Bahadur Singh Bhobia

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Chaudhary Bahadur Singh Bhobia
Chaudhary Bahadur Singh Bhobia

Chaudhary Bahadur Singh Bhobia (1882 - 1924) (Hindi:चौधरी बहादुरसिंह भोबिया) was a social reformer from Rajasthan state in India. He was a retired subedar of village Bidangkhera in Rajasthan, who started ‘Jat Anglo Indian School’ in Sangariya with the purpose of spreading education in rural areas on 9 August 1917. [1]

Contents

[edit] Early life

He was born in 1882 in the family of Motiram Bhobia and his wife Lichhama (Laxmi) in village Vidangkheda in formerly Firozpur district in Punjab, India. Initially he stayed with his maternal uncle Chaudhary Himmata Ram Sheoran in village Kular (Punjab). Here he got primary education from a village pandit. He had got only normal education and joined a job of Patwari at village Dabali in Hanumangarh, Rajasthan. [2]

[edit] Joined Indian Army

In the job of patwari he learnt how the farmers are being exploited. He could not tolerate the behavior of government officers with the public and left the job. In 1914 when the world war I started, he joined army in Bikaner princely state and reached up to the rank of havildar but he was refused further promotion by the samanti officers. He corresponded with the army officers and later directly with the Commander-in-Chief regarding his promotion. The treatment given to him by Rajputs forced him to leave the army of Bikaner princely state, and joined Indian Army at Jhansi. Here he was recruited in the rank of subedar. There was a great demand of fresh recruits in the army due to World War I. This work was allotted to him which he did with sincerity. After some time he got retired from the Indian Army.[3]

[edit] Founder of Jat Anglo Indian School Sangaria

During British rule in India, this area was under princely state of Bikaner. In this rural area of 800 squire miles from Bikaner to Bhatinda there was not a single school by the state. There was no awakening amongst the public. The Rathore rulers of Bikaner princely state had banned the education of Jats. On 9 August 1917, Chaudhary Bahadur Singh Bhobia with the help of swami mansanath and Thakur Gopal Singh Panniwali, opened a school named "Jat Anglo Sanskrit Middle School" in sarrafo-ki-dharmshala in Hanumangarh town in Rajasthan, India. A Rajput officer, when came to know about this school, became very angry and ordered to close down the school. Chaudhary Bahadur Singh Bhobia told him that his purpose is to get the public educated and if he has any objection about this school he should send a complaint to the Maharaja Bikaner. [4] The officer could not dare to say anything to Chaudhary Bahadur Singh but called owner of the dharmshala building where the school was running to get it vacated otherwise be ready to face the consequences. The owner got afraid and ordered Chaudhary Bahadur Singh to shift the school. Under such circumstances he shifted the school from Hanumangarh to Sangaria on 1 January 1918. He started this school at Sangaria in the dharmshala of seth Bajarangdas Hisaria.[5] This Jat School was the only centre of education not only in Rajasthan but adjoining Punjab over an area of 800 squire miles. [6] [7]

There was a need of funds to expand Sangaria Jat School and hostel. Chaudhary Bahadur Singh appealed to the public in 1919 to collect Rs. ten thousand. Due to continuos famines in this desert area the appealed fund could not be generated and Chaudhary Bahadur Singh decided to leave his life if this amount is not collected by year 1921. This worked and the farmers of the area started collecting funds. On 27 March 1921 there was a huge gathering at Sangaria, which was presided by Sir Chhotu Ram. There was a collection of Rs 11000/- in this gathering. The school thus continued progress. From 1918 to 1924 various new branched were started in the nearby rural areas. [8]</ref> [9]

Chaudhary Bahadur Singh was under great pressure of expanding work of the school. Due to excessive work of 5-6 years, his health started deteriorating. In month of May 1924 he was on continuous tour of the desert area to collect funds for the school. He got infected with Malaria during the tour and died of Malaria on 1 June 1924.[10]


After death of Chaudhary Bahadur Singh, Chaudhary Harish Chandra Nain started looking after the school. From 1924 to 1932 he single handedly run the school. [11]</ref> [12]

[edit] Gramothan Vidyapith, Sangaria

Swami Keshwanand was made director of Jat School Sangaria in 1932 that was just to close for want of funds. He went from village to village and to the Seths of desert region who were in Calcutta and far off places and collected funds. He became instrumental in starting hundreds of schools in the desert region. The Jat School Sangaria was renamed as Gramothan Vidyapith, Sangaria in 1948. Swami Keshwanand was connected with Gramothan Vidyapith, Sangaria (Rajasthan) (1932-1952). He developed here a beautiful museum with collection of rare documents, ancient items, paintings etc. brought from various places. Large-scale plantations were done in this arid area with the help of people and students of the Institute. Gramothan Vidyapith, Sangaria had become center of inspiration for educationists from India and abroad.[13]

[edit] Honour

There is a trust established in Honour of Chaudhary Bahadur Singh, for the social upliftment in Sangariya , known as 'Ch. Bahadur Singh Bhobia Samaj Jagriti Parmarth Trust', in the memory of this great man.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Dr Pema Ram, Jaton ki Gauravgatha, p.58
  2. ^ Dr Pema Ram, Jaton ki Gauravgatha, p.56
  3. ^ Dr Pema Ram, Jaton ki Gauravgatha, p.57
  4. ^ Dr Pema Ram, Jaton ki Gauravgatha, p.58
  5. ^ ठाकुर देशराज, रियासती भारत के जाट जनसेवक, 1949, पेज 118
  6. ^ ठाकुर देशराज, रियासती भारत के जाट जनसेवक, 1949, पेज 118
  7. ^ Dr Pema Ram, Jaton ki Gauravgatha, p.59
  8. ^ Thakur Deshraj, Chaudhary Harish Chandra Nain, 1964, p. 66
  9. ^ Dr Pema Ram, Jaton ki Gauravgatha, p.62
  10. ^ Dr Pema Ram, Jaton ki Gauravgatha, p.62
  11. ^ Thakur Deshraj, Chaudhary Harish Chandra Nain, 1964, p. 66
  12. ^ Dr Pema Ram, Jaton ki Gauravgatha, p.62
  13. ^ Dr Pema Ram, Jaton ki Gauravgatha, p.162-163
  • Dr Mahendra Singh Arya, Dharmpal Singh Dudee, Kishan Singh Faujdar & Vijendra Singh Narwar: Ādhunik Jat Itihasa (The modern history of Jats), Agra 1998, p.310

Attribution - The original text of this article is taken from http://www.jatland.com/home/Chaudhary_Bahadur_Singh_Bhobia, which is licensed under GFDL


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