| Rao Bahadur Sir Chhotu Ram |
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|---|---|
| Sir Chhotu Ram at a rally in 1941 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 4, 1881 Rohtak District, Punjab |
| Died | January 9, 1945 (aged 63) Lahore, Punjab |
| Political party | Unionist Party |
| Religion | Hinduism |
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.[1] He was a co-founder of the National Unionist Party and later leader of the Punjab Unionist Party.
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Chhotu Ram was born on 24 November 1881 in Ohlyan clan of Hindu Jat family in village Garhi Sampla of district Rohtak in present day Haryana, India. His parents were Chaudhari Sukhiram Singh Ohlyan and Sarla Devi. His childhood name was Ramrachhpal.
Chhotu Ram joined primary school in Jan 1891, passing out four years later. He studied for his middle school examination in Jhajjar, 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.
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 Hindu 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.[2]
Chhotu Ram also propagated the idea of biradari (peasant brotherhood) among Ahirs, Jats , Gujjars and Rajputs- hence the acronym AJGAR was formed.[3][4]
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'.
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 Technology 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 Indian Govt. has issued a commemorative stamp of Sir Chhoturam on 9 January 1995.