Madhav Shrihari Aney

Biography

Early life and background

Bapuji Aney was born on 20 August 1880 in a family of Sanskrit pandits at

Political Career & Social Life

1918- Aney Joined Home Rule League 1918- He founded Lokmat paper in Yavatmal, which was later acquired by Jawaharlal Darda in 1952 1921- He was elected President Vidarbha Pradesh Congress Committee, and joined the Civil Disobedience Movement. The British government cancelled his Sanad to practice law, which ended his legal practice. During the time he practiced, as he was frequently imprisoned, the lawyers from Yavatmal Bar to which he belonged would give him their briefs to argue, to enable him to earn his fees. So loved was he that his home in Yavatmal, which now houses The Loknayak Aney Mahila Mahavidyalaya, a women's college, was built from the contributions of the members of the Yavatmal bar. On 1.1.1922- became President of the Varhad unit of Swatantra Party of Pandit Motilal Nehru & Chitranjan Das. In 1923, Aney was elected to the Central Provinces Legislative Assembly Also in 1923 he established the Vidarbha Shitya Sangh. In 1924, Aney joined the Congress as Member, Congress Committee. In 1928 he was elected President Maharashtra Sahitya Sangh at its Gwalior convention. He established New English High School, Yeotmal (now Loknayak Bapuji Aney Vidyalaya, Yeotmal) in 1928. During 1928-29 Aney was Secretary of the Nehru Committee. Nehru Committee Report of 10 August 1928 was a memorandum outlining a proposed new dominion status for the constitution for India. It was prepared by a committee of the All Parties Conference chaired by Motilal Nehru with his son Jawaharlal Nehru acting as secretary. There were nine other members in this committee. The final report was signed by Motilal Nehru, Ali Imam, Tej Bahadur Sapru, Madhav Shrihari Aney, Mangal Singh, Shuaib Qureshi, Subhas Chandra Bose, and G. R. Pradhan. Shuaib Qureshi disagreed with some of the recommendations. On 28.4.1930, in expression of solidarity to Mahatma Gandhi's Salt Satyagraha, Aney resigned from the Legislative Assembly, and on 10.0.1930, took part in the Jungle Satyagraha at a forest outside Pusad (see below), where he was arrested with his associates. He was convicted for theft of forest product, and imprisoned for 6 months. After this incident, he was known as 'Loknayak'. From 1930 to 1942 he took part in 'Bharat Chodo' (Quit India Movement). He was made a Member, Congress working Committee in 1931. In 1933 he became President of the Indian National Congress. In 1938, Aney was appointed Vice Chancellor, Tilak Maharashtra Vidyappeeth. In 1941 he was appointed as Member on the Viceroy's Council under Lord Linlithgow, and was incharge of Overseas Indians & Commonwealth relations Portfolio. Aney, Sir Homi Mody and N.R.Sarkar, Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar and others resigned from the Viceroy's Counsel in support of Mahatma's fast unto death in 1942. From 1943 to 1947 Aney was India's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka. In 1948, when the Constituent Assembly was convened to frame India's Constitution, the Princely States of Central India nominated Loknayak Aney as their representative on the Constituent Assembly. In 1948, following Shri Jairamdas Daulatram who was governor from 15.8.1947 to 11.1.1948, Loknayak Aney became the Governor of Bihar. He was Governor from 12.1.1948 to 14.6.1952.He was so loved and respected, that one of the most important roads in Patna on which is The official residence of Bihar's Chief Minister is on the road named after Loknayak Aney. (The address is wrongly referred to as 1 Anne Marg instead of 1 Aney Marg). In 1952, while he was Governor, Loknayak Aney fell seriously ill from spinal Tiberculosis. He was completely bed-ridden and had to lie in a plaster cast for many months. He was moved from Patna to his brother-in-law's home Dr.Krishnaji Atmaram Nulkar's home in Sadashiv Peth, Pune. where Dr. Nulkar attended to Loknayak Aney's recovery which took over 4 years. Even in this bedridden condition, he performed the Vajapaya Yagna at Poona. During the period of his illness, Fazal Ali Commission was appointed for the First Reorganisation of States. Although bed-ridden, in 1954 Aney submitted a Memorandum to the Commission called 'Memorandum for Statehood for Vidarbha' which set out in great detail the case for statehood for Vidarbha, pointing out to its historical, geographic, socio-political and economic claim for the status of a State in the Indian Union. The Fazal Ali Commission recommended creation of the State of Vidarbha which would largely be the same as the existing State of C.P, which by then was called Madhya Pradesh, with Nagpur as its capital. The recommendation was accepted by the Union Home ministry. However, when formation of states were announced on 1.11.1956, Vidarbha was not created. This led to a popular uprising for Vidarbha state, which was headed by Loknayak Aney and Brijlal Biyani, who formed the Nag Vidarbha Andolan Samiti. After recovering from his prolonged illness, Loknayak Aney won the 1959 bye-election to Nagpur Parliamentary seat to the 2nd Lok Sabha on a Congress ticket. However, in the 1962 general election, he refused to contest on the Congress ticket and fought as a Nag Vidarbha Andolan Samiti candidate and won Nagpur Parliamentary seat with 1,31,740 votes defeating Shri Rikhabchand Sharma (Congress) with 84,870 votes. Pandit Nehru who had visited Nagpur to campaign for the Congress candidate Shri Sharma refused to speak against Loknayak Aney at the public meeting organised for the candidate. From 1959 to 1966 Loknayak Aney sat as Member of the 3rd Loksabha. In 1967 he lost the Nagpur seat to N.R.Deoghare (Congress) with 1,29736, followed by A. Bhardhan (CPI) with 97,767 and Aney with 54,049 votes

Forest Satyagraha

The forest law was defied in

Positions held

During British Raj

In 1923, he was nominated to the

After Independence of India

After Indian independence, Dr. Aney was the

Death

Family

References