Raj Kumar Shukla

Raj Kumar Shukla (23 August 1875 – 20 May 1929) was the person who convinced Mr. M.K. Gandhi to visit Champaran for the Champaran Satyagraha.[1]

Raj Kumar Shukla
Shukla on a 2000 stamp of India
Born(1875-08-23)23 August 1875
MURLI BHARHAWA, Champaran, Bihar
Died20 May 1929(1929-05-20) (aged 53)
Motihari, Bihar
OccupationFreedom fighter, Farmer
LanguageHindi, Bhojpuri, Kaithi, Maithili,
NationalityIndian
Period1890s – 1920s
Children2 daughters

Early life

Raj Kumar Shukla was born in 1875 at Satwaria village, in Champaran, where his ancestors lived for 200 years. His family owned several acres of farming land in Murli Bharahwa, another village in the same district. His father's name was Kolahal Shukla.

History

During the 31st session of the Congress in Lucknow in 1916, Gandhiji met Raj Kumar Shukla, a representative of farmers from Champaran, who requested him to come and see for himself the miseries of the indigo ryots (tenant farmers) there. Gandhi later wrote in his autobiography “I must confess that I did not then know even the name, much less the geographical position, of Champaran, and I had hardly any notion of indigo plantations.” " [2] Now we can say that Raj Kumar Shukla met Mahatma Gandhi to make him aware of the plight of the cultivators in Champaran and persuaded him to go there. He was known Indigo cultivator of the area as he was a money lender from village Murli Bharahwa near Narkatiaganj in West Champaran, earning, according to his own statement before the enquiry committee set up by the provincial government, a sum of two thousand rupees a month from interest [3][4] Bhatt Brahmins in Champaran had earlier revolted against indigo cultivation in 1914 (at Pipra) and 1916 (Turkaulia).

Honour

To commemorate his 125th birth anniversary, the Department of Posts released a stamp in his honour in 2000. On the occasion of 100 years of Champaran Satyagrah Govt. of Bihar established a Statue of Pt. Rajkumar Shukla at Gandhi Sangrhalay (गांधी संग्रहालय) Patna and Gandhi Peace Foundation Delhi has showcased Photograph of Raj Kumar Shukla

Books on Raj Kumar Shukla

On the occasion of 100 years of Champaran Satyagrah, Arvind Mohan wrote a book on him and his other supporters titles Champaran : Satyagrah Ke Sahyogi. (चंपारण :सत्याग्रह के सहयोगी). The book was released by Chief Minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar on 10 April 2017. In September 2017 Mohan wrote another book, Mr. M.K. Gandhi ki Champaran Diary, where Raj Kumar Shukla emerged as main contributor of Mahatma Gandhi's Satyagrah.

Gandhi in Champaran
Shukla on a 2018 stamp of India

Mahatama Gandhi arrived in Champaran with his team of eminent nationalists Rajendra Prasad, Anugrah Narayan Sinha, Brajkishore Prasad and the Champaran Satyagraha began.[5]

See also

References
  1. A struggle for freedom. Champaransatyagrah.org (5 March 2016). Retrieved on 2018-11-21.
  2. How Champaran Transformed Gandhi & India – Champaran Satyagrah. Champaransatyagrah.org. Retrieved on 21 November 2018.
  3. Tidrick, Kathryn (2006). Gandhi: A Political and Spiritual Life. I.B.Tauris. p. 117. ISBN 978-1-84511-166-3. Retrieved 6 October 2008.
  4. "West Chaparan District at a Glance". Tirhut Division. Retrieved 6 October 2008.
  5. Brown, Judith Margaret (1972). Gandhi's Rise to Power, Indian Politics 1915–1922: Indian Politics 1915–1922. New Delhi: Cambridge University Press Archive. p. 384. ISBN 978-0-521-09873-1.
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