11 January 1948 – Martyrdom day of martyr comrades Nagendra Saklani and Molu Bhardari.
Nagendra Saklani was one of the main architects of the Tehri State Revolution whose objective was to merge the princely state of Tehri Garhwal into the Union of India. On January 11, 1948, he was murdered in Kirtinagar by Colonel Doval, an officer of the royal army of the princely state of Tehri.
Nagendra Saklani was born on November 16, 1920 in Pujar village of Saklana Jagir under princely state Tehri. He was the elder brother of Vishweshwar Dutt Saklani, known as the tree man. Nagendra Saklani had passed class 10 education from Dehradun. During his student days, he became aware of the ongoing freedom struggle in the country. Later, he became a member of Tehri Praja Mandal and joined the movements in the princely state of Tehri.
During this time, Nagendra Saklani came in contact with leftist ideology and started attending Marxism classes of Anand Swaroop Bhardwaj, the then secretary of the Communist Party of India in Dehradun. Comrade Nagendra Saklani, along with communist leader Brijendra Gupta, intervened in the Praja Mandal movement going on within the state of Tehri and linked it to the struggle for liberation. A particular faction of the Praja Mandal was in favor of responsible governance under the patronage of the Tehri King.
Praja Mandal remained indifferent towards the farmers’ movements going on within the state. Nagendra Saklani was in favor of supporting the farmers’ movement. The farmers’ movement going on in Karakot and Saklana was condemned by Praja Mandal as communist action and Nagendra Saklani’s membership of Praja Mandal was terminated. But many young leaders of Praja Mandal remained associated with the farmers movement along with Nagendra Saklani.
On January 10, 1948, Nagendra Saklani, under the collective leadership of Prajamandal youth leader Trapan Singh Negi, Khimnand Godiyal, farmer leader Dada Daulat Ram, Congress worker Trilokinath Purwar, communist worker Devi Dutt Tiwari, along with hundreds of villagers, attacked the Kirtinagar court and other government buildings. Surrounded and made the state’s army and administration surrender. After declaring Kirtinagar as independent, Kirtinagar Azad Panchayat was announced.
On his suggestion, the agitators picked up the coffins of martyrs Nagendra Saklani and Molu Bhardari and headed towards Tehri.
This funeral procession via Devprayag, Hindolakhal, Nand village- Badkot reached Tehri, the capital of the princely state, on the third day on 14 January. Where his cremation took place at the confluence of Bhilangana and Bhagirathi. Afraid of the public anger, the royal army surrendered on the same day and the Azad Panchayat Government was established. On 1 August 1949, the princely state of Tehri legally merged with the Union of India. Courtesy: Mujeeb Da
