Rajarshi Purushottam Das Tandon.
Purushottam das tandon: There were many heroes in India’s freedom struggle who dedicated their lives to the independence of the country. One of these was Rajarshi Purushottam Das Tandon, who is known for his simplicity life and immense love for Hindi. He was not only a freedom fighter, but also a social reformer, journalist, and stunning speaker. Although Tandon had a good relationship with Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, but they also had serious differences with these two leaders on many issues. Today we will tell you about some stories of Purushottam Das Tandon’s life, which you have rarely heard about.
Born in Prayagraj’s Khatri family
Purushottam Das Tandon was born on 1 August 1882 in a middle class Khatri family in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. He completed law studies and started practicing in Allahabad High Court in 1908. But in 1921, on the call of Gandhi’s non -cooperation movement, he gave up advocates and completely jumped into the freedom struggle. Tandon was given the title of ‘Rajarshi’ (confluence of king and sage) for his simplicity and sacrifice. He was a strong supporter of Hindi and his efforts to make it the national language were unmatched. In 1961, he received India’s highest civilian honor ‘Bharat Ratna’.
Purushottam Das Tandon’s nature was like a saint. His long beard, plain khadi kurta, and old dhoti made him representative of common Indians. The example of his honesty was such that once the ration was over during the shortage of wheat and rice, he refused to buy grains from black marketing and ordered the guests to serve boiled potatoes.
Tandon’s role in freedom struggle
Purushottam Das Tandon had joined the Indian National Congress since 1899. In the movement against Partition of Bengal in 1905, he adopted Swadeshi and boycotted foreign goods. Was a member of the Congress Committee to investigate the Jallianwala Bagh murder case in 1919. At the behest of Gandhi, he participated in the Satyagraha against the Rowlett Act and went to jail several times. He was arrested in Basti during the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930.
In Uttar Pradesh, he organized farmers and laborers. In 1933, he became the president of Bihar Regional Kisan Sabha and launched agitation for the rights of farmers. Tandon is credited with the Congress victory in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 1937. He became an MLA from Allahabad and later elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. His hard work and leadership strengthened the Congress.
Tandon clashed with Gandhi on Hindi issue
Tandon and Gandhi’s relationship was a mixture of respect and differences. Gandhi used to give him respect by calling him ‘Rajarshi’. But the biggest difference between the two was on the issue of Hindi vs Hindustani. Gandhi, Nehru, and Rajendra Prasad were in favor of making Hindustani (mixture of Hindi and Urdu) the national language, as they believed that it would promote Hindu-Muslim unity. But Tandon was strongly against it. He believed that Hindi can only represent the real representation of India’s cultural identity.
When the question of national language was raised in the Constituent Assembly in 1949, Tandon strongly advocated for Hindi and Devanagari script. In the debate on 11-14 December 1949, Hindi got 62 votes and Hindustani got 32 votes. Eventually, Tandon’s hard work paid off and Hindi got the status of official language.
Nehru and Tandon’s relationship with ups and downs
The relationship between Tandon and Jawaharlal Nehru was also ups and downs. Nehru considered Tandon ancient and communal, especially due to his passionate lobbying and opposition to the partition of the country. In 1950, when Tandon became the candidate for the post of Congress President, Nehru openly opposed him. He wrote a letter to Tandon and said that his election would be harmful for the country. Nevertheless, Tandon was elected president with the support of Sardar Patel. But under the pressure of Nehru, he had to resign in 1951.
Tandon opposed India’s partition
Purushottam Das Tandon was one of the few leaders who strongly opposed India’s partition. In 1947, when the Congress Working Committee accepted Mountbatten’s Partition Plan, Tandon described it as a surrender to the British and the Muslim League. He believed that there should be more struggle for united India, even if it takes time. He did not participate in the celebration of independence on 15 August 1947, as the gum of partition was haunting him. Rajarshi Purushottam Das Tandon was a person who put his life in the service of country and Hindi.
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