Chhotu Ram
Encyclopedia
Rao Bahadur
Sir Chhotu Ram (November 24, 1881–January 9, 1945) was one of the most prominent pre-partition politicians in Punjab
and an ideologue of the Jat peasantry and a champion of its interests. Sir Chottu Ram was the first Stephanian (St. Stephen's College, Delhi
) to be knighted in 1937. He was a co-founder of the National Unionist Party and later leader of the Punjab Unionist Party.
in present day Haryana
, India
. His parents were Chaudhari Sukhiram Ohlyan and Sarla Devi. His childhood name was Ramrachhpal.
, 12 miles from his village. He left Jhajjar
to be enrolled in the Christian Mission School in Delhi
. He passed his intermediate examination in 1903 and then enrolled in St Stephen's College, Delhi from where he graduated in 1905 with a distinction in Sanskrit
. He gained his LLB from Agra
College in 1910 and began his practice as an advocate in 1912. He started the Jat-Anglo Sanskrit School on 26 March 1913 in Rohtak
. He joined National Congress in 1916. Sir Chhotu Ram worked as the President of the Rohtak District Congress Committee from 1916 to 1920.
Jats and Muslim
agriculturists committed to the Land Alienation. The Punjab
Alienation of Land Act was passed in 1901 (Sir Chhoturam Act). He soon aligned with such Muslim leaders as Fazli Husain
.
He created the Unionist Party which won elections in 1935, forming Provincial government in the capital Lahore
. As revenue minister, he brought in changes in the law to stop the practice of usury
(charging interest on interest). Among the supporters of the party at this point were such prominent urban Muslims as Sir Abdul Qadir
.
Chhotu Ram also propagated the idea of biradari (peasant brotherhood) among Ahirs, Jats , Gujjar
s and Rajput
s- hence the acronym AJGAR was formed.
Sir Chhotu Ram initially approved the Bhakhra Dam Scheme . He got an agreement between the Maharaja of Bilaspur
, in whose territory the waters of river Sutlej
were to be impounded. And the Punjab
Government signed only a few weeks before he died on January 9, 1945. He laid the foundation of the 'Green Revolution
' and the socioeconomic prosperity of the region.
Sir Chhotu Ram was awarded the title of 'Rao Bahadur'.
abbreviated as DCRUST, after it got the University Status in 2007).
Sir Chottu Ram collected large amounts of funds for the victims of the earth quake of 1934. Earlier in 1933, he had raised funds for the flood victims of Rohtak
town, along with pandit Shri Ram Sharma. Any surplus funds available were diverted to Bihar
.
The enactment of two agrarian laws was primarily due to his contribution. These were the Punjab
relief indebtedness Act in 1934 and the Punjab Debtor's Protection Act in 1936, which emancipated the peasants from the clutches of the moneylenders and restored the right of land to the tiller.
The India
n Govt. has issued a commemorative stamp of Sir Chhoturam on 9 January 1995.
Rao Bahadur
Rao Bahadur was a title of honour issued in British India to individuals who had performed great service to the nation....
Sir Chhotu Ram (November 24, 1881–January 9, 1945) was one of the most prominent pre-partition politicians in Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
and an ideologue of the Jat peasantry and a champion of its interests. Sir Chottu Ram was the first Stephanian (St. Stephen's College, Delhi
St. Stephen's College, Delhi
St. Stephen's College is a constituent college of the University of Delhi located in Delhi, India. The college admits both undergraduates and post-graduates, and awards degrees under the purview of the University. Famous for its rich history and many traditions, St...
) to be knighted in 1937. He was a co-founder of the National Unionist Party and later leader of the Punjab Unionist Party.
Childhood
Chhotu Ram was born on 24 November 1881 in Ohlyan clan of Hindu Jat family in village Garhi Sampla of district RohtakRohtak
Rohtak City is a Municipal Corporation in Rohtak district that styles itself as the "Heart of Haryana". It is located 70 km Northwest of New Delhi and 210 km South of the state capital Chandigarh at the NH 10...
in present day Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. His parents were Chaudhari Sukhiram Ohlyan and Sarla Devi. His childhood name was Ramrachhpal.
Education
Chhotu Ram joined primary school in Jan 1891, passing out four years later. He studied for his middle school examination in JhajjarJhajjar
Jhajjar is a town in Jhajjar district in the Indian state of Haryana.-Geography:Jhajjar is located at . It has an average elevation of 220 metres .-Demographics:...
, 12 miles from his village. He left Jhajjar
Jhajjar
Jhajjar is a town in Jhajjar district in the Indian state of Haryana.-Geography:Jhajjar is located at . It has an average elevation of 220 metres .-Demographics:...
to be enrolled in the Christian Mission School in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
. He passed his intermediate examination in 1903 and then enrolled in St Stephen's College, Delhi from where he graduated in 1905 with a distinction in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
. He gained his LLB from Agra
Agra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
College in 1910 and began his practice as an advocate in 1912. He started the Jat-Anglo Sanskrit School on 26 March 1913 in Rohtak
Rohtak
Rohtak City is a Municipal Corporation in Rohtak district that styles itself as the "Heart of Haryana". It is located 70 km Northwest of New Delhi and 210 km South of the state capital Chandigarh at the NH 10...
. He joined National Congress in 1916. Sir Chhotu Ram worked as the President of the Rohtak District Congress Committee from 1916 to 1920.
Political Activities
After 1920, Sir Chhotu Ram tried to create a non-sectarian peasant group consciousness. He formed the Unionist Party (Zamindara League)in 1923 ; a cross-communal alliance of HinduHindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
Jats and Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
agriculturists committed to the Land Alienation. The Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
Alienation of Land Act was passed in 1901 (Sir Chhoturam Act). He soon aligned with such Muslim leaders as Fazli Husain
Fazli Husain
Sir Fazli Husain, KCSI, Kt. was a Muslim politician in Punjab in the 1920s. He is credited with having been the main engineer of the scheme to establish employment quotas for Muslims in the Indian civil service....
.
He created the Unionist Party which won elections in 1935, forming Provincial government in the capital Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
. As revenue minister, he brought in changes in the law to stop the practice of usury
Usury
Usury Originally, when the charging of interest was still banned by Christian churches, usury simply meant the charging of interest at any rate . In countries where the charging of interest became acceptable, the term came to be used for interest above the rate allowed by law...
(charging interest on interest). Among the supporters of the party at this point were such prominent urban Muslims as Sir Abdul Qadir
Abdul Qadir (Muslim leader)
Sir Abdul Qadir was a Muslim editor. He was the leader of Anjuman-i-Himayat-i-Islam in 1941. He used his position as the lead of this organization to form other, pro-partition of India organizations....
.
Chhotu Ram also propagated the idea of biradari (peasant brotherhood) among Ahirs, Jats , Gujjar
Gujjar
The Gurjar are an ethnic group in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Alternative spellings include Gurjara, Gujar, Gurjjara and Gūrjara. The spelling Gurjara or Gurjar is preferable to the rest....
s and Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s- hence the acronym AJGAR was formed.
Sir Chhotu Ram initially approved the Bhakhra Dam Scheme . He got an agreement between the Maharaja of Bilaspur
Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh
Bilaspur is a city and a municipal council in Bilaspur district in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India.-Geography:Bilaspur is located at . It has an average elevation of 673 metres . It is hot in summer and cold in winters. It rains mostly in July to august .It lies near the reservoir of...
, in whose territory the waters of river Sutlej
Sutlej
The Sutlej River is the longest of the five rivers that flow through the historic crossroad region of Punjab in northern India and Pakistan. It is located north of the Vindhya Range, south of the Hindu Kush segment of the Himalayas, and east of the Central Sulaiman Range in Pakistan.The Sutlej...
were to be impounded. And the Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
Government signed only a few weeks before he died on January 9, 1945. He laid the foundation of the 'Green Revolution
Green Revolution
Green Revolution refers to a series of research, development, and technology transfer initiatives, occurring between the 1940s and the late 1970s, that increased agriculture production around the world, beginning most markedly in the late 1960s....
' and the socioeconomic prosperity of the region.
Sir Chhotu Ram was awarded the title of 'Rao Bahadur'.
Political views
Sir Chhotu Ram was greatly influenced by the forceful poetry of Dr. Mohammad Iqbal. He studied the Geeta and was very much influenced by its philosophy. There are many instances, which represent his value for education and compassion for the poor. A substantial portion of his salary as minister was set aside for scholarships and stipends for economically poor but bright students. A large number of students have completed their studies with assistance received from Sir Chhotu Ram and have made their mark in the life and are in high positions. Chhotu Ram State College of Engineering College in Murthal(Sonepat District), Haryana is named after him (the name of the college has since been changed to Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and TechnologyDeenbandhu Chhotu Ram University Of Science and Technology
Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology, formerly Chhotu Ram State College of Engineering, Murthal started in 1987 and is the first government engineering college in the State of Haryana...
abbreviated as DCRUST, after it got the University Status in 2007).
Sir Chottu Ram collected large amounts of funds for the victims of the earth quake of 1934. Earlier in 1933, he had raised funds for the flood victims of Rohtak
Rohtak
Rohtak City is a Municipal Corporation in Rohtak district that styles itself as the "Heart of Haryana". It is located 70 km Northwest of New Delhi and 210 km South of the state capital Chandigarh at the NH 10...
town, along with pandit Shri Ram Sharma. Any surplus funds available were diverted to Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
.
The enactment of two agrarian laws was primarily due to his contribution. These were the Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
relief indebtedness Act in 1934 and the Punjab Debtor's Protection Act in 1936, which emancipated the peasants from the clutches of the moneylenders and restored the right of land to the tiller.
The India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n Govt. has issued a commemorative stamp of Sir Chhoturam on 9 January 1995.