Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya was a multi faceted genius and dedicated nationalist who rose beyond his Brahminical upbringing to fight against caste and gender barri­ers. He win always be remembered as the founder of the Benaras Hindu University. andit Madan Mohan Malviya repre­sented a multi-faceted generation of leaders. Educationist, visionary, social reformer, journalist, lawyer and statesman, Malviya was first and foremost, a patriot.

He was born in a modest, educated Brahmin household, in the holy city of Allahabad on the 25th of December, 1861, several years before the Mahatma. At the tender age of five, he was enrolled at Pandit Hardeva's Dharma Gyanopadesh Pathshala. Although he complet­ed his matriculation, and subsequently trained to become a lawyer, he nurtured a desire to serve the national cause.

Having completed his graduation from Muir Central College, Calcutta in 1884, he was appointed a teacher in his former school. As destiny would have it, a year after his gradua­tion, the first Indian political group, the Indian National Congress was formed. Pt. Malviya was keen on associating with the political movement and in 1886, attended the second session of the Congress, where he delivered a speech that left the members spellbound. Already a favorite among his pupils, this speech marked a public foray into nationalism for Pt Malviya.

Like many of his contemporaries in the early years of the freedom struggle, he championed the cause of freedom through generating enlightened public opinion. He began editing the fiercely nationalist weeklies Hindustan in Hindi, and Indian Opinion in English. In 1907, he started the Hindi weekly, Abhyudaya, which by 1915 began to be brought out daily. The English daily, The Leader was started by him in 1909. Two more publications in Hindi, brought out on a monthly basis, were started by him in 1910 and 1921. He also functioned as the Chair­man of the Board of Directors of the Hindustan Times from 1924 to 1946.

Fully immersed in the freedom struggle, Malviya abandoned his legal practice (having completed his L.L.B in 1891).And when he did return to it, it was for the national struggle. He defended the 153 people accused of setting the policemen on fire at the infamous Chauri Chaura incident in 1922.

Malviya was repeatedly elected as the Presi­dent of the Indian National Congress, in the years 1909, 1918, 1932 and 1933. However, when he founded the Hindu Mahasabha, his commitment to secular ideals was seriously questioned by fellow nationalists. His contem­poraries viewed this in the light of the forma­tion of the Muslim League aiming to protect Muslim interests. The Hindu Mahasabha was formed allegedly not against the minority com­munity, but against the divide and rule policy of the colonial masters. Some say, he was conser­vative. In his personal views, he believed in var­nashrama dharma, but worked to remove caste barriers for entry in temples and women's emancipation, all the same.

His most lasting contribution, however, was in the field of education. At the historic holy city of Banaras, he founded the Banaras Hindu Uni­versity, which is acknowledged as a premier educational institution till date. Being a learned man himself, he understood that knowledge was the true path towards upliftment.

With his death in 1946, the country mourned the passing of their beloved 'mahamana'. He did not live to see his cherished dream of an inde­pendent India realized, but his work in the realm of education gave permanent freedom to many.