Ravishankar Vyas, also known as Ravishankar Maharaj, was a leading Indian independence activist and social reformer who played a significant role in the freedom struggle of India. Born on February 25, 1884, in a small village in Gujarat, India, he spent his early years in poverty. Vyas was heavily influenced by the Arya Samaj philosophy and met Mahatma Gandhi in 1915, joining him in his independence and social activism.
He became one of Gandhi's earliest and closest associates, along with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Darbar Gopaldas Desai, Narhari Parikh, and Mohanlal Pandya. Together, they were the chief organizers of nationalist revolts in Gujarat in the 1920s and 1930s. Vyas worked tirelessly for the rehabilitation of the Baraiya and Patanvadiya castes of coastal central Gujarat.
In 1920, Vyas founded the Rashtriya Shala (National School) in Sunav village, leaving behind his ancestral property against his wife's wishes to join the Indian Independence Movement in 1921. He participated in several Satyagrahas, including the Borsad Satyagraha in 1923, where he protested against the Haidiya Tax, and the Bardoli Satyagraha in 1928, where he was imprisoned by British authorities for six months.
He also participated in the relief work for the flood in 1927, which earned him recognition. Vyas joined Gandhi in the Salt March in 1930 and was imprisoned for two years. In 1942, he participated in the Quit India Movement and worked to pacify communal violence in Ahmedabad.
After India gained independence in 1947, Vyas devoted himself to social work, joining Vinoba Bhave in the Bhoodan Movement and traveling 6000 kilometers between 1955 and 1958. In the 1960s, he organized and supported the Sarvodaya Movement.
He inaugurated Gujarat state when it was created on 1 May 1960 and opposed the Emergency in 1975. Until his death on 1 July 1984 in Borsad, Gujarat, it was customary for every newly appointed Chief Minister of Gujarat to visit him for blessings after taking the oath of office.
Vyas's contributions to Indian society were immense, and his ideals of social justice and equality continue to inspire generations. The various educational institutions and social organizations he founded continue to work towards creating a more just and equitable society. He was a true visionary who dedicated his life to the service of his country and its people. We must honor his legacy by striving towards the ideals of social justice and equality that he stood for.
