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Sri Prakash
Sriprakash was born on 3rd of August 1890 at Varanasi in the illustrious Sah family reputed for its affluence, philanthropy and learning.His father Dr. Bhagavan Das was a renowned philosopher, thinker and writer who was awarded the Bharat Ratna.The liberal ideas of his father deeply influenced Sriprakash and he emerged as a noted rational thinker SriPrakash was also deeply influenced by Mrs. Annie Besant and joined the Theosophical Society in 1911.
He was also a close friend of Jawaharlal Nehru. He graduated from the University of Allahabad in 1911 and then proceeded for further studiesto Cambridge where he obtained the History Tripos in 1913 and Law Tripos the following year.
On his return to India, Sriprakash was drawn into India's struggle for independence under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi.He became a member of the AICC in 1918 and actively participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement in1921, Salt Satyagraha in 1930, the Individual Civil disobedience Movement in 1941 and the Quit India Movement in 1942.He suffered imprisonment and detention for hisparticipation in these movements.
Besides being a member of the Constituent Assembly of India, Sriprakash held many public offices in post-independent India.He served as a Cabinet Minister, High Commissioner to Pakistan (1947-49), Governor of Assam(1949-50), Madras (1952-56) and Bombay State (later Maharashtra) (1956-62).
Sriprakash laid equal stress on moral and spiritual advancement of the country along and material betterment.Along with his father, he was one of the founders of the Kashi Vidyapith, the then premier institute of national education in India.Sriprakash taught at the Vidyapith from its inception in 1921 till 1947. He was appointed the Chancellor of the Vidyapith in 1969.
Sriprakash was a prolific writer and wrote over two dozen books on ethics, civics politics, his own experiences and biographies.He eminent services to public causes in various fields were given befitting recognition when he was honoured with the Padma Vibhushan in 1957.He breathed his last on 23rd June 1971.
Text: Courtesy Sriprakash Smarak Samiti and Dictionary of National Biography edited by S.P.Sen.
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