(Dev B Doshi)

End Term Essay for ‘Indian Civilizations’

The Struggle of My Life is the autobiography of Swami Sahajanand Saraswati

which has been translated to English from the originally written Mera Jeevan

Sangharsh in Hindi and edited by Ramachandra Pradhan who is a scholar and

activist. The motive behind this essay is to bring to light Sahajanand’s

contributions to the nation as he is the unsung hero in India’s freedom struggle.

The cause of the independence struggle in general, and in particular, the peasant

movement under his guidance, is the key focus of this book. It depicts the story of

one of the bravest and uncompromising liberation fighters and peasant leaders in

history. It addresses the social and political history of one of our country's most

significant periods of our national life, 1920–47. Sahajanand's efforts were not

recognised and his message did not reach the national or international level. His

contribution to the nation is unknown even to his own countrymen. This book aims

to change that by bringing this inspirational character to light amongst non-Hindi

readers.

His book raises concerns about peasant political representation. As someone who

lived the history of peasant struggles and represented it to others. His memoir is

not only a source of prolonged questioning of the externally fashioned conceptual

categories of peasant politics and agrarian social structure, but it is also infused
with a certain intimacy, specific everyday-ness of peasant conflicts, and

ethnographic richness.

Sahajanand Saraswati was a multifaceted individual. He had an effect in all of

these realms as a monk, scholar, freedom warrior, and leader of the peasant

movement. The Struggle of My Life tells the story of his life and his efforts to

rectify the religious and political evils that plagued the nation. It does so by

shedding light on a number of pivotal moments in Indian history.

Sahajanand was born to a middle-class peasant family on 22nd February 1889 in

Ghazipur of then the United Provinces (U.P). Sahajanand has been known to be

precocious as a child with a great affinity towards studies and ideas like

spirituality. Swami's first foray into social activity came in 1914, when he joined

the Bhumihar Mahasabha, bringing him into contact with a large number of

non-elite sectors of Bhumihar youth and exposing him to the tangible economic

and social concerns of India's peasantry. It also led to him forming close ties with

peasants of various castes, which resulted in the founding of the Western Patna

Kisan Sabha in 1929.

Swami met Mahatma Gandhi in December 1920 in Patna which was the turning

point in his life. He decided to plunge into a political struggle which was further

extended with his participation in the Nagpur Congress. He soon got elected as a

regular member of the All India Congress Committee. He was an ardent follower
of Gandhi and his mode of approach to the freedom struggle. Swami was arrested

upon his return from the Ahmedabad Congress and was given a year’s rigorous

imprisonment. He was also arrested for participating in the Salt Satyagraha. In due

course, he distanced himself from the Congress and Gandhian style of leadership

and was disappointed by the treatment of peasants by the Zamindars who were

harsh and ruthless and happened to be closely associated with the Congress. He

also organized a number of peasant demonstrations against the Congress ministry.

Swami along with Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose organised an anti-compromise

conference urging freedom fighters for an immediate call of action against the

British for immediate independence. As a result of this and his anti-British

speeches, he had been arrested for 3 years of rigorous imprisonment. Swami

opposed all kinds of exploitation and domination of people, be it of any social

group. A free, thriving society that was devoid of all these social hazards was his

dream. This led him to fight for the rights of the Indian peasantry. He became the

leader in the Kisan front and made several sacrifices and contributions during his

tenure. Dr Ambedkar, in his very own words, said that "Swami Sahajanand

Saraswati is a name that conjures up images in our land. He is the indisputable

head of India's peasant movement, and he is today the people's idol and hero. It

was a stroke of luck to have him as chairman of the All India Anti-Compromise

Conference's Reception Committee at Ramgarh. It was a delight and an honour for

the Forward Block to have him as one of the top leaders of the Left movement, as

well as a friend, philosopher, and advisor to the Forward Block. A great number of

top-rank leaders of the peasant movement have been intimately affiliated with the

Forward Block as a result of Swamiji's leadership."

Swami founded the Sitaram Ashram at Bihta in 1927 and could now understand

the various atrocities committed against peasants by local zamindars. He was

approached by a number of peasants of different castes who bought with them

several grievances against the zamindars. The Bihar Provincial Kisan Sabha was

initiated which kept the interest of peasants in-sight and Swami was appointed the

president. A rival pro-zamindar organization called the United Party was formed in

opposition to the Bihar Kisan Sabha. It introduced bills committed to the interests

of zamindars and the party was soon foiled by Swami through his militant

opposition to the idea. The stiff opposition to the bills finally led to their

withdrawal, thus marking the first major victory of the Kisan Sabha. Swami started

touring different parts of Bihar for the purpose of mass mobilization of peasants

and was committed to the complete abolishment of the zamindari system. A

number of prominent individuals joined hands in support of the mission which led

to the birth of the All India Kisan Sabha in April 1936. Through the party, Swami

was driven to strive for the abolition of all forms of exploitation, to work towards

the achievement of all working-class and peasant political and economic power
and to intensify the national movement for Purna Swaraj and to ensure that all

workers' rights are protected. In the party, they also worked towards policies such

as new fixation of rent and revenue, no rent for non-profiting agriculture,

agriculture income tax on a progressive bias, concrete steps towards cooperative

farming, relief for all debts and their arrears, adequate provision for pasture land,

living wages for agricultural labour and congenial working conditions for them.

Swami was greatly disappointed with the Congress Ministry of Bihar which was

not against the zamindari system and was jeopardizing the interests of peasants.

Swami thus held large demonstrations in Patna protesting against the anti-peasant

policy of the Congress ministry. Swami believed that apart from imperialism, the

root causes of peasant suffering were branches extending from feudalism,

capitalism and moneylending. He further held many demonstrations demanding the

implementation of the Faizpur resolution on the peasantry and agricultural labour

in 1937-38. This led to a tremendous rise in people’s consciousness surrounding

the gravity of the issue. A series of events followed which led to his political

isolation and he soon realised that the so-called Swaraj India was only meant for

the richer segments and not for the working class or peasants. Despite this political

isolation he tried to meet the challenge of the situation and did so by moving more

and more leftwards and had also written a revolutionary tract on ‘khet majdur’ in

1941 while being in Hazaribagh jail.

What makes Swami uniques is that he relentlessly fought against both, the British

and the local feudal lords. During his early years, he was concerned about social

injustice being perpetrated against Bhumihars by certain Brahmin groups. As a

result, he fought them. Second, Swami's feeling of injustice was so great that he

worked tirelessly to bring the Bhumihar Brahmin Mahasabha under democratic

control. He fought Bhumihar zamindars on behalf of non-elite parts of the

Bhumihar community and eventually attempted to dissolve the Bhumihar Brahmin

Mahasabha when he believed it had gone beyond redemption. He heightened the

anti-zamindari campaign to the point where the congress administration was forced

to seek its abolition on the eve of independence. Third, unlike many other caste

heads, he became involved in the independence struggle and saw it through to the

conclusion. As a freedom fighter, he had a clean record.

Swami has left behind a legacy in today’s India and his ideologies are those to be

reckoned with. Throughout his life, he never actively sought any position of power

for himself. Another principle he adhered to was that he raised cash for his causes

solely from the people and organisations he was fighting for, not from any other

source as opposed to today’s corrupt political and social scenario. Another aspect

of admiration is his method and management of public funds. Towards the end of

his life, Swami launched the All India Samyukta Kisan Sabha, Indian Samyukta

Samajvadi Sabha and Samyukta Vampaksha Morcha which were a product of his
ideas for a united front and popular action. His main interests were waiving

farmers' loans and assuring farmers' income, both of which are still relevant today,

and he is widely remembered as the founder of the All India Kisan Sabha. Many

generations of social revolutionaries will be inspired by his courage of conviction,

which led him to walk on the path of his duty (swadharma). Every thinker,

especially activist-thinkers, contributes on two levels. On one level, he wrestles

with the major issues of his time and attempts to provide solutions. But his

grandeur is based on man's persistent concerns, which manifest themselves

differently in various generations. As a result, his efforts at both levels add up to

the complete life and legacy of any thinker or activist-thinker.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1) The Struggle of My Life - Autobiography of Swami Sahajanand Saraswati.

Translated and edited by Ramchandra Pradhan

2) https://www.hindustantimes.com/books/review-the-struggle-of-my-life-auto

biography-of-swami-sahajanand-saraswatitranslated-and-edited-by-ramchan

dra-pradhan/story-LrRt52jRhVyctzLr5LnHVN.html

3) https://www.epw.in/journal/2020/20/review-article/peasants-and-their-interlo

cutors.html