Page 49 - NIS English February 01-15,2023

Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav Nation

FREEDOM FIGHTER DAMODAR
BADRI DUTT PANDEY SWARUP SETH WAS THE SARDAR
OF BANS BAREILLY
WHO ENDED COOLIE-BEGAR Born: 11 February 1901, Died 1965
amous revolutionary and patriot
SYSTEM IN UTTARAYANI FAIR FDamodar Swarup Seth was born on
11 February 1901 in Bareilly district of
Born: 15 February 1882, Died: 13 January 1965 Uttar Pradesh. He devoted his entire life
to liberate the country and also actively
reedom fighter Badri Dutt Pandey, who started the mass participated in the freedom struggle.
Fmovement with journalism, was born on 15 February 1882 He was of revolutionary thought from
in Haridwar district of present Uttarakhand. During his stay in the beginning and when he went to
Almora he played an important role in the independence of the Allahabad for studies, he came in
country and went to jail many times. His parents died when he contact with the revolutionaries there.
was only seven years old. He stayed in Almora till the completion After studies, he joined Chandrashekhar
of his studies and in 1903 started working as a teacher in Azad's Hindustan Socialist Republican
Nainital. Later he started his journalism career and worked in a Party. Damodar Swarup Seth's influence
newspaper called 'Leader' between 1903 and 1910. To contribute can be gauged from the fact that
to the freedom movement, he established 'Almora Newspaper' in revolutionary Chandrashekhar Azad
1913. However, due to the publication of anti-British news, it was also respected him a lot.
forcibly closed by the authorities. On 15 October 1918, he started It is believed that his name also
a revolutionary newspaper named 'Shakti'. figured in the Banaras Conspiracy Case
In 1921, the ordinary people of Kumaon living in Bageshwar and the Kakori Conspiracy Case and
town started a non-violent 'Coolie-Begar' movement. Coolie- was arrested by the British. However, the
Begar was a law that made it compulsory for the local people government could not prove the charges
against him and thus he was released.
living in the Kumaon hills to carry the luggage of visiting English Later he joined the Congress party. It
officers, soldiers, surveyors etc. for free. This exploitative practice is said that Damodar Swarup Seth had
enforced people to do forced labor without any payment. The an athletic body. Due to this reason he
village headman was expected to provide a number of porters in used to get the task of pasting leaflets
a specified period of time. For this a ledger was made in which the against the British government. When
names of the villagers were entered. The British were exploiting the British come to catch him, he used
the common residents. Under this backdrop, the people of the to run away taking advantage of his thin
village started revolting against this humiliating practice. The body. He also participated in the non-
Coolie-Begar movement began on 14 January 1921, during the cooperation movement and went to jail.
Uttarayani festival, on the land situated at the confluence of the Revolutionary Seth Damodar Swarup,
Saryu and Gomti rivers. A meeting was held at Saryu Maidan in who is considered to be the leading
which, Badri Dutt Pandey took oath that we pledge that we will no freedom fighter, is also known by the
longer tolerate Coolie-Utar, Coolie- Begar and Coolie-Bardayash. name of Sardar of Bans Bareilly.
All the people gathered there also took the pledge and chanted There was a time when the slogan
the slogan of Bharat Mata, the elders of the village drowned echoed in Bareilly, “Bans Bareilly ka
the accounts of forced labor at the confluence of rivers. In this Sardar, Seth Damodar Zindabad.” He
way pressure was created on the British and these traditions was a Constituent Assembly member
were abolished. After the success of this movement, Badri Dutt from United Provinces. He was a very
Pandey was honoured with the title of 'Kumaon Kesari'. It is said articulate speaker in the meetings.
that Mahatma Gandhi had named this movement as 'Bloodless It is believed that his contribution as
Revolution'. Badri Dutt Pandey was remembered by Prime Minister a member of constituent assembly
Narendra Modi in his address at the inauguration and foundation was important and he suggested
stone laying ceremony of several projects in Haldwani on 30 many subjects to Babasaheb Bhim
December 2021. He had said, “Kumaon has also contributed a Rao Ambedkar on the draft of the
lot in the country's independence. Here, under the leadership constitution, which were also accepted.
of Pandit Badri Pandey ji, the practice of Coolies' forced labor Even after independence, he continued
came to an end at the Uttarayani fair. In 1955, Badridutt Pandey to serve the country and worked sincerely
became the MP of Almora. He died on 13 January 1965. for the progress and development of the
country. He died in the year 1965.

New India Samachar February 1-15, 2023 47