Upendrra Rai Makes Bold Forecast
June 26 will mark 75 years since the passing of Swami Sahajanand Saraswati, the revered freedom fighter and farmers’ leader. To commemorate the occasion, the Swami Sahajanand Trust Committee will organise a programme at Swami Sahajanand Postgraduate College in Ghazipur. Bharat Express CMD Upendrra Rai will attend the ceremony as the chief guest.
Swamiji is remembered for his powerful voice for farmers and his lifelong fight against exploitation and feudalism. Born on 22 February 1889 in Dullhapur village of Ghazipur, Swamiji became a Dandi Sanyasi of the ‘Dasnami’ Akhara in Kashi.
Spiritual journey and fight for equality
After reaching Kashi, he took initiation from Swami Achyutananda and later became a Dandi Sanyasi under Swami Advaitananda. In Kashi, some Pandits questioned his right to become a Sanyasi due to caste. Swamiji responded with debates and spiritual scholarship, affirming that Bhumihars are also Brahmins and eligible for Sanyas.
His journey in activism deepened after meeting Mahatma Gandhi in 1920. He joined the Congress and became President of Ghazipur District Congress. He was jailed for his involvement in the movement. After release, he promoted Khadi production in Buxar villages.
Swami Sahajanand played a central role in Bihar’s non-cooperation movement. However, he saw that villagers suffered more from landlords than the British. He formed the Bihar Provincial Kisan Sabha in 1928 and later the All India Kisan Sabha in 1936, becoming its first president.
He gave the slogan: “Whoever produces food and clothes, now he will make the law. This India belongs to him, now he will run the government.”
His ties with Congress weakened during his imprisonment when he witnessed opportunism among leaders. The final break came after the 1934 Bihar earthquake, when Gandhi advised him to meet Darbhanga Maharaj for farmer relief. Disheartened, Swamiji parted ways with Congress.
He then declared the struggle against Zamindari as his mission. His slogan, “How will you take land revenue, but our sticks are alive,” became iconic. His speeches mobilised thousands of farmers, turning the Kisan Andolan into a mass movement.
Tomorrow’s commemoration in Ghazipur will celebrate the life, ideology, and legacy of Swami Sahajanand Saraswati, a pioneer of India’s farmer rights movement.
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