Pundit Sunder Lal Sharma was born on 21st December 1881 at Rajim, the historical city of Chhatisgarh in Rajpur district of Madhya Pradesh. He was the pioneer of the freedom struggle in this area and was called 'the Chhatisgarhi Gandhi'.
He who stood for social justice, equality and non-violence. He founded “Smitra Mandal” at his birth place for the sell of indigenous goods. He was instrumental in founding of political council at Dhamtari in 1918 and he was responsible for organizing district level conference in 1919. In 1921 Mahatma Gandhi came to Raipur the credit for bring him to Chhattisgarh goes to Shri Sundarlal Sharma.
In 1929 he started ‘Canal SatyaGrah’ in the village kandel. He rendered important contribution in developing political awareness in Chhattisgarh region. He was deeply influence by Mahatma Gandhi’s programme of alleviating the plight of the untouchables and it remained a life long aim of Pandit Sharma.
He got an ashram and girls school establish for the upliftment of the ‘Harijans’. Home for orphan at Raipur is the result of Pt. Sharma inspiration. Gandhi Ji called Pt. Sharma as a political master and thus honored the soil of Chhattisgarh. The motto of Pt. Sharma’s life was “Do not move away from truth in life or death”. The same motto later on became Gandhi ji’s famous slogan “Do or Die”.
From early child hood Pt. Sharma was interested in languages and literatures and was keen to acquire knowledge and proficiency in them. He was particularly very found of poetry and tried his hand in poetry writing, as early as at the age of thirteenth. Owing to his learning and knowledge of various languages and literatures, he achieved a prominent place among the scholars of Rajim and surrounding region by the time he reached the age of twenty. Being a sensitive person he was very much influence by the political and social conditions of the period, and was deeply affected by the plight of the people.
As a result he entered politics and became an active member of the freedom movement and established the Rajim kavi Samaj in 1898-99. as a literary limunary of Hindi, he shaped the Chhatisgarhi dialect into a language by composing the poetic work named 'Chhatisgarhi Dan-Lila' in 1905. In the same year he initiated the freedom struggle against the British Rule in the area. He started the 'Jungle Satyagraha' by organising the trebles in the inaccessible forests in 1916-17. He led the famous kandel Nahar Satyagraha. He accompanied Gandhiji on his visit to chhatisgarh from Calcutta. He was imprisoned on the charge of sedition for one year in May, 1922. He went to jail, time and again, during Nagpur Flag Satyagraha in 1930 and in 1932.
In, 1927, he started the historical march of 700 Kms from Dhamtari to Kakinada to take part in the Kakinada Congress Session. He donated his entire property and educated himself to the service of the nation, leaving behind a legacy of dedicated patriotic fervor and social activism. For his unique contribution to society he is regarded as ‘Ghandhi of Chhattisgarh’. As a mark of respect and gratitude to this great son of the soil A research chair has been instituted in his name in Ravi Shankar University Rajpur and the library there is also named after him. as it humbly puts itself to the task of propagating his message and teachings, cherishing the values and principles he stood for, with a view to create a society where social evils as untochchability, injustice are a thing of the past.
As a Social reformer he opened a new chapter for the scheduled castes belonging to the Satnami castes by offering Janeu (the sacred thread) to them.This revolutionary and courageous task made the Hindus call him 'the Chamar Brahmin'.In a bid to remove untouchability he entered the temple of Rajim along with the so-called lower caste people. He struggled for the welfare of the untouchables, the downtrodden and the exploited classes till his last breath on 28th September, 1940.
DOP Issued Commemorative stamp of Sunder Lal Sharma (Patriot) on his 50th Death Anniversary
Issued Date : 28.09.1990
Denomination: 60 Paisa
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