The question of compiling an authoritative History of Freedom Struggle in India had been engaging the attention of the Government of India, ever since 1950. As a first step in the direc tion, a committee was appointed the same year under the Ghairmanshi of Dr. Tara Ghand, former Vice-Chancellor of the Allahabad Ulhivcrsity and Educational Adviser to the Government of India to supervise the collection of necessary material from all possible sources. Its main purpose was not merely to provide a correct record of the significant phases in India’s national history but also to place before the world at large the various phases and techniques of this struggle which was unique in its character. In 1953, the Government of India appointed a Board of Editors comprising nine members under the Chairmanship of Dr. Syed Mahmud. The Board held its first meeting at New Delhi on the 2nd and 3rd of January, 1953, and inter alia passed the following Resolution:- “ The Board requests all State Governments to appoint Committees in consultation with this Board to assist the Board in the collection of materials for writing a history of the
Freedom Struggle Movement in India. These State Committees may be provided with funds for this purpose by the State Governments and authorized to incur necessary expenditure.” The above Resolution was strongly supported by the Government of India and it recommended the appointment of Regional Committees by the State Governments. Various regions were formed and put in charge of the Members. The U.P. and Kashmir were to be supervised by the following:
(a) Dr. Syed Mahmud
(b) Prof. M. Habib '
(c) Acharya Narcndra Deva
In accordance with the directive of the Government of India a committee at the State level was constituted in 1953 under the Chairmanship of late Acharya Narendra Deva. The committee
draficd proposals for revitalising the work and obtaining aid from the State Government. -Unfortunately the committee could not avail of the guidance and advice of Acharya Nayendra Deva because of his continued illness and he had to resign and proceed to the continent for treatment. Consequently, the first Freedom struggle Committee was reconstituted on May 13, 1955, with the following personnel:
1. Sri Kamalapati Tripathi, Information Minister, U.P. ' Chairman
2. Dr. Syed Mahmud, Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of India Member
3. Acharya Birbal Singh, M.P., Principal, Kashi Vidyapeeth, Varanasi ,,
4. Prof. Ram Saran, M.P., 26, Queensway, New Delhi ,,
5. Prof. Muhammad Habib, Aligarh University, Aligarh ,,
6. Dr. Banarasi Prasad Saksena, M.A., PH.D., Allahabad University, Allahabad ,,
7. Sri Aditya Nath _]ha, I.c.s., Chief Secretary, U.P. Government ,,
8. Sri V. C. Sharma, I.A.S., Secretary to Government, U.P., Education Department ,,
9. Sri Govind Narain, I.o.s., Development Commissioner, U.P., Lucknow ,,
10. Sri Siddique Hasan, 1.0.5., Commissioner, Lucknow Division, Lucknow . .. ,,
11. Dr. G. N. Saletore, PH.D., Keeper Records, U.P. ,,
12. Dr. N. L. Chattexji, PI-1.1)., D.LI'r'r., Reader in History, Lucknow University, Lucknow Member Secretary