Charan singh biography of mahatma

Chaudhary Charan Singh, known as the “Champion of Indian Farmers,” was a prominent political figure and the fifth Prime Minister of India. His life and contributions have left an indelible mark on Indian agriculture and rural development. This article delves into his biography, achievements, and enduring legacy.

Chaudhary Charan Singh Biography

Chaudhary Charan Singh was born on December 23, 1902, in Noorpur, a small village in the Hapur district of present-day Uttar Pradesh. Coming from a modest peasant family, he experienced the hardships of rural life firsthand. His early life was characterized by simplicity and a strong work ethic.

Charan Singh excelled academically, earning a degree in law from Agra University. This academic background laid the foundation for his career in public service and his dedication to justice and equality.

Chaudhary Charan Singh in Politics

Charan Singh began his political career in 1937 when he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the United Provinces. He was deeply influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s principles of non-violence and self-reliance. Over time, he became an ardent advocate for agrarian reform and championed the cause of farmers.

Charan Singh: Key Contributions to Indian Agriculture

1. Land Reforms: Chaudhary Charan Singh played a pivotal role in the implementation of land reform policies. He was instrumental in drafting the Zamindari Abolition Act, which aimed to eliminate the exploitative Zamindari system and distribute land to tenant farmers.
2. Pro-Farmer Policies: As a leader, Charan Singh prioritized the welfare of farmers. He introduced several measures to ensure equitable land distribution, access to credit, and fair pricing for agricultural produce.
3. Rural Development: His focus on rural infrastructure, irrigation, and agricultural technology modernization significantly improved the living standards of rural communities.

Charan Singh Political Career

Charan Singh’s political jour

This brief life history of Charan Singh takes the reader through the early influences of Swami Dayanand and Mahatma Gandhi on Singh, his immersion in the freedom struggle, his long political life in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, and his abiding importance as an organic intellectual of village India with a complex, sophisticated and coherent strategy for India’s development at variance from all post-Independence governments. A detailed chronology of Singh’s life is a fascinating glimpse of politics in India from the Forties till the Mid-Eighties.

Singh was a man of simplicity, virtue and morals in the Gandhian mould, his upright character and honesty recognised by all. This enabled him a reputation as a strong administrator, an upholder of the law of the land. He believed in a fundamentally democratic society of small producers and small consumers brought together in a system neither socialist or capitalist but one that addressed the uniquely Indian problems of poverty, unemployment, inequality, caste and corruption. Each of these issues remains intractable today, and his solutions as fresh and relevant to their amelioration and ultimate eradication.

A scholar of extraordinary capability, Singh wrote a number of books, political pamphlets and numerous articles in English on his belief of the centrality of villages and agriculture in India’s political economy which are even more relevant to India today as we struggle with an agrarian crisis and 67% of our population in the villages. His first publication was the 611-page report of the Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Committee in Uttar Pradesh in 1948. He also wrote, amongst others, Abolition of Zamindari: Two Alternatives (1947), Joint Farming X-Rayed: The Problem and Its Solution (1959), India’s Poverty and Its Solution (1964), India’s Economic Policy: The Gandhian Blueprint (1978) and Economic Nightmare of India: Its Cause and Cure (1981).

Prime Minister of India from 1979 to 1980

For other people named Charan Singh, see Charan Singh (disambiguation).

Chaudhary Charan Singh (23 December 1902 – 29 May 1987) was an Indian politician, peasant leader, author and an independence activist who briefly served as the prime minister of India from July 1979 to August 1979. Singh was principally known for his land and agricultural reform initiatives, and was Member of Parliament (MP) for Baghpat. During his premiership, he was a member of the Janata Party (Secular). He served as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh as a member of Bhartiya Kranti Dal. He also briefly served as the deputy prime minister of India from January 1979 to July 1979 as a member of the Janata Party. Singh is widely regarded as the "Champion of Farmers", dedicated to advocating for the well being and rights of farmers.

Singh was born in Meerut district, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. He graduated from Agra College in 1923 with a Bachelor of Science degree, and then pursued Master of Arts in history in 1925. In 1927 he completed his Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Meerut College.

Singh entered politics as a part of Indian independence movement motivated by Mahatma Gandhi. Singh followed Gandhi in non-violent struggle for independence from the British Government, and was imprisoned several times. In 1930, he was sent to jail for 12 years by the British for contravention of the salt laws. He was jailed again for one year in November 1940 for individual Satyagraha movement. In August 1942 he was jailed again by the British under DIR and released in November 1943. He was a Congress member for most of his life, he later founded his own Lok Dal party. He is the first leader outside the Indian National Congress who formed government in the northern India and became the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. He was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna i