India’s political heavyweights united in tribute on Sunday to commemorate the jayanti of Swami Sahajanand Saraswati, the visionary monk who spearheaded the country’s first structured farmer uprisings. February 22 marks the birth of a man whose fervor for justice reshaped agrarian activism.
Kicking off the remembrances, Union Home Minister Amit Shah shared on X: the swami’s commitment to national cohesion, farmer mobilization for freedom, and crusade against societal vices. ‘Naman on his jayanti,’ he affirmed.
Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan offered kot-koti naman, detailing his stature as a social reformer, thinker, and farmer sentinel within the revered Dandi Sannyasi akhara. His life’s ethos propels ongoing endeavors for progress.
From Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi came shat-shat pranam to this freedom sentinel and peasant pioneer. BJP’s Nitin Nabin invoked the karmayogi’s legacy in farmer welfare and social rousing as a perennial guide.
Born in 1889, Swami Sahajanand’s journey peaked with the 1929 Bihar Kisan Sabha formation, evolving into the 1936 national body. He waged war on zamindari, demanded rights, and forged independent farmer fronts amid neglect, spreading awakening far and wide.
His strategic leadership turned passive villagers into empowered agitators, challenging entrenched power structures. In today’s context of farm reforms and rural distress, these tributes highlight the swami’s timeless call for unity and reform. As leaders invoke his name, the nation is reminded of the need to honor his vision through policy and action, ensuring his revolutionary spirit endures.