162nd Birth Anniversary of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya

December 25, 2023

GS Paper I Contribution of Important Personalities

Context: On the occasion of the 162nd birth anniversary of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, the Indian Prime Minister released the first series of 11 volumes of “Collected Works of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya”.

About Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya

Birth: Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya was born on December 25, 1861, in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh.
Titles: He was given the title of Mahamana by Mahatma Gandhi.
Various Views:
- Jawahar Lal Nehru: Nehru called him “a great soul, one of those who laid the foundation of modern Indian Nationalism”.
- Dr S. Radhakrishnan: He was given the status of a ‘Karmayogi’ by Dr S. Radhakrishnan.
Honour: The Highest Civilian Award: In 2014, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya was posthumously conferred with Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award.
- Express on his Name: In 2016, the Indian Railways started the Varanasi-New Delhi Mahamana Express
Death: Carrying on with ill health for the last few years, he passed away on 12th November 1946.

About the 11 volumes of “Collected Works of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya”:

Published by: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Research Work and Compilation: By the Mahamana Malaviya Mission, an institution devoted to propagating his ideas.
A Collection of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya Writings and Speeches:
- It is a bilingual (English and Hindi) work comprising 4,000 pages in the form of Malaviya’s writings and speeches collected from the entire India.
These volumes comprise his unpublished letters, articles and speeches, including memorandums, the editorial content of the Hindi weekly ‘Abhyudaya’ started by him in 1907, all speeches given in the Legislative Council of the United Provinces of Agra and Awadh between 1903 and 1910.
They also include his statements given before the Royal Commission, speeches given during the presentation of bills in the Imperial Legislative Council between 1910 and 1920, letters, articles and speeches written before and after the establishment of Banaras Hindu University, and a diary written by him between 1923 and 1925.

Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya: Major Contributions

Education:
- Banaras Hindu University (BHU): Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya founded the Banaras Hindu University in 1916.
- He served as Vice-Chancellor of BHU from 1919 to 1938.
- Introduction of Devnagri in the British-Indian Courts: Malviya’s efforts with the British government resulted in the introduction of Devnagri in the British-Indian Courts.
- He favoured free and compulsory primary education.
Political:
- Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya founded Ganga Mahasabha (1905), Hindu Mahasabha (1906), United Provinces Kisan Sabha (1918)
- He was a successful legislator (a member of the Imperial Legislative Council for 11 years from 1909–20).
- He opposed the indentured labour system in the British Empire and supported the nationalization of railways.
National Movement:
- Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya joined the Indian National Congress (INC) at its Calcutta session in 1886.
- Four Time President: In 1909 (Lahore), in 1918 (Delhi), in 1930 (Delhi), and in 1932 (Calcutta).
- He acted as a bridge between the Moderates and the Extremists in the Congress.
- Supporter of Gandhi’s Movements: He played a significant role in the Civil Disobedience and Non-Cooperation Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi.
Role in Media:
- Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya was the chairman of Hindustan Times from 1924 to 1946, and he launched his Hindi-language weekly, the Abhyudaya (1907), the Leader of Allahabad, an English-language daily (1909), and the Hindi monthly the Maryada (1910).
Slogan: During his presidency of the 1918 Indian National Congress Session, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya used the famous slogan, ‘Satyamev Jayate’.