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| | {{Short description|Indian political leader}} |
| {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}} | | {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}} |
| {{Use Indian English|date=July 2016}} | | {{Use Indian English|date=July 2016}} |
| {{Multiple issues|{{unreferenced|date=April 2014}}{{orphan|date=April 2014}}{{lead too long|date=April 2014}}
| | '''Lokagrani Adv. Balwantrao Raga''' (27 March 1878 - 18 November 1957), also called the '''Balwantrao Narayanrao Deshmukh''' and '''Balasaheb Deshmukh''' was an Indian lawyer, [[Indian National Congress]] (INC) politician and independence activist from [[Chandrapur]] in [[Vidharbha]] region of [[Maharashtra]] state of India.<ref name=balw>[https://amritmahotsav.nic.in/district-reopsitory-detail.htm?23318], amritmahotsav.nic.in, accessed 3 March 2025.</ref> |
| {{cleanup|reason=quality of English, encyclopedic tone|date=February 2017}}
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| '''Lokagrani Adv. Balwantrao Ragav alias Balasaheb Deshmukh''' (born 27 March 1878 at Chandrapur - died 18 November 1957) was one of the political leaders who become famous not only in [[Chandrapur]] but also in whole vidharbha by his imbibed qualities and devotion. He was a prominent leader of Tilak era. | |
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| ==Education== | | == Early life and education== |
| He studied at Chandrapur for his primary and pre secondary education. There after he shifted to Nagpur for his High school and his college education. He took his law degree from Calcutta University in 1899. The then British government offered him a post of a Judge, however he refused to accept the same and started legal profession on 29 October 1900 at Chandrapur and became a renowned lawyer in [[Vidharbha]] and [[Maharashtra]]. | | He was born in the Daryapur village and hailed from his native village of Shivar. He completed his early schooling from Chandrapur, and the high school and college education from [[Nagpur]]. Later he obtained a law degree from [[Calcutta University]] in 1899.<ref name=balw/> |
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| ==Politics== | | == Legal Career== |
| Balwantrao never intended to be solely a lawyer, and hence he entered the [[Indian independence movement]] and became active in politics. He imbibed the aspiration of freedom in the minds of the people and awoke them to fight against the [[British raj]]. He accepted the leadership of Lokmanya Balgangadhar Tilak and admired him to be his political leader and [[guru]]. He always called Lokmanya Tilak as Bhagawan Tilak. He propagated the ideology of Lokmanya Tilak and called on the people to accept his principles of Swadeshi, Bycot, Swarajya and National Education.
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| In 1906 he attended the annual session of [[Indian National Congress]] held under the President-ship of the then political leader Shri. Dadabhai naurojee along with Adv. Nilkantharao Sadaphal, Adv. Dajiba Ganesh Dewaikar and Dajishrashtri Chandekar. He also used to observe the Ganesh jayanti and Chhatrapati Shivaji maharaj jayanti in order to assemble the people and propagate the idea of Independence among the people.
| | He rejected a British government judicial post and established a legal practice in Chandrapur in 1900 becoming a renowned lawyer. He acted as a defense lawyer for those arrested during the 1942 [[Quit India movement]], specifically during the [[Chimur#History|Chimur incident]].<ref name=balw/> |
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| Lokmanaya Tilak had visited Chandrapur for attending the Providential Sessions of his Swaraj party in 1918. He stayed in the house of Balwantrao Deshmukh. After his heroic welcome by the people, Balwantrao gave a dinner in honour of Lokmanay Tilak and other political leaders Viz Dadasaheb Khaperday, Nikalhantrao Khadilkar and N.H Kelkar and Others, Who came to attain the provincial session at Chandrapur. During the evening time Lokmamaya Tilak addressed the people of Chandrapur. The session lasted for 3 days and during this period Chandrapur became the center place of the whole province in respect of the political activities.
| | ==Independence Movement Involvement== |
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| Prior to that, after his release from [[Mandale Prison]] in 1914, Lokmanya Tilak formed his Swaraj party and held its session at Belgaon, which was also attended among the other prominent leaders including Balwantrao Deshmukh, who was then considered to be a very close and faithful associate of Lokmanaya Tilak. In 1919 when Lokmamya Tilak left Mumbai for his tour to England, Balwantrao Deshmukh was one of those 10 Leaders who were given a permission to see off Balwantrao at the deck of the ship which was bound for a voyage to London.
| | He was a staunch follower of Lokmanya [[Balgangadhar Tilak]], whom he considered his political leader and [[guru]], and he promoted Tilak's ideologies of [[Swadeshi]], [[Swadeshi movement]], promotion of education for Indians and boycott of colonial British goods. He also supported [[Annie Besant]]'s [[Home Rule League]] movement of 1917 and [[Mahatma Gandhi]]'s [[Non-Cooperation Movement]]. He joined INC and participated in INC sessions, including the 1906 session under [[Dadabhai Naoroji]], and organized public gatherings through [[Ganesh Jayanti]] and [[Shiv Jayanti|Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti]] celebrations to mobilise people for the [[Indian independence movement]]. He hosted Lokmanya Tilak during his 1918 Chandrapur visit for the [[Swaraj Party]]'s provincial sessions. He served as President of the [[Central Provinces and Berar]] INC Committee (1919-1920), member of the All India Congress Committee from 1919 to 1923, was elected to the Provincial Assembly in 1921-2026.<ref name=balw/> |
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| In the year 1917, Dr. [[Annie Besant]] started the [[Home Rule League Movement]] in [[India]]. Balwantrao actively supported this movement and propagated the ideology of this movement in Chandrapur and Vidharbha.
| | == Social Contributions== |
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| After the sad demise of Lokmanya Tilak, [[Mahatma Gandhi]] took the political charge of the freedom movement and unanimously decided to launch the Non - cooperative movement in India against British rule. Balwantrao Deshmukh supported the same and along with some other lawyers of Chandrapur, boycotted the Court for about 1 year.
| | He founded the Lokmanya Tilak Smarak Mandal in Chandrapur, established the Lokmanya Tilak Vidyalaya, supported the [[Goa liberation movement]] of 1956, advocated for social equality and supported marginalized communities serving as president of the Choka Mela hostel.<ref name=balw/> |
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| In the Year 1919-20 Balwantrao was Unanimously selected as president C.P. and Berar Congress Committee. During his tenure he held four sessions of providential committee at distinct places. Mahatma Gandhi attended one such sessions held under the presidency of Balawantrao Deshmukh. During the period 1919 to 1923 Balwantrao Deshmukh was a member of All India Congress Committee. In 1921 he was elected as a member of the Provincial assembly and thus worked as M.L.A. for about 5 years.
| | ==Legacy == |
| | He is remembered as a respected nationalist lawyer and social reformer, he received a testimonial from the Manciple committee in 1937.<ref name=balw/> |
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| ==Work as a lawyer==
| | [[Shakuntala Railway]], originally named {{rws|Yavatmal}}–{{rws|Murtizapur Junction}}–{{rws|Achalpur}} railway, was renamed after '''Shakuntala Deshmukh [[née]] Jadhav''', who was wife of Balwantrao Deshmukh. |
| He was a very clever and famous Lawyer in whole of Maharashtra for conducting criminal Cases. Because of his efforts the political leaders like Pandit Motilal Nehru, Bhai Parmanandanji, Sir Tegbahhadur Sapru, V.D Sawarkar, Kahnayalala Munshi, Br. Nirmal Chandra Chatterjee, Dr. Narang, Dharmaveer Bhopatkar, Pandit Ravishankar Shukla, Br. N.V Gadgil, Jayantrao tilak had visited Chandrapur.
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| In the year 1942 during the "Quit India Movement" the people of Chimur thesil Chandrapur assembled in front of Police Station Chimur under the leadership of Rashtra Sant [[Tukodaji Maharaj]]. The people attacked the [[police station]] and burned some of the policeman. The area of Chimur was free from British rule for about four days. The British army came to Chimur and took charge of the area. They arrested many people under the charges of unlawful assembly, arson and Decoity. A special court was created at Chandrapur for trying the accused persons. Balwantrao arranged to defend all the political accused and further arranged for the residence of the relatives of the accused during their trial in the Court by erecting a pendol in front of his house and made necessary arrangements of their residence and food. Some of the accused were convicted. Their appeals came to be filed before Nagpur High Court. Till then the India got Independence and hence all the accused being political prisnors were pardoned.
| | == See also == |
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| ==Honours==
| | * [[List of Indian independence activists]] |
| Balawantrao Deshmukh founded Lokmanya Tilak Smarak Mandal at Chandrapur and got constructed the building of Lokmanya Tilak Vidyalaya, which is considered to be a monument of Lokmanya Tilak in Chandrapur. For the inauguration of the building Balwantrao invited Br. N.V. Gadgil and Br. Jayantrao tilak who was the grandson of Lokmanaya Tilak.
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| In the year 1956 he formed a local committee for awakening the people and giving active support to tho [[Goa]] freedom movement. Four youth from Chandrapur decided to take part in the freedom struggle of Goa. One of the youth namely Baburao Thorat was assassinated by Portuguese soldiers as they tried to enter the territory. Balwantrao caused to bring the asthi kalash of Baburao Thorat to Chandrapur and respectfully got those buried in Maulana Azad garden of Chandrapur and erected a Stambh over the same.
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| Prior to that in the year 1937 the then Manciple committee honored Balwantrao Deshmukh on his 60th birthday by giving him a Testimonial. Balwantrao was a very merciful, kindhearted and benevolent person. He never made any distinction between rich and poor, educated and Uneducated, Touchable and untouchable, higher quality and lower quality and treated all the people equally. He had a natural love for poor and Down Trodden people. He was the president of Choka Mela hostel till his death, which was meant for the education of the youth from poor and down Trodden families. He monitored and helped many societies, orphanages, asylums etc. He died at the edge of 80 years on 18 November 1957. Because of his death the people thought as if they have lost their well wisher and a near friend.
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| == References == | | == References == |
| {{Reflist}} | | {{Reflist}} |
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| {{DEFAULTSORT:Deshmukh, Lokagrani Adv. Balwantrao Raga alias Balasaheb}} | | {{DEFAULTSORT:Deshmukh, Lokagrani Adv. Balwantrao Raga alias Balasaheb}} |
| [[Category:1878 births]] | | [[Category:1878 births]] |
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| [[Category:Indian independence activists from Maharashtra]] | | [[Category:Indian independence activists from Maharashtra]] |
| [[Category:20th-century Indian lawyers]] | | [[Category:20th-century Indian lawyers]] |
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| | {{India-activist-stub}} |
Lokagrani Adv. Balwantrao Raga (27 March 1878 - 18 November 1957), also called the Balwantrao Narayanrao Deshmukh and Balasaheb Deshmukh was an Indian lawyer, Indian National Congress (INC) politician and independence activist from Chandrapur in Vidharbha region of Maharashtra state of India.[1]
He was born in the Daryapur village and hailed from his native village of Shivar. He completed his early schooling from Chandrapur, and the high school and college education from Nagpur. Later he obtained a law degree from Calcutta University in 1899.[1]
He rejected a British government judicial post and established a legal practice in Chandrapur in 1900 becoming a renowned lawyer. He acted as a defense lawyer for those arrested during the 1942 Quit India movement, specifically during the Chimur incident.[1]
Independence Movement Involvement[edit | edit source]
He was a staunch follower of Lokmanya Balgangadhar Tilak, whom he considered his political leader and guru, and he promoted Tilak's ideologies of Swadeshi, Swadeshi movement, promotion of education for Indians and boycott of colonial British goods. He also supported Annie Besant's Home Rule League movement of 1917 and Mahatma Gandhi's Non-Cooperation Movement. He joined INC and participated in INC sessions, including the 1906 session under Dadabhai Naoroji, and organized public gatherings through Ganesh Jayanti and Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti celebrations to mobilise people for the Indian independence movement. He hosted Lokmanya Tilak during his 1918 Chandrapur visit for the Swaraj Party's provincial sessions. He served as President of the Central Provinces and Berar INC Committee (1919-1920), member of the All India Congress Committee from 1919 to 1923, was elected to the Provincial Assembly in 1921-2026.[1]
He founded the Lokmanya Tilak Smarak Mandal in Chandrapur, established the Lokmanya Tilak Vidyalaya, supported the Goa liberation movement of 1956, advocated for social equality and supported marginalized communities serving as president of the Choka Mela hostel.[1]
He is remembered as a respected nationalist lawyer and social reformer, he received a testimonial from the Manciple committee in 1937.[1]
Shakuntala Railway, originally named Yavatmal–Murtizapur Junction–Achalpur railway, was renamed after Shakuntala Deshmukh née Jadhav, who was wife of Balwantrao Deshmukh.
