100 Rupees Shri Jawaharlal Darda

Shri. Jawaharlal Amolakchand Darda was a veteran freedom fighter, staunch Gandhian and a frontline crusader in the cause of uplifting the poor and downtrodden. Born in Babhulgaon village of Yavatmal district, he devoted himself to social work at a very tender age. Inspired by Gandhiji, he plunged into freedom struggle at the age of 17 and participated in individual Satyagrah. He was imprisoned for 1 year 9 months in Jabalpur Jail for his participation in Quit India Movement. He also took active part in Acharya Vinoba Bhave’s ‘Bhoodan Movement’ & joined the Azad Hind Sena of Subhash Chandra Bose.

After independence, Shri Darda began his journey in journalism by launching ‘Nave Jag’ a weekly newspaper from Yavatmal to foster the spirit of nationalism, a biweekly in 1950 and later in 1952, he launched Lokmat, a Marathi weekly which was converted into a daily in 1971 from Nagpur. The title Lokmat was given by legendary freedom fighter Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak in 1918. Founder editor of the Lokmat group, Shri Darda launched several editions of Lokmat, Lokmat Samachar (Hindi) &Lokmat Times (English).

A veteran Congress leader, Shri Darda served as a senior minister in Maharashtra Government for over two decades and ably handled the various portfolios – industry, energy, urban development, housing, irrigation, health, food & civil supply, sports & youth affair. He was instrumental in ushering in the housing, industrial & educational revolution in Maharashtra & particularly, Vidarbha. He ensured that the housing schemes reached the rural people. He established MIDC which revolutionized the industrial growth and lead to development of many places. He founded the Vidya Prasarak Mandal & opened many educational institutes & colleges providing higher technical education.

Shri. Darda was posthumously conferred the “Lifetime Achievement Award” at House of Commons, Great Britain in 2013 for his contribution to India’s freedom struggle. An independent thinker, Shri Darda breathed his last on November 25, 1997.