Dr. Chander Trikha
Dr. Chander Trikha Source- Punjab Kesari

Unmasking Nationalism Through the Life of Lala Kedarnath Sehgal

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The exact time when we will be liberated from the needless commotion surrounding 'nationalism' or 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' remains uncertain. However, to grasp its true meaning, we should recall a neglected 'black-clad general' from Delhi. This individual endured nearly 26 years in British prisons, donning black attire throughout his life—initially to show his resentment towards the British Empire and subsequently to oppose communalism. Essentially, he dedicated his life to battling the system.

Indeed, such an example is rare in the annals of global freedom movements. It might be hard to believe, but it is true that among the freedom fighters, there is one who wore only black clothes throughout his life. This individual spent a significant portion of his youth imprisoned by the British Empire, yet he never changed the color of his attire. Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh referred to him as 'Siyah General.' Recently, while walking through a gallery in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, I was captivated by a photograph. It was of Lala Kedarnath Sehgal, who relocated to Delhi during the India-Pakistan partition. This photograph was unveiled by the then Chief Minister about fifteen years ago. Upon seeing the photo, the image of this remarkable person came to mind. We often overlook certain freedom fighters whose lives serve as a constant source of inspiration. Lala Kedarnath Sehgal was imprisoned for 26 years from 1911 to 1947 during the struggle for independence. Remarkably, while in jail, he won the Punjab Vidhan Sabha election from Lahore in 1945.

After independence, he was elected as an MLA from Faridabad. His life was marked by numerous extraordinary incidents of self-respect and resilience. His unwavering commitment to his principles is evident from various events in his life. Another distinctive aspect of his personality was his choice to wear black clothes throughout his militant life as a form of protest against the British Empire. Lala Lajpat Rai appointed him as the publisher and general manager of his newspaper Vande Mataram. Born in October 1899 in Lahore, this exceptional freedom fighter passed away on February 25, 1963, in Delhi.

Lala Kedar Nath was among the associates of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh. During that period, he was prominently involved in the Naujawan Bharat Sabha, which was founded by Shaheed-e-Azam on April 12, 1928. The Sabha operated from Lahore and Meerut. At that time, the British government concocted both the 'Lahore Conspiracy Case' and the 'Meerut Conspiracy Case'. The term 'fabricated' is used here because the witnesses were dishonest, and the entire complaint was based on falsehoods. Even the case that led to Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh's execution was fabricated. A case against him remains unresolved in Lahore.

Lala Kedar Nath Sehgal, Sohan Singh Joshi and Abdul Majeed were the prominent revolutionaries who were arrested there in March 1929 under the 'Meerut Conspiracy Case'. Shaheed-e-Azam himself had condemned their arrest in strong words. In any case, Shaheed-e-Azam considered Kedarnath Sehgal as his brother and used to hug him whenever he met him. His name was also included in the 'Lahore Conspiracy Case'. His other colleagues and contemporaries also included Ras Bihari Bose, Vishnu Ganesh Pingale, Chandra Shekhar Azad, Sufi Amba Prasad and Bhai Parmanand. His close associates also included Lala Jagat Narayan, founder of 'Punjab Kesari' and former Deputy Prime Minister Chaudhary Devi Lal. It is a strange irony that there is no suitable memorial for such a great freedom fighter in Punjab or Haryana.

One of his colleagues was Comrade Kranti Kumar who became the second General Secretary of the Naujawan Bharat Sabha. Kranti Kumar later settled in Panipat, where in 1966 he was burnt alive by a frenzied mob. Kranti Kumar used to say that although Bhagat Singh himself was the founder of the Sabha, but in 1928, Lala Kedarnath was made to preside over the first session of the Sabha. Even after independence, he continued to wear black clothes for 15 years. He was deeply saddened by the fact that while Hindus and Muslims had fought together for independence, at the time of achieving it, both became thirsty for each other's blood. In August 1942, he was put under house arrest for three years during the 'Quit India Movement'. In 1945, when he was in Lahore jail, his comrades forced him to contest the Punjab Assembly elections and he won by 8000 votes.

From 1952 to 1957, he was a member of the Punjab Assembly from Faridabad. For some time, he also held the post of Deputy Minister in the cabinet of the then Chief Minister of Punjab, Shri Bhim Sen Sachar.

Even at that time, he continued to work for public welfare and for the upliftment of the people tired of slavery, especially in the field of education. Finally, he died in 1963 due to cardiac arrest and the shroud of this black-clad general was also black in colour. His grandson Rajiv Sehgal and other family members currently live in Delhi and the colony in Civil Lines where they live is known as 'Sehgal Colony'. Lala Kedarnath Sehgal's memories have been preserved by his family till date, but the governments of Punjab and Haryana do not remember him much. Anyway, our environment is not that sensitive now.

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