Freeindia > Biographies > Freedom Fighters > Pt. Kunjilal Dubey
Pt. Kunji Lal Dubey
Pandit Kunji lal Dubey was born in Amagoan (Bada) in district Narasinghpur to a cultured family on 18th March, 1896. After obtaining his primary education at the village school of Kareli, he studied upto middle school at Narasinghpur. In 1914 he completed school at Akola and went on tograduate from Roberston College atJabalpur in 1918. After obtaining a first class degree in law from Allahabad in 1920. Influenced by such stalwarts as Pt.Madan Mohan Malaviya and Narhari Chingamani Kelkar, Pt. Kunji Lal Dubey entered the arean aof ofreedom struggle against the oppression of foreign rulers in India. In 1937 he became a member of All India Congress Committee. He staged a Satyagraha in 1941 for which he was sent to jail for a term of 6 months. After his release from jail he joined the Quit India Movement in 1942 and was once again arrestedreleaded after almost two years in 1944 he dedicated himself to the upliftmenbt of education and society.
In 1950 Pt.Kunji Lal Dubey was elected the Chancellor of Nagpur University and the President of the Inter University Board of India, Burma and Ceylon. As a leading educationist he was committed to the use of the mother tongue as a medium of education. As the Chancellor of Nagpur University he got major texts used in the University translated into HIndi and Marathi. He also encouoraged preparation of about 75 texts and many original works. His services won for him the position of President of the Hindi Sahitya Sammelan.
He also took an active role in the politics of his state. In 1946 and 1952 he was twice elected as a member of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly. He held charge as the Finance Minister in the State Government of madhya Pradesh in 1967. He will always be remembered for his constructive opposition during his long tenure as the Deputy Leader of the opposition in the Legislative Addembly.
Pt. Kunji Lal Debey was also deeply interested in sports. His encouragement of sports and fine arts ion the Universities won recognition within appointment as President of the Mdhya Pradesh Olympic Association, madhya Pradesh Cricket Association, founder member of the Madhya Pradesh lalit Kala Academy and President of the All India Ayurved parishad. His multifaceted services were recognized in 1964 by the award of Padma bhushan. In 1965 Jabalpur University bestowed an honorary Doctorate of Law on him for his services in the field of law and education and Vikram University awarded him D.Litt. in 1967. A towering intellectual in Hindi, English, Marathi and Sanskrit, Pt.Dubey was a simple man and extremely ethical in his personal and public life. He passed away on 2nd July 1970.
The Department of Post issues a commemorative postage stamp in honouor of Pt. Kunji Lal Dubey on his birth anniversary.
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