President Dadabhai Naoroji was so impressed by 25 year old Madan Mohan Malaviya’s speech in the second convention held in the year 1886 in Kolkata that he spontaneously responded with the words, “Bharatmata was talking through Malaviyaji’s words”. Madan Mohan’s father Pandit Brij Nath used to perform Kirtans. Malaviyaji was also well versed in music.
1. The great Madan Mohan Malaviya who gave up a highly paid
advocate’s practice for the establishment of Kashi Hindu Vishwavidyalay !
In 1891, Malaviya completed his LL.B. from Allahabad University and started practice in Allahabad District Court and then from 1893 practised at the High Court. He soon earned huge respect as one of the most brilliant lawyers of the Allahabad High Court. He gave up his legal practice when he was at his pinnacle in 1911 on his 50th birthday so that he could serve the nation thereafter.
Malaviya only once again donned his lawyers robe in 1924, following the Chauri Chaura incident a police station and 21 policemen were burnt in February 1922, as a result of which Gandhi decided to suspend his civil disobedience movement. In the case that followed over 170 freedom fighters were sentenced to death. However, Malaviya defended them in the Allahabad High Court. His defence was so moving that he managed to save over 150 of the accused from the noose. During these arguments, the then Chief Justice Honble Sir Grimwood Mears bowed thrice to Malaviya as a mark of great appreciation for the sheer brilliance of his arguments. One can only imagine the calibre that Malaviya possessed.
Despite his busy career, he pursued the dream of establishing a Hindu University. And when it was decided that the University would become a reality, he gave up his lucrative practice and plunged wholeheartedly into the university work. The idea that ‘the university should equip the Hindus to be well versed and proud of their glorious history, but at the same time be capable enough to overcome present day issues’ was presented during a Kumbh Mela. The formal proposal was put forth in the 1905 Congress convention at Kashi held under the presidency of Gopal Krishna Gokhale. Viceroy Lord Hardings stated in 1916 “I can observe the joy on the faces of all present leaders with the confidence that the present educational system is going to be changed.”
2. The Banaras Hindu University which upheld the traditions of Sages like Gautama and Vasishta !
Unlike the Aligarh Muslim University, Madan Mohan Malaviya’ Hindu University did not sow thoughts of division in the students’ minds. Viceroy Lord Hardings had mentioned the tradition of Vasishta and Gautam sages in a festival at Vishwavidyalay. The students who studied here respected that tradition.
3. Mahamana Malaviya, a scholar who spared no effort to set up the University !
For spreading the concept of Hindu University and with the plea to stop cow slaughter Madan Mohan Malaviya traveled throughout the country. His journey of the day would begin with the target for donation amount and he would not eat till the target was achieved. In fact once he was out of house he would not drink water from other person’s hand also. This is a wonder that how he could gather public and how he worked so selflessly.
4. Hard to believe that the Congress had leaders like Madan Mohan Malaviya !
Mahayana Madan Mohan Malaviya stopped wearing leather shoes as he came to know that there is a trend in Europe to wear shoes made from unborn calves. It is said that his 5 hours speech criticising the Government on Jallianwala Bagh massacre reminded people of Edmund Burke’s address to the British parliament. At Rawalpindi, he had said that ‘Hindu Dharma respects the human values, it is not at all conservative’. He invited the priest and told him that do not die at Kashi or do not get cremated in Kashi since we do not want liberation but we want next birth for the better service of Mother Bharat. He held the vision of a complete revolution (in the society). He struggled a lot for changing the psychology of Hindus. His mind was full of mercy and throughout his entire life, he did not allow not even a single stain to mar his record. It is hard to believe that such diamond once adorned the Congress !
