Late Shri Yudhvir was a freedom fighter, a social worker and a renowned journalist. Born in 1921 at Lahore, (now in Pakistan) into a distinguished political family of Punjab, his father was the late Anand Swami Saraswathi, who after an active life as an Arya Samaj leader, took sanyas. While pursuing his Bachelor in Arts at D.A.V College, Lahore, Shri Yudhvir participated in the freedom struggle in Punjab and so could not complete his studies. During the Independence movement he went to jail several times and suffered inhuman torture during British rule in Police lockups and Lahore Fort. He underwent major operations during detention in jails owing to different ailments. His last imprisonment lasted for about 3 years continuously when he was arrested during Quit India Movement in 1942. He organized the biggest public reception in 1945 for Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru on the occasion of his first public appearance after Quit India Movement, when he returned from Srinagar to Lahore. This is where Pt. Nehru made a historical announcement of defending Indian National Army trials by British Govt. at Red Fort, Delhi
Shri Yudhvir was incharge of Punjab Congress Seva Dal in 1945-46. He also took active part in Bharat Scouts Movement, which was a national parallel organization to Bedin Powell Scouts Movement. In 1946, he camped at the riot stricken areas in Noakhali, East Bengal (now in Bangaldesh) when Mahatma Gandhi toured the district in a mission to restore peace and communal harmony. He was the Volunteer Incharge of Punjab Riot Sufferers Relief Committee which was sponsored by the Punjab Provincial Congress Committee from 1946 to 1948. Without caring for his life, he evacuated Hindu & Muslim refugees from riot stricken areas and organized their security and movement on both sides of the border. Several times he had to face the shower of bullets. He remained in Pakistan for relief work upto August 1949 till the Deputy Commissioner of Lahore refused to give him protection.
Shri Yudhvir was also the elected member of Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee in 1947 – 49. He came to Hyderabad in 1949 and started an edition of the Milap daily first in Urdu and later in Hindi in 1950. He was the Founder Member of the Andhra Pradesh Punjabi Sabha for several years and President of the Baisakhi Mela. He was also the Founder Member Amrat Kapadia Navjivan College for Women in Hyderabad in 1966. He started Milap in Urdu and English from London in 1972 with the aim to build up the image of India. The edition shut down in 1975. He was one of the founders of Indian Overseas Congress in Southhall (London) and Birmingham and helped them to make this an all UK Organization of which he was the Advisor and Patron. During emergency under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, he organized the historical Solidarity March in London in September 1975. Thousands of Indians living in different parts of the U.K participated in the march. He was a staunch believer in secularism and socialism and the programme of upliftment of weaker section and downtrodden. He passed away on 1st February 1991. His wife Smt. Seeta Yudhvir was also a freedom fighter, social worker. Their marriage was settled while he was in jail. She served as a member of Rajya Sabha for two terms. She wrote a biographical book -‘Zindagi ke aaine mein Yudhvir’ about her husband and his idealism. She passed away on 10th January 1994.
