Freeindia > Biographies > Freedom Fighters > Lokanayak Omeo Okumar Das
Lokanayak Omeo Okumar Das
Loknayak Omeo Kumar Das, one of the great patriots of Assam was born ion Tezpuron May 21, 1895. During his school an college days he was attracted toward the ideals of servants of India society and very much influenced by the writing of Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Bal Gangadhar tilak, Surendra Nath banerjee and other national leaders. He was very active right from his school days when as a student leader he decided to devote himself to the cause of country's freedom and to the service of the masses.
He actively participated in the freedom struggle, and became on of the torchbearers of the national movement of Assam. In 1930, when Gandhiji launched the Civil Disobedience Movement, Omeo Kumar Das responded to Gandhiji's call b y organising the youth. He was, for his activities, imprisoned several times, by the British government.
Later in 1937, he was first elected to Assam legislative Assembly and then in 1945, to the Constituent Assembly. After the country achieved independence, he served his state as a Minister holding important portfolios like Education, Food & Civil Supplies and Labour.As the Labour Minister, he was instrumental in setting up the tea plantation Worker's Provident Fund for the benefit of the large number of the tea plantation workers of Assam.This effort is a uniquer landmark ion the history of the labour welfare measures, not only in India, but in entire Asia. .As the Education Minister he brought about a number of reforms in the education system and popularised the concept of Basic Education, which was so dear to Mahatma Gandhi.
Lokanayak Omeo Kumar Das was an intellectual of very high order. His activities were not confined to political sphere alone. He was a social thinker, a reformer, a journalist and popular writer. Besides writing a lorge number of books, he translated Gandhiji's Autobiography 'My Experiment with Truth' into the Assumes language. From his younger days he was in the forefront of prohibition campaign against opium, liquor and hemp. He was very actively connected within the establishment of several Ashramas based ono the ideals of Gandhiji and several socio-economic centres, tuberculosis centres and leprosy treatment homes and organisations for relief an rehabilitation of destressed people. He was also associated with HarijanSevak Sangha, Bharatiya Adim Jati Sevak Sangha, Bharat Sevek Samaj, Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, Kasturba Nidhi and Assam Seva Samiti.
He died at Guwahati on 23rd Januaryy 1975 at the age of 81.
The Department of Posts is happy to issue a special commemorative stamp in memory of late Lokanyak Omeo Kumar Das.
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