Pandit Lekhram

Pt. Lekh Ram was born on 8th of Chaitra 1915 in the village Saiyad Pur in the Jhelum district of Punjab. His parents were Sri. Tara Singh and Smt. Bhag Bhari.

He was a police officer in Punjab and resigned from the government service voluntarily and devoted for propagation of Vedas even not caring for his family and only son too. He was influenced by the writings of Munshi Kanhaiya Lal Alakhdhari and came to know about Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati and Arya Samaj. He founded Arya Samaj at Peshawar (now in Pakisthan) and became a preacher of Punjab Arya Pratinidhi Sabha. He also vowed to write the authentilc life history of Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati. For this purpose, he travelled far and wide and collected a detailed account of the life of the founder of Arya Samaj. Pt. Lekh Ram wrote thirty three books. All his writings are in Urdu, but they have been translated in Hindi and some books have been translated into Sindhi and English also.

He established the view points on Arya Samaj and vedic religion so forcefully that nobody dared to come forward to oppose. Many inspiring facts from his life are written in golden lines of Arya Samaj history. A small incident from his life is being quoted here. He was an ardent propagator for Vedic dharma and shuddi (re-conversion to Vedic religion) movement. One day he returned to home after day’s long propagatory work and was so tired. His wife told that their only son is very sick and if unable to take him to a doctor immediately, his life will be in danger. He understood the gravity of sickness of his son and promised to take him hospital after taking one Rotti as he was so hungry. When he was about to eat the Roti, a post man carrying a telegram reached to him stating that few Hindus are about to change their religion to Islam in`Payal’ village in Patiala district of Punjab. Without thinking for a moment he left the meals and moved to the said village in a train. When he saw that there is no stoppage for train at the`Payal’ village, he jumped out of the running train and some how reached the venue of conversion with severe body injuries. He shouted `I am Pt. Lekharam from Arya Samaj is coming for Shasthrarth (religious debate) with you. If you defeat me in arguments, I myself along with these poor Hindus will embrace Islam. Otherwise you all should accept Vedic dharama. In the end of the shasthrarth all embraced Vedic Religion. This time one another telegram reached to him. The matter of it was his only son died of sickness! That was the dedication of Pt. Lekharam!

This great son of mother India was died from the stab wounds of a fanatic inflicted upon him on 6th March 1897. Let us take inspiration from this immortal martyr on the occasion of his death anniversary (6th March) for fulfilling the vision of `Krinvantho viswamaryam'

There had been many shining stars who worked for the propogation of the philosophy and principles of Arya Samaj that was founded by the great visionary Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati in 1875. Pt Lekh Ram is one of the three contemporaries - Swami Shraddhanand who founded Gurukul kangri, Pt. Guru Datt who wrote such matchless books that found a respectable place in Oxford University, DharamVeer Pt. Lekh Ram who wrote Kuliat Musafir that became the most authentic document on religion.

Pt. Lekh Ram was born on 8th.Of Chaitra 1915 in the village Saiyad Pur in the Jhelum district of Punjab. His father was Tara Singh and the mother was Bhag Bhari.

He was influenced by the writings of Munshi Kanhaiya Lal Alakhdhari and came to know about Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati and Arya Samaj.He founded Arya Samaj at Peshawar. He also published a paper Dharmopdesh.

He resigned from his government job and devoted himself whole heartedly to writng and speaking for the propagation of the the ideals of Arya Samaj and Vedic Dharma. He became a preacher of Arya Pratinidhi Sabha Punjab. He also vowed to write the authentilc life history of Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati. For this, he travelled far and wide and produced a detailed account of the life of the founder of Arya Samaj. He established his view point so forcefully that nobody dared to come forward to oppose.

He wrote the life history of Dayanand Saraswati and some 33 other books in Urdu. Some of which were translated in English, Hindi and Sindhi. He preached the view points of Arya Samaj andvedic religion. He is reported to be an enthusiastic debater. When Mirza Ghulam Ahmad published his magnum opus the Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya (1884), Lekh Ram challenged him in very strong words and wrote a falsification of the book, namely Takzeeb e Barahin Ahmadiyya.

As a speaker of Arabic, Persian, he involved in debates of multiple languages.

Pandit Lekh Ram had been very active in converting Muslims to Hinduism, an enthusiastic missionary of the Vedic preaching. He seriously objected to the Muslim religious tenets and criticized the teachings of the Quran. One Ahmadi Muslim writer records that Lekh Rams attacks on the Quran and Muhammad had been "most scurrilous" and he published the "most distorted translations of Quranic passages, common decency found it difficult even to read those translations. He held the most foul views about the Holy Prophet and the Holy Quran... Controversy with him began to mount. Lekh Ram went further and further in his abuse of the Holy Prophet (on whom be peace), and ridicule of Hazrat Mirza Sahib". Lekh Ram became engaged in a "life and death " duel with the Founder of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in these complex theological debates. When Mirza Ghulam Ahmad published his magnum opus the Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Lekhran published his critical refutation with the name Takzeeb Barahin e Ahmadiyya (a Falsification of the Barahin e Ahmadiyya), he also published many other critical booklets, e.g. Khabt e Ahmadiyya (the Ahmadiyya Delusion) etc. against Islam and Ahmadiyya

On March 5, 1897, an assailant stabbed Lekh Ram in the stomach, the wounds proved fatal and he died the next day to Muslim's festival Eid al-Fitr March 6, 1897 in the Mayo Hospital Lahore. He was cremated and the ashes dispersed into a river.

It is reported that a man with blood-shot eyes had come to him, wishing to be converted from Islam to Hinduism. People tried to dissuade Lekh Ram from entertaining him. But Lekh Ram did not heed. This man became Lekh Ram's trusted companion. Lekh Ram had appointed the fateful Saturday as the day of his conversion. Lekh Ram was busy writing. He asked for some book. This man pretending to reach Lekh Ram with the book, slipped a knife into his stomach, and turned the knife round and round so as to cut the entrails thoroughly. He then disappeared, this being the statement of Lekh Ram's family. Lekh Ram was on the upper floor of the house. Near the gate, on the ground floor, were many men; but no one saw the murderer come down and escape. Lekh Ram's mother and wife were certain he was still in the house. On a search of the house nobody was found.