Shri Bishwanath Roy, a veteran freedom fighter was born into a farming family at village Khukhundoo in Deoria district of Uttar Pradesh, on 10'" December 1906. Son of Shri Jagat Narain Rai, he got his early education at a village school and went on to do his matriculation from Gorakhpur. Thereafter he joined St. Andrew's College, Gorakhpur, where he came to be elected Secretary of 'The Hindu Chhatra Sabha', an association of students dedicated to the Swadeshi Movement. After graduation, he joined The Law College at Allahabad in July 1929. An ardent admirer of Mahatma Gandhi, Bishwanath Roy also came to be deeply influenced by the patriotism and nationalism preached by other stalwarts like Madan Mohan Malviya and Acharya Kriplani. He also came into close contact with revolutionary leaders like Sachindra Nath Viswas, and was inspired to dedicate himself to the cause of freedom for his country by the sacrifices of revolutionaries like Ram Prasad Bismil.

In 1928 Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru founded The Indian Youth League and Bishwanath Roy was elected as a member of the executive committee of this League. He continued to work for the League, in close association with its next President, Smt. Kamla Nehru, for the amelioration of the lot of the depressed and down-trodden, while spreading the seeds of nationalism amongst the people. As a student of law he participated in the 'Civil Disobedience Movement' launched by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930 and organized a complete strike in his college. While hoisting the tricolour flag at Ghantaghar at Allahabad, he and his associates were fired upon the by the police, resulting into killing of two of his colleagues on the spot, and Bishwanath Roy was arrested and imprisoned. Resisting the pressure of family and friends to turn him from his chosen path and lead a comfortable life, Bishwanath Roy joined as a soldier of the 'Hindustan Socialist Republican Army' founded by Chandra Shekhar Azad. His activities during this period are shrouded in secrecy, but were dangerous enough for the British to hunt him down and imprison him from 1940 to 1946. Perceived as a danger to the British Empire, he was subjected to considerable   mental   and   physical   torture,   his   family members harassed, and his family home ransacked. In course of his imprisonment he also  lost four close members of his family, including his father, and was not even permitted to perform the last rites.

During this period, he came in contact interactions with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who convinced him to abandon his violent activities and follow the path of non­ violence, and inducted him into the Indian National Congress.

After independence also Bishwanath Roy continued to serve the nation, and worked tirelessly and selflessly for its reconstruction and development. Shri Bishwanath Roy sought to improve the condition of workers and peasants, as well as freedom fighters and their families, and also to awaken the rural masses for eradication of social evils. To further this end he also founded several schools and colleges in Deoria, and wrote numerous articles for leading newspapers. His published works 'Rashtriya Gadar' and 'Kranti Vad' also testify to his abiding commitment to the interest of the nation above all else.

Elected as a Member of Parliament for a record five terms, from 1952 to 1977, he also served as Deputy Minister of Labour, Employment and Rehabilitation in the Central Government, apart from being associated with numerous public and Government bodies.

Shri Bishwanath Roy passed away on 27'h August 1984, at Benaras.

The Department of Posts is happy to issue a commemorative postage stamp  in honour of Shri Bishwanath Roy.

Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India