Siddhraj Dhaddha, a staunch Gandhian

Jaipur, Mar 9 (UNI) Sarvodaya leader, freedom fighter and a close associate of Jai Prakash Narayan Siddhraj Dhaddha died today in the Sawai Man Singh hospital following a prolonged illness.

He was 98.

Dhaddha was Rajasthan's first Industry minister in the Heeralal Shastri Cabinet.

He was honoured with the Padma Bhushan but returned thw award in protest against the policy of inviting multinational companies to India.

Dhaddha was one of the closest confidants of Loknayak Jaiprakash Narayan. He was a Masters in Political Science and an LLB from Allahabad University.

Dhaddha was the first to unfurl the national flag at the University's Senate Hall here where he came in close contact with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

He practised law at Mysore and Jaipur's High Court but unhappy with corruption he did not continue in the profession for long.

Dhaddha was the first Marwari to head Calcutta-based Indian Chamber of Commerce from 1934 to 1942.

He gave up the job to join the freedom struggle. He was arrested for participating and was lodged in Benaras jail from 1943-45.

He started the publication of "Dainik Lokwani" in 1946 with help of leader Heeralal Shastri and remained its chief editor till 1949.

In 1947-46, he was made minister in Rajputana Regional Congress Committee. In 1948, he was made the joint minister in the welcoming committee of 55th meeting of Congress party held in Jaipur.

In 1949, after Rajasthan came into being, Dhaddha became its first Industry Minister in the Heeralal Shastri Cabinet from 1949 to 1951.

In 1951, he gave up politics and became a staunch Gandhian and also a Sarvodaya leader. He opened a Sarvodaya centre and Balwadi Education centre in Khimel village in Pali district. The school is now known as Marudhar Balika Vidyapeeth.

When Emergency was declared in June 1975, he was arrested in Patna. He was lodged in different jails in Rajasthan till 1977.

Till his last days, he was engaged in editing a weekly "Gramraj' and was also writing various articles in different magazines.

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