Page 46 - NIS - English, 01-15 January 2023

Personality Dr Bhagwan Das

ENVISAGED A NATION

WHICH IS AATMANIRBHAR

IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Born: January 12, 1869, Death: September 18, 1958

India's well-known educational, spiritual, and cultural center, Kashi, has been home to many
famous people. Dr. Bhagwan Das was one such great personality who left his position as
Deputy Collector to join the freedom struggle and walked to strengthen India's position. He
wished to liberate higher education from British influence and make India self-reliant in this
field. He began his career as an unpaid secretary at Central Hindu College and later made
significant contributions to education as a founding member and the first Vice Chancellor.
of Kashi Vidyapeeth.

n his father's persuasion, he joined a He not only made an immense contribution to the
government job. Impressed by his diligence establishment of Central Hindu College but also
Ohe was made a Deputy Collector from joined as its unpaid secretary to achieve his vision.
Tehsildar by the British government in just 4 years. He went to jail for participating in the Non-
But after the demise of his father, he left his job Cooperation and Civil Disobedience Movement.
and devoted himself to the service of the nation. Dr During this period he met Babu Shiv Prasad alongwith
Bhagwan Das was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's whom he fulfilled the vision of Pandit Madan Mohan
highest civilian honour in 1955 for his contribution Malviya to establish a "Hindu University" in Varanasi
to the field of literature and education. It is said that with the establishment of "Kashi Hindu Vidyapeeth".
the then President Dr. Rajendra Prasad broke the He also became its first Vice-Chancellor. Second
protocol and took blessings by touching the feet of Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and freedom
Dr Bhagwan Das. The country's second President S. fighter Chandrashekhar Azad were also his disciples
Radhakrishnan considered Dr Bhagwan Das as his in Vidyapeeth.
guru and Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya also used Dr Bhagwan Das also translated many books. His
to consult him. translation of the Bhagwat Gita is very famous even
Dr. Bhagwan Das, born on January 12, 1869, in the today. He authored more than 30 books in Hindi and
landlord family of Varanasi, passed 10th standard at Sanskrit. In 1934 he was elected to the Legislative
the age of 12 and received MA degree at the age of Assembly in Uttar Pradesh. After independence, he
18. At a very young age, besides English, he learned continued to work tirelessly in the national interest.
Hindi, Sanskrit, Arabic, Urdu, and Persian. His father's He left for the heavenly abode on 18 September
name was Madhavdas and his mother's name was 1958. Despite being born into a wealthy family, he
Kishori Devi. Dr Bhagwan Das was so impressed was never allured by business interests. Instead, he
by a speech by Annie Besant that he joined the spent his life making India self-reliant in the field of
Theosophical Society in 1894. An educationist at education. Because of his immense contribution
heart, Dr. Bhagwan Das wanted to bridge the gap today swadeshi education stands on an equal footing
between the education of the West and the East. with western education in Indian universities.

44 New India Samachar January 1-15, 2023