Every year, Antyodaya Diwas is celebrated in India on September 25 to mark the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya and remember his life and legacy. Antyodaya Diwas highlights the vision and mission of uplifting the last person in society, focusing on creating an inclusive India where no one is left behind.
History
Antyodaya Diwas was first observed in 2014, when the Government of India decided to mark the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay as a day to honour his contributions to the upliftment of the marginalised. His philosophy of 'Antyodaya', meaning the rise of the last person, was centered on addressing the needs of the underprivileged sections of society.
Antyodaya meaning
“In the Indian context, ‘Antyodaya’ means that we have to ensure the rise and development of the last person in society”.
About Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya
Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya was born on September 25, 1916, in the village of Dhankia in Rajasthan. He lost his father, Bhagwati Prasad, when he was less than three years old and his mother before he was eight. While he was a student at Sanatan Dharma College, Kanpur he joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (R.S.S.).
Although he qualified as a teacher, he did not take to teaching profession. Instead, he dedicated himself to full-time work in RSS from 1942. Deendayal was a deep and original thinker. His philosophy of Integral Humanism, which is a synthesis of the material and the spiritual, the individual and the collective, bears eloquent testimony to this.
In the field of politics and economics, he was pragmatic and down to earth. He visualized for India a decentralized polity and self-reliant economy with the village as the base. He welcomed modern technology but wanted it to be adapted to suit Indian requirements. Deendayal Upadhyaya was a man of soaring idealism and had a tremendous capacity for organization.
He started a monthly magazine “Rashtra Dharma”, a weekly ‘Panchajanya’, and a daily ‘Swadesh’. In 1951, when Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee founded the Bhartiya Jana Sangh, Deendayal became the first General Secretary of its U.P. branch. He was also chosen as All India General Secretary. Deendayal believed in a constructive approach. He exhorted his followers to co-operate with the Government when it was right and fearlessly oppose when it erred. He placed the nation’s interests above everything else. Deendayal Upadhyaya was found dead in the early hours of February 1, 1968, while traveling in a train.
Antyodaya: Upliftment of common man
Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay also propounded the idea of Antyoday which means welfare of the last human being standing in the row. Deendayal Upadhyay spoke and wrote a lot for the up-liftment of common man. He thought that the whole purpose of the politics was to work for the poor and marginalized.
Deen Dayal's source of inspiration was the poor, helpless, tradition- bound common man, who withstood centuries of foreign aggression and misrule and kept the soul of the nation alive. In most of his political statements he appeared convinced that the country's future lay in the hands of this common man and felt that it is very essential to acquaint him with modern realities.
In his presidential address in 1967, he concluded with a string expression of support for the poor and powerless, "Every countryman is blood of our blood and flesh of flesh. We shall not rest till we are able to give everyone a sense of pride that they are children of Bharatmata. We shall make Mother India Sujala, Suphala (laden with fruits and overflowing with water) in the real sense of these words."
Major Government schemes in his name
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana (DAY)
Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana (DAY) with an aim to uplift the urban poor folks by enhancing sustainable livelihood opportunities through skill development. Keeping in view the objective of Make in India, Skill Development is essential for socio economic betterment. Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana was launched under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA). Government of India has provisioned Rs.500 crore for the scheme. The scheme is integration of the National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) and National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM).
Deendayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) Antyodaya Diwas
Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) aims to skill rural youth who are poor and provide them with jobs having regular monthly wages or above the minimum wages. It is one of the cluster of initiatives of the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India that seeks to promote rural livelihoods.
It is a part of the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) - the Mission for poverty reduction called Aajeevika. The scheme will benefit more than 55 million poor rural youth who are ready to be skilled by providing sustainable employment. This scheme derives importance from its potential to reduce poverty. It is also designed to be a major contributor to the Prime Minister's 'Make in India' campaign.
Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana – to provide electricity to rural homes.
Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana is designed to provide uninterrupted power supply to the entire rural India. This plan was launched in November 2014 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra ModiThis is one of the major initiatives of the Government of India and is a major program of the Ministry of Electricity. Rural families can benefit greatly from DDUGJY because electricity is extremely important for the country's growth and development.
Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Shramev Jayate Karyakram
Shramev Jayate Yojana also known as Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Shramev Jayate Karyakram was launched by PM Narendra Modi on October 2014 under the Government of India. This scheme was launched as an initiative for the development of industries. It aims to to create a conducive environment for industrial development primarily through skill training.
Deendayal Upadhyaya Swaniyojan Yojana (DUSY)
Deendayal Upadhyay Swaniyojan Yojana (DUSY) was launched by Rural development ministry to promote entrepreneurship through skill training in rural areas It is viewed as the the rural version of the Start Up India scheme.
Upadhyaya's legacy
Ever since BJP came to power under PM Modi, several public institutions, govt schemes, and recently a railway station, were renamed after him.
- A Delhi road/marg
- Deen Dayal Research Institute, which deals with queries on Upadhyaya and his works
- Mughalsarai junction in UP, where Deendayal's body was found, has been renamed as Deen Dayal Upadhyaya junction
- Apart from the above-stated, there are many hospitals, colleges and NGOs named after him
