Kolkata, Nov 17 (UNI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday solemnly remembered ‘Punjab Kesari’ and great freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai on his death anniversary.

“Solemnly remembering ‘Punjab Kesari’ and great freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai on his death anniversary,” Ms Banerjee posted on her social networking page.

Born on January 28, 1865, Lajpat Rai played a pivotal role in the Indian Independence

movement. He was popularly known as Punjab Kesari. He was one of the three Lal Bal Pal

triumvirate.

Lajpat Rai was a heavyweight veteran leader of the Indian Nationalist Movement, Indian independence movement led by the Indian National Congress, Hindu reform movements

and Arya Samaj, who inspired young men of his generation and kindled latent spirit of

patriotism in their hearts with journalistic writings and lead-by-example activism.

Young men, such as Chandrasekhar Azad and Bhagat Singh, were driven to sacrifice their

lives for the freedom of their Motherland following Rai's example.

In 1928, the British government set up the Commission, headed by Sir John Simon (Later,

Lord Simon, 1st Viscount Simon) to report on the political situation in India. The Indian political

parties boycotted the Commission, because it did not include a single Indian in its membership,

and it met with country-wide protests. When the Commission visited Lahore on October 30,

1928, Lajpat Rai led a non-violent march in protest against it. The protesters chanted "Simon

go back" and carried black flags.

The superintendent of police, James A. Scott, ordered the police to lathi (baton) charge the

protesters and personally assaulted Rai. Despite being extremely injured, Rai subsequently

addressed the crowd and said, "I declare that the blows struck at me today will be the last

nails in the coffin of British rule in India".

He did not fully recover from his injuries and died on November 17, 1928

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