http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100901/dun.htm#5Founder leader of UKD Vipin Tripathi remembered
Our Correspondent
Pithoragarh, August 31
Kumaon remembered one of its great sons and founder leader of the UKD Vipin Tripathi on his sixth death anniversary here today. A function in the memory of Tripathi, who was MLA from the Dwarahat Assembly constituency, was held at Dwarahat in Almora district today. “Many eminent social workers and political leaders are taking part in this function which is being organised by his son, present MLA from Dwarahat Puspesh Tripathi,”and “myor pahad” said Charu Tiwari, one of the organisers.
Tripathi, or Vipin Da, was a Socialist leader by ideology. Born on February 23, 1945, he joined the Samajvadi Yuvjan Sabha after being influenced by Dr Ram Manohar Lohiya and started journalism as an instrument of social change, said Tiwari, adding that starting with Yuvjan Mashal, a fortnightly from Haldwani, Vipin Da took up an active movement in the Terai region and was arrested for it.
After settling down in his hometown Dwarahat, Vipin Tripathi started publishing Dronachal Prahari, a fortnightly newspaper, and taking part in the Chipko movement during that era. “During the Emergency, Vipin Da was arrested under DIR and Press Act; his press was sealed and newspaper forfeited. He was jailed for 22 months, but this trauma did not deter him from his principles of Socialism and after being released from jail, he formed the Uttarakhand Jan Sangharsh Samiti in 1979 and later joined the UKD in 1980 to speed up the movement for a separate state,” said Charu Tiwari.
Puspesh Tripathi said his father went to jail seven times during the movement for a separate state and also remained president of the UKD.
Vipin Da was first elected Pramukh of the Dwarahat Block Development Committee and thereafter elected for the Uttarakhand Assembly in 2002. He died as an MLA on August 30 on 2004.
