"How great we feel when someone does the heroic deed? We share in his moral power. We rejoice in his assertion of human equality and dignity."

- Lala Har Dayal

Lala Har Dayal, an Indian nationalist and revolutionary, died on March 4 in 1939.

On his 78th death anniversary, here are some interesting facts about the founder of Ghadar Party:

A polymath who turned down a career in the Indian Civil Service, Lala Har Dayal was born on October 14, 1884 in Delhi, India

For years, he lived an austere life, eating only boiled grains and potatoes, and sleeping on the floor

He gave up two Oxford scholarships and turned down a career in the Indian Civil Service to join the nationalist movement

Lala Har Dayal was blessed with a photographic memory and a gift for languages. He edited Madam Cama's journal Bande Mataram and Talwar

In 1911, he moved to the United States, where he became involved in industrial unionism. He had also served as the secretary of the San Francisco branch of the Industrial Workers of the World alongside Fritz Wolffheim

He founded the Ghadar Party in the year 1913

He died in Philadelphia on March 4, 1939. On the evening of his death, he delivered a lecture as usual where he had said "I am in peace with all"

In 1987, the India Department of Posts issued a commemorative stamp in his honour, within the series of "India's Struggle for Freedom".

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