Harihar Vaman Deshpande

Education

High school education up to 10th standard at Government Hindu High School, Amravati. (1921) Joined Hanuman Vyayam Prasarak Mandal Amravati in 1918 and was trained in wrestling and other traditional sports.

Social and political impact

While at H.V.P. Mandal, he was influenced by social and political ideology being practiced in the institute by the founders Anant Krishna and Ambadas Krishna Vaidya under the leadership of the great patriot of Vidarbha Veer Vamanrao Joshi.

Boycotted high school education and joined non-cooperation Movement of Mahatma Gandhi initiated in Vidarbha by Veer Vamanrao Joshi. During the year 1921 he made heavy campaigning in rural area along with his colleagues who boycotted education with him, for creating awareness of N.C. Movement.

Joined ‘Rashtriya Mahavidyalaya’ at Amalner (Distt. Dhulia) and completed his education in 1922.

Passed entrance examination of ‘Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth’ Pune (1923–25) and graduated with a Degree B.A. (Tilak) – "Wangmaya Visharad". Swami Ramanand Tirth and H.R. Mahajani were his batchmates, and their friendship continued in future.

Served as a teacher at ‘Rashtriya Vidyalaya’ Akot Distt. Akola for one year (1926) along with his colleagues. During the year 1927, he worked for H.V.P. Mandal and participated in its activities. He was subsequently deputed to West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh as a propagandist of physical culture and for conducting physical treaining camps at several places on the initiative of "Hindu Maha Sabha"of Calcutta (1928).

While at Gorakhpur in U.P. during such a camp Shivram Hari Rajguru (Compatriot of Sardar Bhagat Singh) visited the camp and met H.V.Deshpande and Dnyaneshwar Deshpande – both of them were close friends of Rajguru at H.V.P.M. (Rajguru was student at H.V.P.M. in 1927).

During his stay in U.P. for the camps he came in contact with national leaders like Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya and Lal Bahadur Shastri, who were associated and active in the working of Hindu Maha Sabha.

In 1929 he, along with his two colleagues, namely T.G. Joshi and V.B. alias Babasaheb Vaidya, went to Lahore to attend All India Session of Indian National Congress.

For his active involvement in non-cooperation movement during 1929 and 1930, he was arrested and sentenced to Jail in 1930 for a year. Again in 1932 he was arrested and sent to jail for rigorous punishment by British Government.

Soon after release from jail he again involved in organizing Berar Youth League and its conferences (1933-34).

Helped actively in conducting All-India Training Camp of "Hindustani Seva Dal" at Borivali (Mumbai) in 1931.

Organized 22 Taluka Congress Committee in Vidarbha Region (1931).

Elected as a Secretary of ‘Vidarbha Pradesh Congress Committee’ and member of All-India Congress Committee (AICC) - 1930-34.

Organized and helped Provincial and All India Conferences for supporting Registration Bill of Ayurvedic Practitioners - 1937-39.

Recruited and conducted Training Camp of 3000 volunteers from Madhya Pradeh and Mahakoshal with his colleagues on behalf of H.V.P.Mandal for the service during the All India Session of AICC at Tripuri (Jabalpur) held in 1939. He was appointed Chief Organizer of the Volunteers Corps. He came in contact with various national leaders like Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose.

Organizer of the HVPM team of 150 members to participate in Golden Jubilee of Indian National Congress held at Govalia Tank Maidan Mumbai 1937. Prior to Mumbai the team had its display of traditional physical activities at Baroda and Surat where Maharaja Sayajirao Gaikwad and Sardar Vallabha Bhai Patel respectively presided over the programme.

1940-42 –actively involved in’Quit India Movement" for which he was again arrested and jailed for more than six months.

Government service

Appointed and served as Liaison & Welfare Officer in Home Guard Department of Ex-M.P.Government (1947–1956) Subsequently served on the said post in the same Department of Maharashtra Government (1956–1960)

International contacts

Being Chief Organizer of the Indian Lingiad Team and having his visit to several countries he developed contacts with the physical education experts, sports persons and institutions of Germany, Sweden. Denmark, England and Switzerland.

Death and afterward

Life through 1960–65:

Resigned Government service (1960) and accepted Managing Editorship of "Aarogya Mandir" monthly magazine of Panvel. He started publishing magazine from Amravati (1960–63).

Subsequent to the closure of publication by the management, he turned towards Gandhi Smarak Nidhi as Organizer of the Gandhi Study Centre at Amravati where he organized library (1961–64)for general public, periodical lectures on Gandhian ideology and allied topics.

Death:

Towards the end of 1964 he developed health problem. His health deteriorated further and was subsequently hospitalized at Govt. Medical College Hospital where he was expired on 20 April 1965.

Political

Organizational

Organized the Berar Youth League and its Conferences 1927-34.

Governments Liaison and Welfare officer of Home Guards for Vidarbha.

Social service

He served mainly in the field of

Extended voluntary services to:

1. National Association of Physical Education & Recreation
2. Hanuman Vyayam Prasarak Mandal Amravati
3. Nagpur University Board of Physical Education & Recreation.
4. Maharashtra Sharirik Shikshan Parishad.
5. Maharashtra Ayurved Parishad Pune.
6. Funds collection: Small and big amounts of fund as had to be collected from time to time for several purpose.

Published works

The List of his published books: