Master Adityendra
Master Adityendra was born on June 24, 1907, in Thoon village of Bharatpur district. He completed his B.Sc. from St. John’s College, Agra. Subsequently, in 1928, he worked at the local Multi-Purpose School and continued his higher secondary education there. Due to this association, the state government named the school as Master Adityendra Government Higher Secondary School.
The grand father of Master Adityendra, Shri Fakir Chand and father Lala Shankarlal were men of progressive thoughts. In his student years, inspired by Gandhiji, he resolved to serve the country and wear Khadi. He was a teacher by profession, but even while teaching he used to motivate students for participating in the Indian freedom movement. In order to inspire his students to wear Khadi and Gandhi cap, he himself used to wear the Gandhi cap. He also involved his late wife, Anar Devi, in the freedom struggle. In 1932, he resigned from the government service only to engage himself entirely in political activities.
In the year 1944, the king at the Deeg Palace asked him of his faith fulness towards him. He responded saying that, “my faith fulness and allegiance is for the people and I can never give up on that. I respect you and I accept that you are the citizen of Bharatpur with a great stature and I am also a citizen”.
A little before the Indian Independence, the Maharaja of Bharatpur sent for Masterji. Orders were issuedby the Maharaja that nobody will come within a distance of 100 yards from his person. Although Masterji shared a good relationship with the Maharaja, however, during the entire conversation which stretched upto 45 minutes, Masterji was not even asked to sit. On this occasion the Maharaja, sitting on a golden throne, repeated the same question in a threatening tone, “Are you faithful to me or not?” Masterji gave the same response that his first allegiance is to the people although he considers the Maharaja the greatest citizen of the state. The king was convinced with his answer and praised him for honest character. Thereafter, he said that the country will attain freedom and upon this statement he released all the prisoners on 5th August 1947.
Master Adityendra established the Bharatpur Praja Mandal in Rewari along with Shri Gopilal Yadav, Shri Jugal Kishore Chaturvedi, Pandit Rewati Shankar and Thakur Deshraj. He also actively engaged in the Quit India Movement of 1942 and the Anti-Bengal Partition Movement of 1947 in Bharatpur.
He also involved his late wife, Anar Devi, in the freedom struggle. After independence, he served as the Pradesh President of the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee. He was a member of the State Assembly in 1960 and served as a member of the High Power Working Committee of the National Congress from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. He served twice as a legislator and as the Finance Minister in the Rajasthan government.
During his tenure as Finance Minister, the prohibition of alcohol was enforced in the state, which led to controversy, and he resigned from his ministerial position. Master Adityendra served as the State President of the Rajasthan Harijan Sevak Sangh and was also the founder President of Khadi Gramodyog in Bharatpur and the founding President of Mahila Vidyalaya in Bhusawar. He lived his entire life based on the principle of “Always High Thoughts” and passed away peacefully on May 28, 1999, at the age of 93.