Madan Mohan Malviya was born in Allahabad on December 25, 1861. His ancestors were poor but enjoyed a good status and were known for their Sanskrit scholarship. Madan Mohan’s education began at the age of five. He was sent to Pandit Hardeva’s Dharma Gyanopadesh Pathshala. Mohan who was a diligent boy, matriculated in 1879 and joined the Muir Central College and graduated from the Calcutta University in 1884. He was appointed as a teacher in his school at the salary of Rs. 40/- a month. As there were no rules in those days preventing government servants from attending political meetings he attended the Second Congress Session held in Calcutta in 1886 and delivered a speech which held the audience spell-bound. A.O. Hume, the General Secretary of the Congress, appreciated his speech. Malviya wished to devote himself entirely to the service of the nation. Though he studied law and passed the LL.B. examination in 1891 yet he was not interested in legal profession.
Although he was a strong supporter of the Congress he founded the Hindu Mahasabha in 1906. It was established, according to its supporters, to oppose not the just claims of the Muslim community but the “divide and rule” policy of the British Government. Malviya became a High Court Lawyer in 1893. He always preferred to public work over his legal work. He virtually withdrew from the legal profession in 1909 but he made an exception in 1922 in regard to the appeal of 225 persons condemned to death in connection with the Chauri-Chaura riots (Gorakhpur District U.P.) on account of which Mahatma Gandhi suspended the Civil Disobedience movement, and saved 153 accused from the gallows.
As Gandhi started the non-cooperation movement, Malviya did not stand for elections to the Indian Legislative Council in 1921. He nevertheless became member of the Assembly from 1924 to 1930, resigning shortly after the Salt Satyagraha. He supported the demand for full dominion status to India. Malviya believed that awareness and involvement of the common masses was essential if the goal of freedom was to be realized. Keeping this in mind, he started publishing Abhyudaya a Hindi weekly in 1907, and later, because of its popularity, made it a daily.
He was the President of All India Seva Samiti from 1914 till 1946. He was known for his gentleness and humility but he did not yield where principles were concerned. He had the courage to differ more than once from Mahatma Gandhi even at the risk of becoming unpopular. He opposed, for example: the boycott of school and colleges, the burning of foreign cloth and the boycott of the visit of the Prince of Wales in 1921. It will be true to say that he considered responsive co-operation a better policy than civil disobedience. He occupied a very high position in Indian public life and his public activities were numerous. The freedom struggle, the economic development of the country, promotion of indigenous industries, education, religion, social service, the development of Hindi and other matters of national importance continued to occupy his attention as long as he lived. Malviyaji breathed his last on November 12, 1946; he was 90 years old.
Vocabulary
Appreciated—praised
Condemned—sentenced
