| Purushottam Das Tandon is
one of the patriarchal figures of the Indian National Congress. He presided
over the Congress session in Nasik in 1950. He was a staunch champion of
Hindi as a national language. and believed in upholding Hindu ideals. He
was deeply religious and had considerable influence over the religious
sect called the Radhasoamis. He emphasized the essential oneness of Hindu-Muslim
culture in spite of palpable differences.Born on August 1, 1882, Tandon
had
his education in Lahore. He entered the legal profession in 1906. He joined
the Congress in 1899 even as a student. He was associated with the Congress
committee which inquired into the Jallianwalla Bagh incident. He was imprisoned
in 1928 for active participation in the non-cooperation movement. He was
imprisoned again during the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930.From 1932
onwards he was imprisoned a number of times for organizing peasant movements.
In 1937-38 and again in 1945 he presided over the Utter Pradesh Legislature
as Speaker with great distinction. He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1952
and the Rajya Sabha in 1956. He retired from active politics in 1956. The
Bharat Ratna was conferred upon him on 1961. He passed away in July 1,
1961
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