On his maiden visit to Kutch in Gujarat after becoming the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi handed over the reinstatement certificate of barrister Pandit Shayamji Krishna Verma — a freedom fighter and nationalist hailing from Kutch to Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel at the district headquarters Bhuj.
PM Modi is in Kutch for three days to attend 50th annual All India Conference of Director Generals of Police initiated from Friday. Modi arrived at Bhuj in the afternoon and straight away went to a function there and handed over the certificate to the Gujarat CM. later on he moved to Dhordo Tent City in the white desert, the venue of the conference.
“The British Government had seized barrister licenses of two Indian lawyers: Mahatma Gandhi and Shayamji Verma. Coincidentally both were from Gujarat. Though Mahatma’s Bar Membership was reinstated in 1988, but nobody bothered about Verma,” said Mod at a function in Bhuj. He further said that ahead of his recent visit to Britain, he raised the issue and discussed with some of the British Ministers who have Indian origin. “These efforts paid off and I got the opportunity to bring reinstatement certificate of a great freedom fighter,” he said adding that after becoming Prime Minister bringing reinstatement certificate of Verma was on priority.
The freedom fighter Verma was from coastal Mandvi town in Kutch. When Modi was Gujarat Chief Minister he brought back Verma’s ashes from Britain. The Gujarat Government had also built a Shyamji Krishna Verma’s memorial, Kranti Tirth, in his hometown where the ashes kept. During his last visit to Britain as Prime Minister, Modi made it a point to bring his certificate.
Kranti Tirth was inaugurated by Modi in 2010. The memorial is replica of India House situated in North london. India House was established by Verma as a base for Indian students studying in England. Verma was also the founder of the Indian Home Rule Society. Born on October 4, 1857 Verma is also known as ‘Kranti Guru’. He died on March 30, 1930 in Geneva. Kutch University situated in Bhuj has also been named as Shyamji Krishna Verma University after him.
“In fact Verma was debarred from a Britain’s leading law society for advocating independence for India in 1905. As a result of the efforts of PM Modi Verma has been posthumously reinstated to the Bar,” said a source who witnessed the procedure. According to him, the certificate would be kept along with Verma’s ashes at Kranti Tirth in Mandvi.