Bishwanath Roy

Bishwanath Roy was a visionary leader and freedom fighter, who remained a member of the Lok Sabha for 25 years, from 1952 to 1977. He is best known for his deep commitment to the cause of agriculture and farmers. His published works are ‘Rashtriya Gadar’ and ‘Kranti Vad’.

As a member of the Lok Sabha for twenty five years, from 1952 to 1977, he remained an active parliamentarian and also served the country as a Union Minister. He took keen interest in horticulture and held the view even in the 1960s that if India could have better yield of fruits she can easily fight the scarcity of food grains.

Diverse Streams of Freedom Movement

Born in the year when the first Satyagraha was organized by Mahatma Gandhi, Bishwanath Roy was deeply influenced by the freedom movement and plunged into it as a soldier right from his student days. His political life began as a participant in militant action against foreign rule. However, he graduated to take up Gandhian forms of struggle and became deeply committed to the practice of non-violence. He was, at once a disciple of Mahatma Gandhi and of revolutionaries like Ram Prasad Bismil. The diverse streams of our freedom struggle impacted on his mind and inspired him to dedicate himself to the cause of freedom.

Working for the Downtrodden

As a student, he participated in the Swadeshi Movement, fired by deep nationalism. When Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru founded the Indian Youth League, he made Bishwanath Roy a member of the executive council, impressed by his spirit of service and sacrifice. In that capacity, Roy worked for the upliftment of the downtrodden section of society.

Civil Disobedience

His participation in the Civil Disobedience Movement of 1930, and the manner in which he organized a total strike in his college, showed his organizational capabilities. He hoisted the tri-colour in Allahabad and faced bullets which killed two of his friends. Subsequently, he was imprisoned for that act. Then he joined the Hindustan Socialist Republican Army established by Chandra Sekhar Azad. His militant action made him a dangerous enemy who was then arrested and tortured. Recognizing his ardent nationalism and capacity for service, Panditji encouraged him to give up such militancy and violent action and move closer to the Gandhian path of non-violence.

Kranti Vad

After independence, Bishwanath Roy continued to serve the nation, and worked tirelessly and selflessly for its reconstruction and development. He sought to improve the condition of workers and peasants, as well as freedom fighters and their families, and also to awaken the rural masses for eradication of social evils. He also founded several schools and colleges in Deoria (Uttar Pradesh) and wrote numerous articles for leading newspapers. His published works ‘Rashtriya Gadar’ and ‘Kranti Vad’ also testify to his abiding commitment to the interest of the nation above all else.