VISAKEO observes death anniversary of Lion of Punjab

Bhubaneswar: (visakeo)-Orissa chapter of Viswa Sambad Kendra on Saturday observed the death anniversary of Lion of Punjab, Lala Lajpat Rai. RSS State spokesman Simanchal Khatua, VISAKEO editor Jagadish Patnaik, Sameer Mohanty, Niranjan Nayak, Santosh Das, Ashok Sahoo and Writers' Forum secretary Laxman Panda were among those noted persons paid floral tribute to Rai and recollected his contribution. Lala Lajpat Rai was born in January 28,1865 at a village named Dhudike in Ferozepur District of Punjab. His father, Munshi Radha Krishan Azad was a great scholar of Persian and Urdu. Lalaji's mother, Smt Gulab Devi, a strict religious lady, inculcated in her children strong morals values. Lalaji was brought up in a family background that allowed freedom of having different faiths and beliefs. Since childhood he had a desire to serve his country and therefore took a pledge to free it from foreign rule. In 1884 his father was transferred to Rohtak and Lala Lajpat Rai came along. Lalaji died on November 17, 1928 of heart failure. He plunged into Gandhi's non-cooperation movement, which in Punjab, under Lajpat Rai's leadership spread like wildfire in the province, and he soon came to be known as "The Lion of Punjab" or "Panjab Kesri". He traveled far and wide in India and his eloquence brought hundreds to the Congress fold. Lalaji injected new life in his countrymen. His writings and speeches were both hard hitting and effective. They swayed those they aimed to reach. He was a crusader, who knew no fear and championed every worthy cause with all the passion of his soul.