Shri Guru Ravi Dass Sabha Bahu Fort celebrates Birth Anniversary of Periyar Lalai Singh Yadav
02/09/2026
JAMMU, Sep 1: Shri Guru Ravi Dass Sabha, Bahu Fort, Jammu, celebrated the birth anniversary of Periyar Lalai Singh Yadav with tributes being paid to his contribution towards social awareness, rights and the empowerment of marginalised sections of society.
Speaking on the occasion, Sham Lal Basson, General Secretary and former Corporator, highlighted the life and contributions of Lalai Singh Yadav. He said Lalai Singh Yadav was born on September 1, 1911, in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, in a Yadav family. His father, Choudhary Gajju Singh, was a farmer who owned sufficient agricultural land.
Basson said Lalai Singh Yadav served as a forest guard in 1929 and was married in 1931. He was subsequently enlisted as a constable in the army of the princely State of Gwalior. He said Yadav later became widely recognised for translating Periyar E.V. Ramaswami's book, The Ramayana: A True Reading into Hindi as Sachchi Ramayana in 1968.
According to Basson, the publication generated significant controversy and was banned by the Uttar Pradesh Govern-ment on the grounds that it could incite religious sentiments.
He said that following a sustained legal challenge, the Allahabad High Court lifted the ban in 1971, and the judgment was subsequently affirmed by the Supreme Court of India in 1976.
Basson further recalled Lalai Singh Yadav's role in organising police and army personnel. He said Yadav formed the Police and Army Association in Gwalior in 1946 and authored Sipahi Ki Tabahi, which inspired personnel to organise and strike for freedom and better rights. He said Yadav was imprisoned in 1947 for leading police and military strikes and spent nine months in jail. Following Indepe-ndence and the merger of Gwalior State with the Indian Union, he was released on January 12, 1948.
Basson also recalled that Lalai Singh Yadav was invited to speak at a condolence meeting held on December 24, 1973, following the death of Periyar E.V. Ramaswami. He said the South Indian audience was impressed by his address and declared him the "next Periyar", after which he became popularly known as Periyar Lalai Singh Yadav in the Hindi belt. He passed away on February 7, 1993, at the age of 81.
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