the subject. He was offered the job of the lecturer consequently. But Lajpat Rai served in that post for only three months due to some unavoidable circumstances. However he continued his association with the college in other capacities.
In 1898, Hissar Arya Samaj held its annual function in which Lajpat Rai made a personal declaration that in future he would dedicate his whole time to social reforms works, spread of education and waging political battle for the independence of the country. And that he would take legal cases only to raise funds for the above missions. After he had taken care of the financial needs of his family he delinked himself from the family for all practical purposes.
Lajpat Rai brought out a series of books entitled “The great heroes of the world” on his own expenses. The books were biographies of the famed freedom fighters and great leaders of the world and India’s own famous great ones. The aim was to inspire the youth of the country to rise and fight for the country at social and political levels where the native people were being trampled upon by aliens. The British were making inroads into the minds of Indian youth through literature. So, it was Lajpat Rai’s move to fight the enemy through books.
Lajpat Rai had a large band of friends who were well known names from various fields. They were his comrades-in-arms in the missions of his life. Some of the illustrious names were Hans Raj, Raja Rajendranath, Ruchiram Sahni, G.D. Vidyarthi etc.
Shopping Cart
