Pithoragarh (U’khand), Aug 13 (PTI) Late freedom fighter Krishnanand Upreti opened the first office of the Congress here and played a crucial role in eradicating the exploitative British-era practice of ‘Coolie-Begar’ which forced locals to carry the luggage of British officials without payment.
These and many more contributions of Upreti, who was born in Hudeti village near Pithoragarh in 1895 and was greatly influenced by Mahatma Gandhi, to India’s freedom struggle are part of his biography released by the Centre.
His biography is among a series of biographies of freedom fighters released by the government ahead of the 78th Independence Day.
Expressing happiness over the inclusion of his grandfather’s life story in the series, Upreti’s grandson Rajesh Mohan Upreti said though he dedicated his life to fighting for the country’s freedom, he died before he could see his dream become a reality.
“He opened the first office of the Congress in this remote area and played an important role in ending the exploitative British-era practice of Coolie-Begar,” Rajesh Mohan said about his grandfather.
Upreti joined the Congress in 1920 and opened the party’s first office in his house in Hudeti in 1921, said Rajesh Mohan, a teacher at a government school here.
He said after the Congress office opened in the village, freedom fighters of the area held a conference there and began to unite under his grandfather’s leadership.
Many freedom fighters of Pithoragarh like Prayag Dutt Pant, Laxman Singh Mahar, Durga Dutt Joshi and Jaman Singh Valdiya started bringing people together against the British Raj on Gandhi’s call.
Upreti also played an important role in the eradication of the ‘Coolie-Begar’ system which was also known as ‘Coolie Utar’ or ‘Coolie Bardais’.
Under the ‘Coolie-Begar’ system, villagers living in the hill regions of Kumaon were forced to carry the luggage of British officials free of cost. The practice ended in 1921 because of the ‘Coolie-Begar’ movement led by freedom fighter Badri Dutt Pandey.
“My grandfather gathered a large number of people in Pithoragarh to stand against the Coolie-Begar practice and inspired them to actively participate in the movement. He held public meetings in Pithoragarh and Gangolihat on February 13 and 21 in 1921 and gave speeches against the humiliating practice,” Rajesh Mohan said.
He was sentenced to six months of rigorous imprisonment on March 1, 1922, for participating in the ‘Coolie-Begar’ movement.
Rajesh Mohan said his grandfather also actively participated in social reform and forest movements against repressive policies of British officers.
He said in 1923, his grandfather was again sentenced to jail for three months for fighting for the traditional forest rights of the local people.
Like other Gandhian leaders of the time, Upreti also opposed the atrocities committed by landlords on the common people.
When people complained to him about the atrocities on farmers by the Rajbar of Askote landlords, Upreti led a struggle against them, forcing them to step back, his grandson said.
He also spoke about his grandfather’s contribution to the field of education.
“In those days, after passing junior high school, students had to go 60 km away to Almora to study. As a result of my grandfather’s efforts, the first high school was opened in Pithoragarh in 1928,” he said.
Upreti also actively participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement for which he spent six months in Almora jail in 1930.
“However, despite fighting for the country’s independence, my grandfather could not see the dawn of freedom as he passed away in 1937 at the age of 42. But his sacrifice, his dedication and passion to liberate his country are a source of inspiration for the people of the region,” Rajesh Mohan said. PTI COR ALM DIV DIV
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