By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 16 Oct: Cabinet Minister Satpal Maharaj said that celebrating the 141st birthday of inspirational freedom fighter and social reformer, the late Jayanand Bhartiya was inspirational. He mentioned that Bhartiya did many social reform works in Panchpuri, Birkhal. He led the Dola Palki movement to counter social inequalities.
At that time, a groom could not ride a horse and the bride could not ride on the doli. He raised his voice against it. He met Mahatma Gandhi against this malpractice and requested him to intervene, complaining about the plight of the craftsmen.
Maharaj mentioned that the Dola Palki movement of late Jayanand Bhartiya later became a part of the freedom movement. On 13 June, 1932, he unfurled the Tricolour in the Pauri district headquarters before Lord Malcolm Haley, the Governor of the United Provinces, for which he was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment. As a strong warrior of freedom, Jayanand Bharati had to go to jail six times.
A presentation of cultural programmes was also done by Narendra Rauthan’s cultural team, Sharda Sangam, on the birth anniversary of Jayanand Bhartiya.