K M Munshi Indian Freedom Fighter Educationist

K M Munshi Indian Freedom Fighter Educationist

Date of birth: 30^th December, 1887 and Date of death: 1971
Dr. Kaniyalal Maneklal Munshi founded of Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan along with his friends late in 1938.  Born in Broach came under the influence of Aurobindho while studying at Baroda college.  He enrolled himself initially as a pleader and later as an advocate in the Bombay Bar.  He first joined Annie Besant’s All India Home rule League in 1916 and later in Indian National Congress.  He married Lilavathi Sheth in 1926 after the death of his first wife, Atilakshmi Pathak, whom he married when he was just 13.
He was elected to the Bombay Legislative Council in 1927.  He took part in the Salt Satyagraha in 1930 and was imprisoned for six months.  In 1932, he was sentenced to two year’s rigours imprisonment.  He elected to Bombay Legislative Assembly in 1937 and appointed as the Home minister in the first Congress Government.  He served as India’s Agent- General in Hyderabad when Nizam was trying to keep his state independent of the Indian Union.  He became member the Constituent Assembly in 1948.  He was Food and Agriculture minister of the Government of India in 1950.  He was Governor of Uttar Pradesh during 1952- 57.  He resigned from the Congress and became the Vice President of the newly formed Swatantra Party standing for free enterprises.  Till his death in 1971, he devoted all his energies to the building up of the Bhavan as the premier culture organisation of the country.