Rajsamand: Freedom fighter Madan Mohan Somtiya, a warrior of Mewar Praja Mandal, who played an important role during India's freedom struggle, passed away at a hospital in Rajasthan's Rajsamand district on Sunday morning at the age of 102.
Somtiya was ill for a long time and was admitted at Shri Govardhan Government District Hospital two weeks ago. He was suffering from heart related ailments and was having respiratory problems. He breathed his last at around 7:15 am. His entire family was with him.
Somtiya was born on September 14, 1922 to a middle-class couple, Ramkrishna Jat and Nanaki Bai. He was the youngest among his 11 siblings. His two elder brothers, Narendrapal Chaudhary and Rajendra Singh Chaudhary, were also freedom fighters.
Somtiya's son Yogesh Kumar Chaudhary said his father had gone to jail many times during the freedom movement. Mewar Praja Mandal was established in April 1938 and Somtiya was about 15 years old at that time. However, he was so passionate about the freedom movement that he joined it along with his elder brothers. During the movement, he had to undergo torture, was arrested and imprisoned many times by the British government.
He used to say that joining Mewar Praja Mandal in his student life and participating in processions and meetings, working as a volunteer and delivering letters had become a part of his daily life, Somtiya's son said. From 1938 to 1942, he was caught by the British Police many times, but was released on the ground that he was a child. During the Quit India Movement in 1942, he was sent to jail twice for six months and that was the first time that he went behind the bars.