LITIGANTS, LAWYERS AND JUDGES continues...

He was willing to accept the terms but told me that he would have to consult the committee that was conducting the movement. He hoped the terms would be accepted. He would then come down to Hyderabad and arrange the settlement. A settlement was eventually arrived at, and the Arya Samaj gained unfettered rights to exercise its religious freedom in the state.

During our visit to the Hyderabad jail, we met Mr. Gian Chand, now the principal of our School of Divinity at Hissar, then Vice-Principal of the D. A. V. College, Jullundur, and Mr. Murari Lal Khosla, a retired District and Sessions Judge. In Gulberga jail we met Lala Khushal Chand of the Milap, Shri Narain Swami, President of the International Aryan League, and other leaders of the movement. In Aurangabad jail, I met Mahasha Krishan of the Pratap and his companions.

An idea struck me during this trip that we should start a D.A.V. College in the south at Sholapur, the base from which our jathas were organised and sent for courting arrest. Later on I saw several sites for the college in Sholapur. Subsequently I had interviews at Bombay with Syndics of the Bombay University and Mr. K. M. Munshi who was then the Home Minister and an influential member of the Syndicate. He welcomed the idea. Soon after, we selected a site for the college and with a handsome donation from a local businessman, Seth Lakhshmi Narain Rathi, of Rs. 50,000 and Rs. 2’ lakhs set aside for the purpose by the Managing Committee, we built the college at Sholapur in 1940. This has now grown into a flourishing centre of our activities. We have an Arts and Science College teaching up to M. A. in Arts and B. Sc. in Science. There is a College of Education, another of commerce. There are two high schools, one at Sholapur, another at Karkamb, the birthplace of Mr. Justice Ranade.

to be continued...

( This account is maintained by Har Anand Publication)