Padma Bhushan Darshan Lal Jain passes away at 94

YAMUNAGAR: Padma Bhushan and senior Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) worker Darshan Lal Jain of Jain Nagar, Jagadhri in Yamunanagar district, passed away at the age of about 94 years on Monday.
The cremation of Darshan Lal Jain was conducted with full state honours and guard of honours was done for him at Dwarka Das cremation ground on Buria road in Jagadhri.
Haryana chief minister (CM) Manohar Lal Khattar, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Om Prakash Dhankar, state legislative assembly speaker Gian Chand Gupta, state education, forest and tourism minister Kanwar Pal, Yamunanagar MLA Ghanshyam Dass Arora and other dignitaries offered their condolences to the family and attended the cremation of the deceased personality.
Yamunanagar superintendent of police (SP) Kamaldeep Goyal and additional deputy commissioner (ADC) Ranjeet Kaur and many other officials were also present at the cremation.
A large number of representatives of political, social and religious organizations also attended the cremation.
Darshan Lal Jain is survived by his two married sons Deepak Jain and Neeraj Jain and two married daughters Geeta Jain and Neera Jain.
Haryana CM Khattar expressed deep condolence over his death and said, “I am saddened by the death of Darshan Lal Jain Ji and his memory will always live on in our hearts. I pray for the peace of the virtuous soul from God. Former Haryana prant sangh sarchalak Darshan Lal Jain dedicated his life in social service, and made significant contributions in the freedom, education, social activities, restoration of Saraswati river.”
“His personality was full of simplicity and public service. I had been in contact with him since 1984 and had worked for a long time in his team. His idea was to get the whole society together and if there was a mistake from an officer, he would inspire him to improve it with great self-confidence. His most important contribution is the restoration work of Saraswati’s origin site and it was only due his efforts that efforts were made to revive the river on the ground. By realizing this project of Saraswati river, an effort will be made to give true tribute to the late Darshan Lal Jain”, said Haryana CM Khattar.
Darshan Lal Jain was born on December 12, 1927 and received his schooling from the Government High School, Jagadhri and a bachelor's degree from the Panjab University, Chandigarh. He participated in the Quit India Movement in the year 1942 and on October 2, 1942, on Gandhi Jayanti Day got a strike organized at the school.
Darshan Lal Jain joined RSS in the year 1944 and decided to serve the Sangh as a lifelong pracharak (preacher) from the year 1946 and in 1954 refused to take the Jan Sangh ticket to the winning seat of the MLC. He was arrested in 1975 in emergency and remained in jail till 1977 and refused to be released on any condition.
He voluntarily relinquished the post at the age of 80 after being the RSS province director of Haryana for nearly 40 years.
He remained secretary of Vivekananda Rock Memorial Society, Conservator of India Development Council, Guardian of Gau Raksha Samiti, founder member of Saraswati Vidya Mandir Jagadhri, founder minister of DAV Women's College Yamunanagar, chairman of Hindu Shiksha Samiti, founder secretary of Geeta Niketan Residential School, and was the founding member of the Nand Lal Geeta Vidya Mandir Tepla.
Darshan Lal Jain extended Swastik Metal Industry, the family business activities of the metal industry from the year 1964 and succeeded in making India's largest industrial unit of brassware. Launched the first metal-based zinc oxide industrial unit in Haryana and based on his experience, he remained a founding member of Federation of Association of Small Industries of India and an executive member of MMTC (Minerals and Metals Trading Corporation) advisory committee sharing the stage with former Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Apart from this, he continued to play an active role in various educational, social, religious activities.