Yadunandan Sharma

Yadunandan Sharma, also known as Pandit Jadunandan Sharma, was a well known Indian freedom fighter, peasant leader and a nationalist from the state of Bihar. He began a movement against the zamindars and British administrators and fought for the rights of tillers at Reora, which is also addressed as the Reora Satyagraha.

Early Life of Yadunandan Sharma
Yadunandan Sharma or Jadunandan Sharma was born in the year 1896 in the village of Majhiawa in the district of Gaya, Bihar. He was born in a poor sakaldwip Brahmin family. He started to work as a cowherd from a very young age, as the family faced various financial problems after the death of his father. Pandit Yadunandan Sharma started his education at a later age and successfully passed his matriculation examination from Tekari high school in the year 1919. Later he was employed as a school teacher for almost a year in a school in the village.

Sharma also worked as a manager in a zamindari and gathered experience and knowledge about the system. Eventually Yadunandan Sharma went to Benaras and got admitted to the Benaras Hindu University to complete his graduation. In the year 1929, he received his B.A. degree.

Revolutionary Activities of Yadunandan Sharma
Pandit Yadunandan Sharma actively participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement. Due to his participation in the movement, Sharma was arrested by the British Indian Police in 1930 and was sentenced to imprisonment for 16 months. After his release, Yadunandan Sharma became a part of the Kisan movement in the year 1933. He began the renowned Sandako and Reora Satyagraha during that period. He became the undoubted leader of peasants in the district of Gaya and was appointed as the second in command to Swami Sahajanand Saraswati, who was also a legendary peasant leader and a freedom fighter.

Yadunandan Sharma spent most of his life in an ashram in Neyamatpur village from where he conducted several revolutionary activities against the Zamindari and the British Empire in India. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru paid a visit to the ashram in the village of Neyamatpur in the year 1936. Nehru met with Yadunandan Sharma (Pandit Jadunandan Sharma) in December 1936 and addressed a mass gathering of the local Bhumihar populace. Pandit Yadunandan Sharma died in the year 1975.