Pandit Janardan Rai Nagar, popularly known as Jannu Bhai, was born on 16th June 1911. His father was Shri Pranlal ji Nagar and mother was Shrimati Vijayalakshmi Nagar (A freedom fighter). He took his early education in Udaipur, later he went to Ajmer for further studies. He graduated from Banaras Hindu University in 1935-36. He was awarded the degree of “Sahitya Ratna” by Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, Prayag in 1935. He earned his post graduate degree in Hindi from Agra University in 1940.
Pandit Nagar was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and Ravindra Nath Tagore. During his student days in Banaras Hindu University he came in contact with Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya and Munshi Premchand, who had made a deep impact on his young mind and inspired him to join the freedom struggle. As a freedom fighter Pandit Nagar led mass movements as a founding member of Praja Mandal against the colonial rule. At Banaras he took oath to establish a University in Mewar region like Pandit Malviya did.
Late Manishi Pt. Nagar’s mother Late Shrimati Vijaya Ma was a revolutionary. She had already established Udaipur Mahila Mandal for the education and welfare of the weaker section of the society.
Manishi Pt. Nagar was a greatly influenced by his mother’s revolutionary thoughts. During those days he was teaching Hindi in Vidya Bhawan which had been established on the lines of the British Education System.
Pt. Nagar started his career in 1937 as a teacher in Maharana Bhopal College Udaipur. However, he could not tolerate a popular uprising led by the Praja Mandal in the state of Mewar which aimed at reforming the feudal system of administration by making it more participative and he decided to establish an educational institution for the downtrodden section of the society.
One evening, Manishi Nagar, Sri Gouri Shankar, Sri Laxmi Lal Joshi and his brother Sri Ramesh Chandra Nagar had been discussing about the ways for upliftment of the society and they asked for permission to establish an educational institution. Meanwhile Late Shri Umashankar Ji Dwivedi suggested to Pt. Nagar to change the name of his examination centre of Hindi Sahitya Sammelan into Vidyapeeth. Pt. Nagar accepted the proposal and he rented a room at one rupee per month and also purchased a lantern to start the night classes of Hindi Sahitya Sammelan to propagate Hindi.
Shri Nagar wanted to bring about revolutionary changes in the field of education. He considered education as the key to spreading awareness among the common people. For this purpose, he established Hindi Vidyapeeth on 21st August 1937 which expanded as a well known social and adult education institute and Shri Nagar was functioning as founder Director of this institute. It was established for the purpose of uplifting the poor and the downtrodden of the Rajasthan. For Adult & Continuing Education with special focus on the downtrodden Pt. Nagar established Lok Shikshan Pratishthan in 1937 itself.
Meanwhile Pt. Nagar also taught in Vidya Bhawan High School from 1938 to 1945.
Pandit Nagar started the “Prachin Sahitya Shodh Sansthan” in 1941 for the purpose of preserving, editing, translating and publishing age-old manuscripts. It was the only institute of its kind which aimed at the conservation of our cultural heritage. In the same year he established Janpad – an institute for urban social education and mass communication.
Pandit Nagar added new dimensions to the basic objectives of Hindi Vidyapeeth It became a leading NGO and in due course of time he renamed it as ‘Rajasthan Vidyapeeth’. Pandit Nagar decided to meet the challenges which started springing up after the message of sharing responsibilities at the grass root level Pandit Nagar established Community Centres Department and Janata College in early sixties. During the Second five year plan with the objective to provide educational benefits to the people living remote villages.
For promotion of culture, folk dance and music Manishi Pandit Nagar started Kumbha Kala Kendra in 1946.
Pandit Nagar was highly concerned and had innovative ideas about educational empowerment of the under-privileged section of society. To provide opportunities to such people, an evening college (Hindi Vidyapeeth Shramjeevi Vidyalaya) was established in 1956 to educate the students who worked during the day. He also started a mobile library, a local broadcasting system and news writing on blackboards put up in various areas of Udaipur.
Independent India required trained professionals for industries and trade. Keeping the dire need in mind Pandit Nagar initiated a post graduate course of Social Work. To spread education to the remote villages a number of higher secondary schools, centres for fine arts were established by him in 1959.
Pandit Janrdan Rai Nagar understood the needs and aspirations of the downtrodden sections of people living in south Rajasthan. Therefore, he established an institute to provide training to prospect teachers in 1966. He believed in democratic way of life and work. Under his guidance Vidyapeeth had the ‘Jantantrik Shilanyas’ (Democratic Foundation) and it was run entirely by its workers. Its basic motto was to provide opportunity of participation to each worker in the decision making process in its various bodies.
Pt. Nagar was a visionary and he had ardent faith in the development of regional languages. It was the result of his efforts that in 1943 much before the unification of Rajasthan, Prachin Sahitya Shodh Vibhag could organize a lecture of Shri Ramdevji Choukhani on Rajasthani language. He was a well known writer of Hindi; therefore he got the opportunity to organize the 33rd Akhil Bhartiya Hindi Sahitya Sammelan at Udaipur in the month of October 1945. It was a historic event in the March of Hindi Vidyapeeth because the persons like Sri Kanhaiyalal Maniklal Munshi, Sri Purshottam Das Tandon, Sri Moulichandra Sharma attended this conference.
Meanwhile The Prachin Sahitya Shodh Vibhag had started the publication of a quarterly Research Journal – ‘Shodh Patrika’ in 1941.
In the year 1987 Pandit Nagar became the first Vice Chancellor of Rajasthan Vidyapeeth when the Ministry of Human Resource Development and UGC granted it the status of Deemed to be university.
Pandit Nagar was a well known figure in the field of journalism. He was the editor of a number of magazines such as “Balhit”, “Rajasthan Sahitya”, “Vasudhara”, “Jan Sandesh”, “Jan Mangal” and many more.
Pandit Nagar was quite active in the national and local politics. He was a member of the State Assembly from Mavli constituency from 1957 to 1962. During this period he introduced the Social Education Bill in the Assembly in 1959 and it was implemented in 1962.
Rajasthan Sahitya Academy was established by his efforts and he was the founder president of this academy. He was instrumental in the establishment of Sahitya Sangam, Bikaner, Brij Academy and also Urdu Academy. He was the member of Central Academy, New Delhi, Rajasthan Hindi Advisory Board, Ministry of Education Govt. of India, New Delhi.
Pandit Nagar was versatile personality; he was honoured by a number of agencies time and again. He was the recipient if “Sahitya Bhushan” in 1941 by Ajmer Vidvad Parishad, “Sangam Chandrak” in 1964 by Gujarat Sahitya Academy, “Nehru Saksharata Puraskar” in 1980 by National Adult Educational Association (Bhartya Praudh Shiksha Sangh), New Delhi, “Harit Rishi Puraskar” in 1984 by Maharana Mewar Foundation, Udaipur and “Sahitya Vachaspati” in 1988 at Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, Prayag, etc.
He was a great poet, prolific writer, a social reformer and a literature. Few of his published well known piece of work are, Acharaya Chanakaya (Drama), Patati ka swarg (Drama), Uda Hatyara (Drama), Jeevan ka Satya (Drama), Pandit Janardan Rai Nagar Ki Kahaniya (Part 1 and 2), Jagadguru Shankaraacharay (Novel, 10 sections), Shri Ramrajya (Novel, 2 sections), Ek Shant Alok me Prasann (Gadya geet), Ghar me Balak – Shala me Balak (Children Literature), etc.
Manishi Pandit Janardan Rai Nagar, one of the greatest sons of Mother India, passed away on 15th August 1997, but his memorable works speak for him even today. He will be fondly remembered by the people of India for the years to come.
