Prayagraj, Oct 15: Recalling the contribution of freedom fighter Masuriyadin Pasi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and said Jawaharlal Nehru was not the only leader who went to jail during India’s freedom struggle.
Honour is not the monopoly of any one family, Adityanath said, stressing that every great personality who raised the voice of the deprived and Dalits, and worked to empower them deserves respect.
Addressing an event after unveiling a statue of Pasi at Mahashay Masuriyadin Smarak Inter College in Teliyarganj here, Adityanath said the freedom fighter went to jail for nine years and that his contribution had been overlooked by history.
“Rahul ji, note one thing: Nehru ji was not the only one who went to jail for the country’s independence. Mahashay Masuriyadin Pasi also went to jail for the freedom of the country,” the chief minister said.
He said Masuriyadin Pasi remained in jail for nine years between 1932 and 1944 and worked to mobilise people after his release.
Highlighting his political journey, the chief minister said Pasi was elected to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly in 1946 and subsequently served as a member of Parliament for four terms between 1952 and 1972.
In 1952, when two MPs were elected from the same constituency, Masuriyadin Pasi and Nehru were elected together, Adityanath said. He was referring to the time when the country utilised a system of multi-member constituencies in the early years after Independence.
The chief minister also recalled Masuriyadin Pasi’s opposition to the Criminal Tribes Act, which he described as a “black law” used by the British to stigmatise communities, including the Pasi community.
He said the British enacted the law in 1871, following the 1857 uprising, and placed several communities associated with resistance to colonial rule under its provisions.
According to Adityanath, Masuriyadin Pasi and B R Ambedkar fought against the law and worked for its repeal, helping communities such as the Pasis and Sonkars overcome discrimination and become part of the national mainstream.
The chief minister also invoked the history of Pasi warriors, citing Maharaja Bijli Pasi, who he said established 12 forts in and around Lucknow in the 12th century as part of the efforts to resist foreign invaders.
He also recalled the contribution of Makkha Pasi and his wife, freedom fighter Uda Devi Pasi, who took up the fight against the British after her husband’s death and laid down her life in the struggle.
Adityanath said the state government was working to restore Maharaja Bijli Pasi’s fort in Lucknow and had named a proposed Provincial Armed Constabulary women’s battalion in the state after Uda Devi Pasi. A statue of Uda Devi Pasi was also being installed, he said.
“Honour is not the monopoly of any one family. Every great personality who raised the voice of the deprived and Dalits and worked to empower them deserves respect,” he said.
Adityanath said recognising historical figures who contributed to the country and society was essential for the progress of future generations.
Assuring Masuriyadin Pasi’s family that his legacy would be protected, the chief minister said that honouring him was also a way of respecting all freedom fighters.
He thanked the freedom fighter’s daughter, Kamla Kumari, and grandson, Sachin Kumar, for their presence at the event.
Prayagraj has a sizeable chunk of Dalit voters, the Pasi community being prominent among them. (PTI)
