Vidyarthi memory fading, so is his Pratap Press

Kanpur: The Pratap Press building in the city from where noted freedom fighter Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi launched the daily edition of ‘Pratap’ in 1920 against the oppression and injustice of the British, lies in a dilapidated condition on his 84th death anniversary on Wednesday.
“I am a fighter against oppression and injustice, whether practiced by bureaucrats, zamindars, capitalists or those of high caste.I have fought all my life against oppression against inhumanity and may God give me strength to fight on till the last,” noted freedom fighter Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi once said. Had he been here, it would have been a shocking scene for him to see the pathetic condition of Pratap Press from where he raised his voice against the oppression’ and ‘injustice of the British. Although Vidyarthi was born on October 26, 1890 in Allahabad, Kanpur was his ‘karma bhoomi’ (work place).
The historical building is lying in an utter state of neglect. Situated in the Pheel Khana area of the city, this archaeological monument is facing a tough time and cries for immediate attention on the 84th death anniversary of the great revolutionary.
The ancient monument, with ancient printing machine, old style of writing and above all the articles written by great revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, Ganesh Shanker Vidyarthi, Chandra Shekhar Azad, Suresh Chand Bhattacharya and many more, is lying in a shambles. Currently, several families have occupied the building which has become a mute spectator to all the neglect.
Shedding light on the journey of the Pratap press, historian Manoj Kapoor said that Vidyarthi and his fellows took the building on rent years back in 1920. “Freedom movement of not just Kanpur, but also of the Northern India started from this place. Vidyarthi governed the activities of entire North India by sitting at his Pratap press from where first daily edition of Hindi daily Pratap was launched in 1920. The freedom fighters had taken the place on rent at that time,” Kapoor said.
It is a historical building, but the negligence of government has left it in the present dilapidated state. All the printing machines and gadgets have been stolen. The landlords of the building had giving the place to some of the other families. If government wants to bring it in the public domain, it should preserve the archaeological monument, he added.
Vidyarthi, the crusading journalist and freedom fighter, fought for the people of Kanpur throughout his life. He waged his famous fights for the oppressed peasants of Rae Bareli and the workers of the Kanpur mills through his revolutionary paper. During the course of these fights he had to face numerous prosecutions, pay heavy fines and suffer five prison sentences.
He first met Gandhiji in 1916 in Lucknow and threw himself whole-heartedly in the national movement. He took a leading part in the Home Rule Movement of 1917–18 and led the first strike of textile workers in Kanpur. In 1920 he launched the daily edition of Pratap and it was in this year that he was sentenced to two years rigorous imprisonment for championing the cause of peasants of Rae Bareli.
Historian S P Singh of Christ Church College said, “Martyrs are born and seldom made. Vidyarthi was one of them. He was a journalist with a forceful, clear and simple, yet impactful style. He deplored social and moral degradation of the Indian people and wanted laws to be passed to check social evils. He wanted to check beggary, rehabilitate the prostitutes, prevent young boys from being trained as ascetics and improve the condition of women.”
Vidyarthi died in Kanpur at a place known as Chaubegola in Nayi Sadak, after being shot by a Britisher on March 25, 1931. The residents of that area constructed a temple in his memory, which is one of the historical landmarks of the city now. Every year members of Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Smarika Samithi organise ‘smriti diwas’ there to pay homage to the great revolutionary.
Druv Kumar Shukla, member of the samiti, said that the government should take measures to reserve the two places, the press and the place where he died. “To our surprise Gen X aren’t aware of the fact that Kanpur was Vidyarthi’s work place. Every year we organise ‘shradhanjali samaroh’ at Chaubegola but only 50-60 people come to attend it. We urge to the government to at least make a gate in the memory of the freedom fighter, so that the coming generations know about the historical importance of the city,” he said.