Excelsior Correspondent
Jammu, July 13: In connection with the 61st death anniversary of Comrade Dhanwantri, a meeting was organized by the Comrade Dhanwantri Manch at Paloura Talab Jammu.
Rich tributes were paid to Comrade Dhanwantri who gave exemplary sacrifices fighting alongwith Shaheed-e-Aazm Bhagat Singh, Chander Shekhar Azad, Sukhdev, Rajguru, Shiv Verma and others for the freedom of India.
Hari Chand Jalmeria, general secretary of the Manch in his introductory note said that Dhanwantri was born on March 7, 1902 at Kali Janni Jammu, in the family of Dr. (Col.) Durga Datt Mahey, after completing his matriculation from Sri Ranbir Higher Secondary School. Com. Dhanwantri joined DAV College Lahore in 1917. While pursuing his studies in Lahore, com. Dhanwantri joined National Liberation movement. After completing his Ayurvedic Course, Com. Dhanwantri had started private Ayurvedic practice at Sutarmandi Lahore, which, in fact, was used by the revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Chander Shekhar Azad, Shiv Verma, Sukhdev, Rajguru and others as contact place.
Dhanwantri was the ideologue and activist of the Revolutionary Group led by Bhagat Singh and Chander Shekhar Azad who had the vision and programme to liberate India from British Imperialist slavery and make India a Socialist state.
Dhanwantri accompanied Bhagat Singh, when Sounders – the British Police officer responsible for killing of Lala Lajpat Rai, was killed at Lahore in 1928.
A committed communist, Com. Dhanwantri was jailed for ten years in Kala Pani(Port Blair). After his return in early forties, Dhanwantri came to Jammu and founded and guided movements of farmers, youth, students, writers. He also guided the National Conference in making its Naya Kashmir Programme. He was the guide for big landed estates abolition and other revolutionary pro-people measures.
Dhanwantri was the fountain head of guidance for political activists in the sate during the crucial period after 1947. But unfortunately, Com. Dhanwantri died on July 13, 1953 just at the age of 51 years.
The meeting, presided over by JA Kazm, was also addressed by Udey Chand, Ranbir Singh Manhas, Bansi Lal Sharma, Pritam Gupta, Ramankant, Subhash Sharma, Samarjit Singh, Inderjit Khajuria, Dewan Chand, Arvind Singh and Krishan Singh Manhas.