Acharya Narendra Deo was born in Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh, in 1889. He was brought up in Faizabad and took his M.A. LLB degree from Allahabad University. In 1916, he became Secretary of Home Rule League in his district; and in 1917, he joined the Indian National Congress. Acharyaji took an active part in the 1921 Civil Disobedience campaign and in all subsequent struggles in connection with the Freedom movement. He suffered imprisonment many times. He was in charge of the individual satyagraha in Uttar Pradesh in 1940.

Acharyaji was intimately connected with the Kisan movement since 1921 when he organized it in his district. He also helped in the founding of the All-India Kisan Sabha. He fought consistently for the abolition of Zamindari and as President of the Agriculture Enquiry Committee, U.P., greatly contributed to clarifying the concept of land reforms. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh in 1938, and again in 1946. He was a member of the Legislative Council, Uttar Pradesh in 1952-54, and of the Rajya Sabha in 1954-56.

Acharyaji's work as an educationist is also well known. He was the Vice-Chancellor of the Kashi Vidyapith from 1927 to 1947. He was also the Vice-Chancellor of Lucknow University and Banaras Hindu University. He was the member of the First Education Commission and the Chairman of the Committee of Primary Education. Acharya Narenra Deo was a keen student of both Eastern and Western thoughts. As a student, he studied Mazzini's works in English and was much impressed by his concept of nationalism. He was also much inspired and impressed by the Russian Revolution.

He was an eminent scholar of ancient Indian history. The Buddhist philosophy impressed him most. His book "Abhijnyan Dharma Kosa" is ranked as an authoritative treatise on Buddhism. Acharyaji was an excellent orator in Hindi, Urdu and English and was well versed in Arabic, Persian, Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, Bengali, French and German. Acharyaji visited China in a cultural delegation sent by the Government of India in 1950, and later visited Yugoslavia, Austria and Germany in 1954. Acharya Narendra Deo was a great national leader and ardent patriot. For forty years, he strove hard for political freedom, social service and economic justice and the cultural advancement of the people.

To establish a socialist society on sound foundations of democracy, continued to be the mission of his life till the end. He was a social worker in advance of his time. His personality embodied a fine harmony of creative thought, social action and deep emotion. Today a grateful nation remembers the service of this eminent leader who gave his best to attain freedom for his country and to prepare the people for building a socialist society on sound democratic foundations.

The Posts and Telegraphs department feels privileged to bring out a special commemorative stamp in honour of Acharya Narendra Deo, a great son of India.

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