Great revolutionary n freedom fighter Sridev Suman remembered on his “Balidan Diwas” 25 th July

Today is the death anniversary of a social reformer, great revolutionary and freedom fighter of Tehri Garhwal during the pre independence days who sacrificed his precious life at the age of mere 29 years while struggling and fighting the then kingdom of Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal, his ruthless anti people policies and tyrannical rule never allowed freedom of speech and expression and right to study more than fifth standard in order to keep his autocratic rule intact. This day is commemorated as “Sri Dev Suman Balidan Diwas”, in Uttarakhand and nationally, especially by the inhabitants if Uttarakhand. 

Today, on this historic day  this great legend, people pledge to emulate his ideals, principles and morals which he left behind after remaining on fast unto death in Tehri, Garhwal jail for 84 protracted days protesting against the barbaric and anti people policies of the then ruler of Tehri Garhwal kingdom whose  barbaric police initially fed him food, mixed with the grinded stones and glasses fully chained, finally leading to his most tortuous death. 

Eminent globally famed environmentalist and a Gandhian Padmavibhushan Sunderlal Bahuguna was tremendously inspired by legendary freedom fighter and revolutionary Sridev Suman who sacrificed his precious life just at the age of 29 in Tehri Jail confronting torture of the cruel police of Tehri Garhwal kingdom in 1944 . Bahuguna considered him as his sole mentor and imitated his principles, ideals and dedication while struggling for India’s freedom in Tehri Garhwal and against then Tyrranical king’s rule.

 Uttarakhandies  and those believing in late Suman’s ideals today take a collective pledge on Sridev Suman Balidan Divas to imbibe his principles and ideals  to relentlessly fight against injustice and exploitation.

Born on 25th May 1916 and met his sad n tortuous end in Tehri Jail, Sridev Suman was a renowned social activist from Tehri Garhwal District of Uttarakhand, then Riyasat of Tehri Kingship. He was born at Jaul village, patti Bamund of Tehri Garhwal. His father was a local ayurvedic doctor and his mother a housewife. While the entire India was confronting the autocratic English rule, fighting for freedom from the colonial imperialistic clutches of the then British government, young daredevil Sridev Suman was fearlessly and relentlessly advocating that Tehri Riyasat be free of the brutal rule of the then King of Garhwal fir his Tyrranical rule . Highly impressed and inspired by Mahatma Gandhi he practised the non violence way for freedom of Tehri.

During his fight with tyrannical rule of the King of Tehri who was called and revered as “Bolanda Badri”  (speaking God Badrinath), he demanded complete independence for the Tehri, Garhwal.

On 30 December 1943 Suman was outlawed and labelled as a rebel of the Tehri Riyasat leading to his arrest by Tehri kingdom. Suman was chained, brutally tortured behind bars with heavy cuffs tied to his hands and legs and was forcibly fed with pieces of stones and grinded glass mixed with his food including the sand mixed rotis forced fed by the then jailer Mohan Singh and his cruel staff. The conspiracy was hatched at the behest of the then king so that he dies gradually while inhaling grinded glass mixed food as revealed in various speeches during his birthday n death anniversaries. 

The incessant torture and food mixed with rubbish resulted in Sri Dev Suman giving up eating meals,undertaking the fast unto death. This bothered jail staff who under the instructions from the then Tehri, Garhwal King forcibly tried to give him food and water , with no success. 

After undergoing prison sentence for 209 days, without eating a single morsel for 84 days incessantly, Shri Dev Suman met the sad tragic end on 25 July 1944.
The cruelty of the then king n his cohorts can be gauged from the hard fact that his  body was mercilessly  thrown into the Bhilangna River without a funeral thus disrespecting the sentiments of thousands of his followers in and around Tehri Garhwal. This was done as the king was apprehensive of a possible revolt if the people come to know about his tragic death. However, it did happen and there were mass protests on hearing about Sridev Suman’s tragic end. 

Since that day his birth and death anniversaries of great freedom fighter and revolutionary are commemorated all around the globe, particularly in Uttarakhand and where it’s sizeable population reside following his ideals, principles and patriotic spirit. 

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Meanwhile tributes were paid by former Uttarakhand Congress chief n founder leader of Vanadhikar Aandolan Kishore Upadhyay by garlending the statue of legendary freedom fighter n revolutionary Sridev Suman in Tehri pledging to follow his, ideals and spirit to fight against undue exploitation.

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In Delhi the office bearers of Garhwal Hiteshini Sabha paid their tributes at Garhwal Bhawan, Panchquin Road and Parvatiya Lik Vikas Samittee at Janakpuri, Delhi. The event was presided over by Dr. surya Prakash Semwal, author n media advisor to union minister Mr. piyush Goyal.

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