Internationally acclaimed for his contribution in freeing bonded labourers from the clutches of exploitative contractors, Swami Agnivesh, who passed away on Saturday, reflected the value system inculcated by the Arya Samaj to battle deep-rooted superstitious beliefs that have affected the Hindu society. He was a pioneer in spreading the message of truth in the deep interiors of Haryana, where unscrupulous elements had no qualms in enslaving the poor and needy to extract work for them, without paying any wages. Founder of the Bandhua Mukti Morcha, Agnivesh and Kailash Satyarthi, the latter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize some years ago, worked together for the same cause to begin with. However, differences cropped up and they parted company. Mediapersons who covered events in the 1980s would recall that Agnivesh was the one who was better known for his crusade against human slavery, and carried out his task despite receiving threats to his life, from the criminal elements, who feared being exposed by his relentless pursuit.
A humble man, he lived in a modest accommodation at the Sardar Patel Bhawan complex on Jantar Mantar Road, which was once the Headquarters of the Congress and after its division in 1969 of Congress (O). He had been allotted the accommodation when the Janata Party was formed and the main building served as a meeting venue of senior leaders. Agnivesh was also elected to the Haryana Assembly and had a huge network in the state, even though he was not the son of the soil. Haryana, a part of Punjab till 1966, was one region where the Arya Samaj movement remained strong. Some of the top Arya Samaj leaders belonged to undivided Punjab. They included Chaudhury Matu Ram, grandfather of former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and a close associate of Lala Lajpat Rai and Ajit Singh, uncle of Shaheed Bhagat Singh.
The contribution of the Arya Samaj to the country’s freedom struggle was second to none and its activists had the missionary zeal to realise the objectives of Swami Dayanand Saraswati, its founder. The Arya Samaj played the role of awakening the people by making them aware that superstitions and myths would lead them towards darkness. The teachings of Swami Dayanand were contained in the Satyarth Prakash and opposed any form of idol worship. Several Arya Samaj activists were supporters of the Congress and after the formation of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh were aligned to the saffron party. Swami Agnivesh, like his fellow travellers, opposed building of temples at enormous costs and professed simple living and high thinking. He did not endorse the BJP agenda, and was thus prevented from paying his tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, at the party Headquarters at Rouse Avenue. Agnivesh’s desire was that people should live in harmony and ‘Sanatani’ thinking should not influence the political discourse. The Arya Samaj has been at the forefront of reforms and its followers would continue to abide by the Light of Truth.