Swami Indravesh
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Swami Indravesh (स्वामी इन्द्रवेश) (1937 – 2006) was a great social worker, Arya Samaj leader and formerly Member of Parliament. He has done a great work in the field of education. He was born in Sundana village, District Rohtak, on 13 March 1937 in Haryana. He was born in a Jat Hindu family of Dhaka gotra. His father’s name was Shri Prabhu Dayal (श्री प्रभुदयाल) and Mother’s, Smt. Patori Devi (श्रीमती पतोरी देवी).
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Jhajjar, the Karam-bhumi
Swami Indravesh was influenced by the thoughts of Swami Dayanand Sarawsati in his childhood. After becoming an Acharya he taught at the Jhajjar Gurukul where he was known by the name Indradev Medharthi (इन्द्रदेव मेधार्थी). He was one of the best students of Swami Omanand Sarswati in Gurukal Jhajjar. He was president of Haryana Arya Partinidhi Sabha. He was an institution in himself because his cotribution toward society has been to that level. Swami ji after playing a major role during Independnce, selected Jhajjar as his "Karam Bhumi" in early 50's. In his own words he selected this place because it was one of the most backword places of Jats. Then his crusade against illitracy, superstition and "Bhramanwad" started here. To a great extent he managed to contribute in this area. He had knowledge of 14 languages and had written on many subjects.
In 1967, Swamiji formed Arya Yuvak Parishad (आर्य युवक परिषद), a youth organisation. In 1968, the fortnightly magazine Rajdharma (राजधर्म) was started to be published which remained suspended during the emergency years (1975-77) when Swamiji was arrested under the MISA Act after he actively participated in national level agitation under the leadership of Loknayak Jayprakash Narayan. This magazine is still continuing as a monthly publication under the supervision of Swami Agnivesh and Swami Aryavesh.
Joined politics
On March 25, 1970 Swami Indravesh ji along with Swami Agniveshji and Swami Adityaveshji became Sanyashis at Dayanandmath Rohtak and gained Deeksha from Swami Omanand Sarswatiji. Later, in the same year (1970), he founded a political body called the Arya Sabha.
Swamiji got disenchanted with erstwhile Janata Party in 1980 and joined the late Charan Singh’s Lok Dal on whose ticket he successfully contested the Rohtak Lok Sabha seat.
In 1998, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party and contested the Rohtak seat, but lost. He then became the chief of the Haryana Arya Pratinidhi Sabha.
The career
The major events of Swamiji’s long career include:
- The farmer agitation of 1973 when Swamiji went on a lengthy hunger strike while led to compelling the Central Government to increase the support price of wheat from Rs. 76 to 105, the highest ever increase so far, on percentage basis.
- The famous national-level agitation in support of democracy, led by Jaiprakash Narayan in 1975 when Swami Indervesh was imprisoned for a long time.
- The 21-day hunger strike in 1986 at Chhoturam Park, Rohtak, in protest against Rajiv Gandhi – Longowal Agreement of Punjab-Haryana boundary and water distribution dispute. This hunger strike was also against the terrorism prevaling in Punjab at that time.
- The famous Delhi-to-Deorala march in 1987 (in protest against ‘Sati’ tradition) when a Rajput widow, Roop Kanwar, was forced to be burnt alive along with her deceased husband, in Deorala village of Rajasthan. After this march, Rajiv Gandhi’s government at the Centre had to enact an anti-Sati legislation in Parliament.
- The Liquor Prohibition movement in Haryana which was started in 1992. In 1993, Swamiji led a march from Delhi to Hisar in which thousands of persons from other states, including from Gujarat, took part. With his efforts, complete prohibition was imposed in Haryana in 1995, though it was lifted after 2 years on account of many factors.
Social services
Apart from his long association with Gurukul Jhajjar, Swamiji remained associated with Gurukul Kangri, Gurukul Matindu (Sonepat), Gurukul Singhpura (Rohtak), Swami Dayanand Math (Rohtak) and Kevalanand Nigam Asharm, Bijnor (UP) which is spread in about 125 acres of land containing a huge Gaushala, Sanskrit College, B-Ed and Nursing College and a sports stadium. He also toured Germany, USA, Holland and some other countries in his mission to spread the message of Vedas.
During his last days, despite ill-health, he was planning to initiate a nation-wide awakening movement against the current social curse of female foeticide which has caused social imbalanace due to destabilisation of male-female ratio especially in northern India.
The great reformer Swami Indervesh breathed his last on 12 June 2006.
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