LUCKNOW: Reminding people of the contributions of several Dalit icons to winning freedom for the nation, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, on Thursday, said Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi should know that it was not only Jawaharlal Nehru but also Masuriya Din Pasi who had gone to jail for the freedom of the country.
Asserting that honour was not the exclusive property of any family, CM Yogi said those who raised their voices for Dalits and the deprived sections and dedicated their lives to the nation and society must also be given due respect.
He was addressing a gathering after unveiling a statue of Masuriya, a Dalit freedom fighter from the Pasi community, at Mahashay Masuriyadin Smarak Inter College in Teliyarganj in Prayagraj.
Notably, Masuriya Din Pasi was co-elected from the Phulpur Lok Sabha constituency twice, in 1952 and 1957, along with Nehru, and is also known to have worked towards the education of the Scheduled Castes.
The CM stated that, as a member of the Constituent Assembly, Masuriya was the one who had got the British Criminal Tribes Act abolished.
“After suffering defeat in the First War of Independence in 1857, the British enacted the Criminal Tribes Act in 1871 and humiliated numerous castes, including the Pasi community. Babasaheb and Masuriya Din ji fought against that law and eventually got it abolished, connecting the Pasi, Sonkar, deprived and Dalit communities with the mainstream of the nation and inspiring them to live a life of dignity,” said the CM.
He added that Masuriya Din lived for 66-67 years, of which he spent nine years (1932-1944) in jail for taking part in the freedom movement. Even after his release, he continued to carry out public awareness activities.
The CM said that the intersection where Masuriya Din's statue was installed would be named after him and sought a proposal from the Prayagraj Mayor.
“The name of one institution in Prayagraj would also be changed to Mahashay Masuriya Din's name. His statue would also be installed, as the society can progress only by honouring great personalities,” said the CM.
He claimed that by honouring the past, the present could be improved, and only by improving the present could the future be bright. “Honouring Mahashay is honouring the freedom fighters, and no shortcoming will be allowed in this regard,” he stated.
“He was pushed into oblivion in the annals of history, but the BJP government, which believes in development and heritage, does not allow great personalities to be forgotten. We have unveiled his statue to keep his memories alive,” the CM added.
Yogi also invoked the history of Pasi warriors, citing Maharaja Bijli Pasi, who, he said, established 12 forts in and around the state capital in the 12th century as part of the efforts to resist foreign invaders. He also recalled the contribution of Makkha Pasi and his wife, freedom fighter Uda Devi Pasi, who took up the fight against the British after her husband's death and laid down her life in the struggle.