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Role of Sir Chhotu Ram in the Politics of Undivided Punjab

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Role of Sir Chhotu Ram in the Politics of Undivided Punjab International Journal of Research p-I SSN: 2348-6848 e-I SSN: 2348-795X Available at https://edupediapublications.org/journals Vol ume 02 I s s ue 11 November 2015 Role of Sir Chhotu Ram in the Politics of Undivided Punjab Sonia Lecturer in Political Science Govt. Sr. Sec. School- Gudha District – Jhajjar (Haryana) Abstract: party till his death in 1945. He also started the Urdu weekly ‘Jat Gazette’ in It is a well-known fact that Sir Chhotu 1916 to awaken the rural masses. Here it Ram who is known as Deenbandhu is also noteworthy that he gave priority Rehbar-e-Azam and a most popular to the political development of Punjab as leader of joint Punjab, began as a the first step for the independence of Congressite and ended as a true unionist. India and he believed in constructive He joined the All India Congress Party in politics. He avoided the politics of 1916 and became the president of Rohtak confrontation and like other nationalists district Congress Committee in the of his time; his main goal was complete consequent year and remained on this independence. The present research office till August 1920, but he was no paper highlights Sir Chhotu Ram’s role longer satisfied with the policy of in Punjab Politics. Congress and he resigned it in August 1920. Meanwhile he also played an active role as active member of Arya Keywords: Samaj. After some time he entered the provincial politics in 1924 and joined the Nationalist, Indian National Congress, Punjab National Unionist Party Punjab Unionist Party, Secularism, established by Fazi-i-Hussain and Lal Confrontation, Social Justice, Unionist. Chand in 1923 and he remained one of the staunchest supporter and pillar of the Available online: https://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/IJR/ P a g e | 1025 International Journal of Research p-I SSN: 2348-6848 e-I SSN: 2348-795X Available at https://edupediapublications.org/journals Vol ume 02 I s s ue 11 November 2015 Introduction: political equilibrium of the province support politics. It irritated the Congress Sir Chhotu Ram was a staunch supporter against the Rowlett Act. However, of the national unity and integrity. He Rohtak district was a Jat dominated area considered communalism as the bane of and a large number of participation was his country. Therefore, he united the made by them in this movement but Sir masses, especially the peasantry, on non- Chhotu Ram did not like this political communal, non-sectarian and purely on scenario and he made his statements economic basis. He relentlessly fought against the actions taken by the against exploitation, ignorance, Congress. In fact in a mass meeting held backwardness, illiteracy, corruption and at Rohtak on 11 August 1919 Sir Chhotu other social evils, as he considered that a Ram advocated that a direct challenge to socially backward and illiterate society Punjab Government could create was prone to communalism. He tried disturbances in the process of economic very successfully to awaken and unite reforms. That is why; Sir Chhotu Ram the rural masses against any forum of withdrawal from the Congress was communalism. He also fought and clearly based on the ideology of defeated the communal forces of operation with the British Government. Pakistan with the help of his economic Consequently, it resulted Sir Chhotu plank of the strength of his rural mass Ram’s defeat in the first election to the support throughout the province. He Punjab Counsil from the Jhajjar and remained loyal to the British Sonepat rural consistency of Rohtak Government till his death. He knew the district. However, Sir Chhotu Ram was fact that the process of Socio-Economic able to acquire his position again in reforms cannot be completed without the consequent year of 1924 when he was help of the government. elected Vice Chairman of Rohtak district Meanwhile, the disturbances board and also the Director of Local prevalent in Punjab of 1919 changed the Cooperative Bank. Available online: https://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/IJR/ P a g e | 1026 International Journal of Research p-I SSN: 2348-6848 e-I SSN: 2348-795X Available at https://edupediapublications.org/journals Vol ume 02 I s s ue 11 November 2015 Role of Sir Chhotu Ram as an of some institutions for technical Educationist: Sir Chhotu Ram knew education and female education. He the fact that education can bring a drastic established the Anglo-Sanskrit Jat High change among in rural masses. However, School in 1913 and Jat Heroes High there was a wide spread illiteracy in School in 1921 in Rohtak district. That Punjab, therefore, he emphasized on is why; he is called a true advocate and opening schools in rural areas and champion of female education in Punjab providing reservation to the students politics. belonging to the agriculturists families in Sir Chhotu Ram Role in Socio-Economic the professional and technical institutions Reforms: Sir Chhotu Ram was very when Sir Chhotu Ram became the pathetic during the period of his early minister for development, he emphasized life; social injustice, democracy and to allocate a huge amount of budget for inequality among the society. He had education. He also got a resolution himself experienced the reality of the life passed in Punjab legislative council in of a peasant. He also had come from a 1924 instructing the administration to rural life that is why he knew the facts give special concession to the students of very well. Consequently, his rural peasantry class. Consequently, there was background prompted him to work for a remarkable increase in the admission of the betterment of the trodden class. He these students. He opened about 2000 got many legislations passed for bringing rural libraries and also started many about improvement in the life of the night schools for adults to spread the peasants. The Regulation of Accounts awareness among rural masses. Act (Punjab Act 1 of 1930), in the year Moreover, he also enacted the Punjab 1930, under which the money lenders Primary Education Bill in 1926. In were require to maintain their accounts addition to spread of education for in the prescribed form and furnish yearly general education, Sir Chhoru Ram also and half-yearly statements of accounts laid a considerable emphasis in opening Available online: https://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/IJR/ P a g e | 1027 International Journal of Research p-I SSN: 2348-6848 e-I SSN: 2348-795X Available at https://edupediapublications.org/journals Vol ume 02 I s s ue 11 November 2015 to their debtors regularly. The Punjab signed on the Haveli Project which Relief of Indebtedness (Act VII) was completed in 1939. A division was also passed in 1934, which provided relief to instituted during 1943-44 for finding the peasantry from indebtedness by irrigation possibilities in the western part amending the law governing the relation of the province. As a result of Sir Chhotu between the debtors and the creditors. He Ram’s effort in the field of irrigation, a got Punjab Debtors Protection Act (Act raise in irrigation facilities was observed. 11 of 1936) passed and got it amended in By 1944, he also had obtained 1938 and 1939. He got passed other acts clearance from the Rural of Bilaspur and like Punjab Agriculture Produce the Government of Sindh for bundh Marketing Act – 1939, Weights & irrigation in Gurgaon district and a new Measure Acts- 1941, Punjab Sugarcane scheme of tubewell irregation though it Act- 1943, Punjab Alienation of Land could not be materialized in his life time. Act – 1938, which added to Sir Chhotu Ram also worked on Bakhra agriculturist’s prosperity and checked the Dam Project which was the most exploitation of the schedule caste and ambitious and remarkable project of his poor people both rural and urban areas. life. He had signed on the file of approval of this project on 08 Jan. 1945, He also made a lot of efforts to one day before his death. bring water to the thirsty field of the Punjab especially the South-Eastern Sir Chhotu Ram had a great faith areas. In his efforts to make the that agriculture alone could not provide agriculturist self-dependent, Sir Chhotu employment to the rural masses. Ram gave practical safe to the Kharif Therefore, he emphasized on the setting Canals Extension Scheme -1940. It is the up of industries in the rural and urban fact that the two non-perennial canals areas. He especially advocated were dug in his time; one for Rohtak and establishing the small cottage industries one for Hisar district in 1941-42. He also in the rural areas. He declared that Available online: https://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/IJR/ P a g e | 1028 International Journal of Research p-I SSN: 2348-6848 e-I SSN: 2348-795X Available at https://edupediapublications.org/journals Vol ume 02 I s s ue 11 November 2015 unless something is done to industrialize entered the Punjab Council and took the the Punjab, we can’t have that measure place of Lalchand as the Minister of of prosperity in the province which we Agriculture in the consequent years. He require for enabling the people living in remained the minister of agriculture for rural areas with a decent and comfortable about 6 months and served as the life. Therefore, to mitigate the suffering Minister of Education from 1925 to 1927 of the agriculturist on account of the high but after the third elections to the Punjab rate of land revenue he put up as well as Council, Sir Chhotu Ram was dropped supported a large number of measures. from the Ministership in favour of His fundamental argument for supporting Manohar Lal, who was intellectually all such measures was that the state had superior to him.
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