Mahant Laxminarayan Das
Mahant Mahant Laxminarayan Das | |
|---|---|
| महंत लक्ष्मीनारायण दास | |
| Born | Raipur, (present-day Chhattisgarh), India |
| Died | March 17, 1987 [1] |
| Occupations | Hindu religious leader; Indian independence activist; social worker |
| Known for | Leadership in the Raipur District during the Indian independence movement; Mahant of Jaitu Sao (Jaitu Sau) Math |
| Notable work | Social welfare initiatives, including support for Harijan/underprivileged institutions in Raipur |
Mahant Laxminarayan Das ( d. March 17, 1987) was an Indian Hindu religious leader, freedom fighter and political activist from Raipur, Undivided Madhya Pradesh (present-day Chhattisgarh). He was a member of Indian National Congress, Member of Madhya Pradesh Legislative Council 1937-52, President, Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee (M.P.C.C)., 1957-59. He later remained a member of the Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of Parliament of India from 1962 to 1968.[1][2]
He served as the Mahant (head priest) of the Jaitu Sao Math in Raipur and was active in the Indian independence movement — notably during the Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience campaigns, including local actions associated with the Salt Satyagraha. He is commemorated locally for social-welfare work and for public service in Raipur; a college in the Gandhi Nagar area of Raipur was established in his memory. [3][4]
Early life
He became head of the Jaitu Sao Math (Purani Basti, Raipur) at an early age and subsequently emerged as a prominent local leader in Raipur. [5]
Role in the Indian independence movement
Mahant Laxminarayan Das participated in major Gandhian movements of the 1920s–1940s in the Raipur area. Institutional accounts credit him with organisational activity during the Non-Cooperation Movement (c. 1920), participation in the Civil Disobedience movement and the Salt Satyagraha in the early 1930s, and arrest for actions related to defiance of the salt laws. These accounts also note his participation in regional and national Congress activities of the period. [6][7]
Social work and later life
Institutional descriptions indicate that after the independence struggle, he engaged in philanthropy and social welfare, focusing on education and support for disadvantaged communities in Raipur. Sources attribute involvement in establishing welfare institutions, including the foundation or support for a Harijan hostel (a shelter for underprivileged children) and other local educational initiatives. [8]
He was an elected member of the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh for the Congress party from 1962 to 1968.
Legacy
Mahant Laxminarayan Das is commemorated locally in Raipur. In 1997, Mahant Laxminarayan Das College (often styled "Mahant Laxmi/Laxminarayan Das College") was established in his memory; the college’s official publications describe the institution as founded to honour his service to education and society in the region and to continue his social-welfare ideals. The college remains an institutional source for biographical information about Mahant Laxminarayan Das. [9][10]
References
- ^ a b "RAJYA SABHA MEMBERS BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES: 1952-2019" (PDF). Rajya Sabha Secretrariat archives. p. 125. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
Congress (Madhya Pradesh); s. of Guru Mahant Bihari Das; Bachelor; Member, (i) Madhya Pradesh Legislative Council, 1937-52 and (ii) Rajya Sabha, 3-4-1962 to 2-4-1968; President, M.P.C.C., 1957-59; Died. Obit. on 17-3-1987.
- ^ Centre, National Informatics (19 April 2023). "Rajya Sabha Members - Former". Digital Sansad - Parliament of India, digital archive. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
- ^ "About MLDC". Mahant Laxminarayan Das College. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
- ^ "Digital District Repository – Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav". Government of India, Ministry of Culture. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
- ^ "About MLDC". Mahant Laxminarayan Das College. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
- ^ "About MLDC". Mahant Laxminarayan Das College. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
- ^ "Participation of women during Civil Disobedience movement in Raipur". Indianculture.gov.in. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
- ^ "About MLDC". Mahant Laxminarayan Das College. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
- ^ "Mahant Laxminarayan Das College official site". Mahant Laxminarayan Das College. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
- ^ "Self Study Report (SSR) – Mahant Laxminarayan Das College" (PDF). Mahant Laxminarayan Das College. Retrieved 13 September 2025.