Lajpat Rai the founder Gulab Devi Hospital Lahor

 Lajpat Rai the founder Gulab Devi Hospital

How was Lala Lajpat Rai the Founder Gulab devi Hospital

When an underpass was inaugurated on Ferozepur Road, Lahore's main highway two days ago, the adjoining Gulab Devi Hospital and its founder Lala Lajpat Rai got a lot of buzz on social networking sites but who was Gulab Devi and Lala? Let us know why a hospital was built in his name.

Lala Lajpat Rai was born on January 28, 1865 in Ludhiana, Mouza Dhodike, British Punjab. His father Munshi Radha Krishna Agrawal was a teacher of Urdu and Persian in a government school and was a big fan of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. Lala Lajpat Rai's mother Gulab Devi was known for her social service.

Lajpat Rai the founder Gulab Devi Hospital

After completing his education from Lala Government College, Lahore.

he became a lawyer. Inspired by the political activities of his father Lala Radha Krishna, he started his political career.

Lala moved to Lahore in 1892. Here he helped establish the nationalist Dayanand Anglo-Vedic school and became a follower of Dayanand Saraswati, the founder of Arya Samaj, a reformist sect of modern Hinduism.

At that time Arya Samaj was divided into two factions, one faction which wanted to exclude English from the school curriculum and the other faction which was in favor of teaching English. Lalaji supported the latter (second) faction and played a key role in resolving differences within the party.

In his booklet in Urdu: Symptoms of Slavery and the Consequences of Slavery, he writes: "In my opinion, every educated Indian should try to reduce the use of English as much as possible. Order Urdu-Hindi magazines and spend some time reading Urdu-Hindi literature. Only English should be taught to boys and girls who have first developed good skills in their language. It is incumbent upon everyone to develop the national language and reduce this symbol of slavery to a minimum, as much as conditions allow. "

Lala also established the National College of Lahore. Fighting for independence, Bhagat Singh studied at both Dayanand Anglo-Vedic High School and National College.

Lala went to England in 1905. After participating in political protests in Punjab, he was deported to Mandalay, Burma (now Myanmar) in May 1907 without trial. He was allowed to return in November when Viceroy Lord Manto ruled that there was insufficient evidence to arrest him for sedition.

After his release from jail, Lala Swaraj joined the party. Lala was against caste, dowry, untouchability and other inhumane practices.

After his death, a statue of Lala was erected in Lahore. The statue remained in the parking lot of Mayo School of Arts for some time after Gol Bagh. The statue was moved to Mall in Shimla on 15 August 1948 after independence

He went to the United States on the eve of World War I. Founded the Indian Home Rule League of America (1917) in New York City. He returned to India in the early 1920's. In the same year, he chaired a special session of the Congress in which Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi's non-cooperation movement began. He was imprisoned from 1921 to 1923 and on his release was elected a member of the Legislative Assembly.

Zahid Chaudhry writes in his book 'Political History of Pakistan' that Lala Lajpat Rai had written an article in 1924 in a Lahore newspaper 'Tribune'. For the first time in this article, a plan for the religious division of the subcontinent was presented.

According to the plan, the Muslims will have four states, NWFP, West Punjab, Sindh and East Bengal. If there is a large number of Muslims in any other part of India that can become their province, then they should be formed in the same way, but it should be well understood that this will not be a united India. This means that India will be clearly divided into Muslim India and non-Muslim India.

Historian Hassan Jaffar Zaidi writes that Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, while addressing a meeting in March 1940, published a book of Prakash published in those days which contained a letter from Lala Lajpat Rai which he sent to Congress President on June 16, 1925. Wrote to CR Das.

The Founder of Pakistan read out the entire letter in which Lajpat Rai wrote: “I have read the history and jurisprudence of Muslims and have come to the conclusion that Hindus and Muslims cannot coexist. You have to find a way to save us. "

In 1928 he introduced a resolution in the Legislative Assembly to boycott the British Simon Commission on Constitutional Reform. Founder of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah also boycotted the commission. On October 30, thousands of people gathered at the Lahore railway station to protest against the Simon Commission, led by Congress leader Lala Lajpat Rai.

Lala was a public speaker. The scene of his last speech was Gol Bagh (now Nasir Bagh) at the end of Lower Mall.

Lala was severely wounded in a police baton charge and died on November 17, 1928, from injuries and a heart attack.

On the basis of this statue it is written that "Lala Lajpat Rai: Great Patriot of Punjab, 1865-1928.

Bhagat Singh blamed the police chief for Lala Lajpat Rai's death but instead misjudged and killed junior officer JP Saunders and then Bhagat Singh had to flee Lahore to escape the death penalty.

After his death, a statue of Lala was erected in Lahore. The statue remained in the parking lot of Mayo School of Arts for some time after Gol Bagh. The statue was moved to Mall in Shimla on August 15, 1948 after independence.

On the basis of this statue it is written that "Lala Lajpat Rai: Great Patriot of Punjab, 1865-1928."

Lala, known as Sher Punjab and Punjab Kesari, wrote many articles and books in Urdu and English. Apart from his political activities, Lalaji is also remembered as one of the founders of Punjab National Bank as well as Lakshmi Insurance Company.

But the thing that formed the basis of this article remains. Lala Lajpat Rai's mother Gulab Devi died of tuberculosis in 1927. In the same year, at the place where Lala's mother died, she set up Gulab Devi Trust Hospital for women at a cost of Rs. 200,000.

The trust bought 40 acres of land from the then government in April 1930 for Rs. 16,000. The government donated ten acres of land. Construction began in 1931 and was completed seven years after Lala's death. In 1934, the hospital's doors were opened to tuberculosis patients.

The marble plaque here says in English and Hindi: "Shrimati Gulab Devi Hospital for Women, inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi on July 17, 1934."

This hospital provided the best medical facilities to the refugees from India in 1947.

In November 1947, the founder of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah visited the hospital with his sister Fatima Jinnah and wrote: “I visited Gulab Devi Hospital on November 6, 1947 which is now taking care of the refugees. Its in-charges, doctors, nurses and others are doing a great job and we deserve our thanks for acknowledging this humanitarian service and selfless dedication. ”

On the transfer of trustees to India in 1947, the government in July 1948 invited Begum Rana Liaquat Ali Khan, Syed Maratab Ali, Prof. Dr. Amiruddin and some other notable and philanthropists to become acting trustees of the hospital. Begum Rana was made the head of the management committee of Gulab Devi Chest Hospital.

At the time of establishment of Pakistan, the hospital had 50 beds. At present the hospital has become the largest chest hospital in South Asia with 1500 beds providing health care to patients of all kinds of heart and lung diseases, especially tuberculosis. Goes

There is a street in Dharampura named after Lala Lajpat Rai in Lahore but the biggest monument of his human passion is Gulab Devi Hospital.