History and Art and Culture
In News: Speaker Om Birla will unveil a statue of the freedom fighter and agricultural scientist during his visit to Mexico.
Who was Pandurang Khankhoje?
- He was born in Wardha, Maharashtra. As a student, Khankhoje was an ardent admirer of the French Revolution and of the American War of Independence
- The Hindu reformer Swami Dayanand and his Arya Samaj movement, which called for a spirit of reform and social change, became the hero to a young student group led by Khankhoje.
- He was inspired by Bala Gangadhara Tilak.
- After spending time with nationalists from Japan and China, Khankhoje eventually moved to Mount Tamalpais Military Academy in California as a student of agriculture.
What was his association with the Indian independence movement?
- Khankhoje was one of the founding members of the Ghadar Party, established by Indians living abroad in 1914, mostly belonging to Punjab.
- While in the US, Khankhoje met Lala Har Dayal, an Indian intellectual teaching at Stanford University.
- “Har Dayal had begun a propaganda campaign, publishing a newspaper that featured patriotic songs and articles in the vernacular languages of India. This was the seed from which the Ghadar Party would emerge”.
How did Khankhoje reach Mexico?
- The Mexican Revolution of 1910 had led to the overthrow of the dictatorial regime, and this inspired Khankhoje.
- Along with the Indian workers, militant action was planned by Khankhoje in India, but the outbreak of the First World War halted these plans.
- He then reached out to Bhikaji Cama in Paris, and met with Vladimir Lenin in Russia among other leaders, seeking support for the Indian cause.
- However, as he was facing possible deportation from Europe and could not go to India, he sought shelter in Mexico.
- He was appointed a professor at the National School of Agriculture in Chapingo, near Mexico City.
- He researched corn, wheat, pulses, and rubber, developing frost and drought-resistant varieties, and was part of efforts to bring in the Green Revolution in Mexico.
Must Read: Women heroes of India’s freedom struggle
Source: Indian Express
Previous Year Question
Q.1) Consider the following freedom fighters: (2022)
- Barindra Kumar Ghosh
- Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee
- Rash Behari Bose
Who of the above was/were actively associated with the Ghadar Party?
- 1 and 2
- 2 only
- 1 and 3
- 3 only
Q.2) He wrote biographies of Mazzini, Garibaldi, Shivaji and Shrikrishna; stayed in America for some time; and was also elected to the Central Assembly. He was? (2018)
- Aurobindo Ghosh
- Bipin Chandra Pal
- Lala Lajpat Rai
- Motilal Nehru