Book authored by Dr. Girdhar Pandit on Tehri’s revolution in collaboration with Doon library and Research centre released by Padmashri Dr. Shekhar Pathak
The book ‘Tehri ki Jankranti’ authored by Dr. Girdhar Pandit in collaboration with Doon Library and Research Center was inaugurated by historian and writer Padmashree Prof. Shekhar Pathak.
The former Head of the Department of History and Archeology of Bahuguna Garhwal University, Prof. Atul Saklani was specially present on this occasion. The proceedings of the event were ably conducted by writer and free lance journalist Dr. Yogesh Dhasmana.
The book highlights for the first time in its genuine attempt to analyze with facts the story of autocratic royals and rulers of Gada dynasty in 888 AD and subsequent public resistance of the Tehri state from the period till 1950.
The author of the book, Prof.Pandit had in the 1980s, presented this topic as a dissertation under the direction of Dr. Zakir Hussain of Ranikhet Degree College, Almora of Kumaon University. However, presently this book has come out from Samay Sakshya Publications.
This book presents to the researchers rare incidents of history with a new perspective on the public struggles within the Tehri state, especially the character of the monarchy, the continuous series of farmer movements, as well as the life struggle and martyrdom of Nagendra Saklani and Molu Bhardari.
The author believes that among the princely states of India, the Tehri state was the only state in whose story of public struggle, the local leadership provided energy and momentum to the public discontent against socio-economic backwardness.
It has been a speciality of the history of the people’s struggle of the state of Tehri that the people themselves paved the way for the solution of the people’s problems instead of being imposed or setting the agenda by any external influential leadership.
It was the only princely state in India which conducted the movement under a qualitative and decentralized system without taking advantage of external material resources.
In the book, an attempt has been made to put the history of the common people in a national and international perspective by analyzing farmer movements like Dangi Chaura Movement, Ranwai Valley Movement at the national level. Author Girdhar Pandit, through the book, has tried to evaluate the behavior and attitude of Tehri people through scientific and latest research techniques.
On this occasion Prof. Shekhar Pathak has highlighted in detail the contribution of Nagendra Saklani, Shri Dev Suman and Kolu Bharta as well as Dada Daulatram, terming the history and people’s struggles of the Himalayan princely states as spontaneous movements.
Prof. Atul Saklani said that the consciousness generated through education and social reforms had an important role in the participation of people’s struggles in this Himalayan native state.
Senior journalist Rajiv Lochan Bahuguna presided over this occasion. Political thinker Samar Bhandari described the struggle from Chandra Singh Garhwali to the martyrdom of Nagendra Molu and Shri Dev Suman as a unique and outstanding example in the history of the princely states of India.
On this occasion, many history lovers, writers, intellectuals, journalists and many young readers including Doon Library’s RP Nainwal, Ranu Bisht, Satish Dholakhandi, Sanjay Kothiyal, Arvind Shekhar, Kamala Pant, Surendra Sajwan, Praveen Bhatt, Chandrashekhar Tiwari etc were present.
