Tributes paid to freedom fighters

Yamunanagar, August 12

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Vijay Kapur, chairman, DAV Schools, Yamunanagar, has said the state and Central governments should recognise the services of freedom fighters Budhwanti Devi and JN Kapur.

He said both his family members worked hard in the freedom movement and for spreading literacy.

He added that his father JN Kapur, an Arya Samaj follower and then youngest member of DAV College Managing Committee, Lahore, participated in the freedom movement with Lala Lajpat Rai.

After Partition, JN Kapur, along with his elder sister Budhwanti Devi, worked for developing DAV institutions by collecting donations for promoting the cause of education when India’s literacy rate was around 25 per cent, he said.

“They worked to spread Hindi language in DAV institutions, which played a great role in national integration,” said Kapur.

He adds the Hindi movement was launched against the government decision to make Panjabi compulsory in the Hindi speaking belt of undivided Panjab. His father JN Kapur and aunt Budhwanti Devi took keen interest in the Hindi movement.

“Budhwanti Devi had led a jatha (delegation) of Arya Samaji women to Chandigarh in 1957 for the cause of Hindi. Subsequently, she was arrested,” he said.

“Since public memory is short, let us not forget to retreat our gratitude to both brother and sister for the service rendered to the Hindi movement as well as for national integration,” said Kapur. — TNS