Yamuna Karjee

Yamuna Karjee, alternatively spelled as Yamuna Karji, was a well known Indian freedom fighter, independence activist and patriot who actively participated in the Indian freedom struggle and significantly contributed to the cause. Yamuna Karjee was born in the year 1898 in the small village of Deopar, located near Pusa in the district of Darbhanga, Bihar state, India. Yamuna Karjee belonged to Bhumihar Brahmin family. His father Anu Karjee, who was a farmer, died when Yamuna was merely 6 months old. Yamuna Karjee was drawn towards the cause of Indian freedom struggle from his early days. He was fascinated by the leadership of Swami Sahajanand Saraswati who commenced the Peasant movement and the Kisan Movement.

Yamuna Karjee became a close associate of other well known Indian revolutionaries and leaders who also participated in the peasant movement, namely Yadunandan Sharma (Jadunandan Sharma), Panchanan Sharma and Karyanand Sharma. Karjee continued his higher studies from the Presidency College in Calcutta (now Kolkata). Later he also studied Law and acquired a degree in Law. Yamuna Karjee met with a number of freedom fighters and popular leaders of the Indian National Congress in Calcutta, such as Dr. Sri Krishna Sinha, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, Rahul Sankrityayan and others.

Although Yamuna Karjee received the offers of numerous government jobs after the completion of his education, he rejected the offers and became a noted Hindi journalist. Later he became a part of the editorial division of Bharat Mitra, which was a Hindi weekly that was published in Calcutta (now Kolkata). Karjee actively participated in the Non Cooperation Movement under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi from the year 1920 to 1921. As a result of this, he was arrested by the British Indian Police. Later he was again imprisoned in the year 1929 for participating in the Civil Disobedience Movement and Salt Satyagrah.

Yamuna Karjee contested in the first election for Bihar and Orissa Assembly held in the year 1937. He won the election as a candidate of the Indian National Congress Party. Later he left the Congress Party due to contrasting political views. Yamuna Karjee was amongst the foremost leaders of the peasant movement in the state of Bihar under the leadership of Swami Sahajanand Saraswati. Along with Rahul Sankritayan and other noted individuals, Karjee commenced a publishing a weekly Hindi journal titled Hunkar in the year 1940, from Bihar state. Later the Hindi weekly journal became the spokesperson of the peasant movement and the agrarian movement in Bihar. Yamuna Karjee served as the President of the Kisan Sabha for brief period. Karjee was also appointed in the position of President Bihar Journalist association in the year 1947.

Yamuna Karjee died at the age of 55 years in October 1953 due to cancer. After his unfortunate demise, the peasant movement lost impetus in Bihar and went out of control. A college in Muzaffarpur, Bihar was named after Yamuna Karjee.