Prayagraj,

17 March (HS): On the occasion of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Hemwati

Nandan Bahuguna's death, Congressmen and people of all backgrounds paid their

tributes. His son Shekhar Bahuguna and

the attendees paid tribute by placing garlands around Bahuguna's monument. Many

other party leaders and well-known personalities paid tribute to Bahuguna's

memory. On this day, a 'tribute meet' was conducted at Fire Brigade Crossing,

where his son, Shekhar Bahuguna, and his wife, Vinita Bahuguna, paid floral

tributes. On this day, there was also

an interfaith prayer meeting. Speaking on the occasion, ex-AICC member Shekhar

Bahuguna emphasized Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna's contributions to the city's

overall growth.

“Hemwati

Nandan Bahuguna, a freedom warrior who was imprisoned for his involvement in

the Quit India movement, went on to become a Union minister and eventually the

chief minister of India's most populous state, leaving an indelible mark on how

we perceive Indian politics today.

Bahuguna's politics are quite complicated to understand, ranging from

being the party's general secretary to his appointment in the Congress

governments at the Centre, to breaking away from the grand old party of India,

to forming a new party and joining the Janata alliance, to returning to the

Congress fold two years later before leaving again. However, it is uncommon to find a simple

leader like Bahuguna in modern times,” he opined.

He

was not just a brilliant politician, but also an excellent administrator, he

said. Shekhar recalled Bahuguna's

commitment to the city's industrial growth, notably the Naini area of the

district.

Lal Bahadur Shastri tasked Bahuguna with

organizing a big gathering for Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in Allahabad

(now Prayagraj). On the day of the

public gathering, Purushottam Lal Tandon Park in Allahabad was crowded with

people, but Bahuguna was denied access to the stage. So he walked to a food stand behind the

assembly and began eating 'chaat'.

Shortly after, there was a power outage, the venue went pitch black, and

the leaders on stage couldn't be heard. A

big uproar occurred, and the audience began shouting Bahuguna's name.

He

ran to the platform, and as soon as he stood on it, the electricity was

restored, and the audience yelled, Bahuguna Zindabad, recalled ShekharBahuguna,

recounting an occurrence.

Bahuguna was born in PauriGarhwal,

Uttarakhand, in 1921, but subsequently migrated to Allahabad for study. Bahuguna's political career began in the

1930s when he was attending college at Allahabad University. His increased involvement in the liberation

fight, particularly during the Quit India campaign in 1941, branded him a

renegade in the eyes of British authority.

It is thought that the British had placed a price on his head, and

Bahuguna was caught and imprisoned from 1942 to 1946.

Bahuguna

returned to university after his release from jail. Following India's

independence a year later, he worked with labor unions in Allahabad, eventually

becoming a member of the Indian National Trade Union Congress. His first election success occurred in 1952,

when he was elected to the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha from the Karchana and

Chail seat in Allahabad. In the 1957 assembly elections, he attained victory

from Sirathu. His election victory

corresponded with his promotion to the Congress government. In 1957, Bahuguna was appointed legislative

secretary in the state's labour and social welfare ministries. A year later, he

rose through the ranks to become Deputy Minister of Industries. He later worked at the labor department in

1962. Bahuguna's steady rise in the government and the Congress party continued

throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, when he was appointed minister of finance

and transport in 1967 and general secretary of the All India Congress Committee

in 1969. In 1971, he was appointed minister of state in the Union Ministry of

Communications. Four years later,

Bahuguna was appointed the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, he said

before closing.

Senior

Congress leader Javed Urfi stated that Bahuguna was a mass leader and symbol of

secularism who was supported by people from all walks of life. He was constantly committed to uplifting the

impoverished and deprived classes. He described Bahuguna as the 'Vikas Purush'

and stated that his interactions with party workers were on a personal level

due to his quick memory and ability to recall.

One of his family astrologers said many years ago that if he reached the

age of 70, he would become Prime Minister of India. Unfortunately, he passed away one month

before turning 70, he stated.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi