Freeindia > Biographies > Freedom Fighters > Pandit Sunderlal Sharma
Pundit Sunder Lal Sharma
Pundit Sunder Lal Sharma was born on 21st December 1881 at Rajim, the historical city of Chhatisgarh in Rajpur district of MadhyaPradesh.He was the pioneer of the freedom struggle in this area and was called 'the Chhatisgarhi Gandhi'.
Sunder Lal Sharma established the Rajim kavi Samaj in 1898-99.As a literary limunary of Hindi, he shaped the Chhatisgarhi dialect into a language by composing the poetic work named 'Chhatisgarhi Dan-Lila' in 1905.In the sameyear he initiated the freedom struggle against theBritish Rule in the area.He started the 'Jungle Satyagraha' by organising the trebles in the inaccessible forests in 1916-17.He led the famous kandel Nahar Satyagraha.He accompanied Gandhiji on his visit to chhatisgarh from Calcutta.He was imprisoned on the charge of sedition for one year in May, 1922.He went to jail, time and again, during Nagpur Flag Satyagraha in 1930 and in 1932.
As a Social reformer he opened a new chapter for the scheduled castes belonging to the Satnami castes by offering Janeu (the sacred thread) to them.This revolutionary and courageous task made the Hindus call him 'the Chamar Brahmin'.In a bid to remove untouchability he entered the temple of Rajim along with the so-called lower caste people. He striuggled for the welfare of the untouchables, the downtrodden and the exploited classes till his last breath.
In, 1927, he started the historical march of 700 Kms from Dhamtari to Kakinada to take part in the Kakinada Congress Session.He donated his entire property and educated himself to the service of the nation, till his death on 28th September, 1940.A research chair has been instituted in his name in Ravi Shankar University Rajpur and the library there is also named after him.
Text: Courtesy: B.L. Mishra, Chairman Pundit sunder Lal Sharma Memorial Committee.
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