Lala Lajpat Rai Death Anniversary: Facts About His Death

NEW DELHI: 17 November is the death anniversary of legendary freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai who fought for the independence of India throughout his life. This year the death anniversary of Lala Lajpat Rai falls on Wednesday 17 November. He was one of those figures who played a very significant role in bringing freedom to the nation.

Lala Lajpat Rai was also known fondly as Punjab Kesari and was born in Dhudike, Punjab in the year 1865 and died on 17 November 1928 in Lahore Pakistan. He was the one part of the popular trio Lal-Bal-Pal, a triumvirate of assertive nationalists in British India in the early 20th century. Rai as a politician made a huge contribution in letting India free from the rule of the British and therefore he was called the Lion of Punjab.

Apart from being a renowned politician, he was also an author who wrote several books mainly focusing on themes like British rule in India, politics in India and all about India and its people. Some of the books written by Lala Lajpat Rai are Unhappy India in 1928, England's debt to India, the Political Future of India in 1919, Arya Samaj in 1915, Young India; an interpretation and a history of the nationalist movement from within Lala Lajpat Rai in 1916, Story of my deportation in 1908 and many others.

Lala Lajpat Rai died at the age of 63 in an incident that took place in Lahore where police brutally attacked him in a rally against the Simon Commission (a group of lawmakers appointed by the British to study the implementation of the Government of India Act-1919). Rai and other congress leaders opposed the fact that none of the Indians was added to the Simon Commission.

In the crowd that formed as a result of the protest the police started using lathis on the people protesting with the slogan and play cards as "Go Back, Simon." On that peaceful protest on 30 October 1928 that turned violent Rai got severely injured and after suffering from those injuries he died a few days later on 17 November because of complications.

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