Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar pays tribute to former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh on his death anniversary

New Delhi, May 29

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar paid tribute to former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh on his death anniversary at Kisan Ghat here on Wednesday.

He was accompanied by RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary, who is the grandson of Chaudhary Charan Singh. This year, the former Prime Minister was posthumously awarded India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna.

Chaudhary Charan Singh, born in 1902 in Noorpur of Meerut district in Uttar Pradesh, hailed from a middle-class peasant family. He relocated to Meerut in 1929 and subsequently joined the Congress. He was first elected to the UP Legislative Assembly in 1937 from Chhaprauli. He continued to represent the constituency in 1946, 1952, 1962 and 1967.

Chaudhary Charan Singh was a key figure in the Janata Party, known not only for his political acumen but also for his prolific writing on land reforms and agricultural policies. His literary contributions underscored his dedication to societal welfare and economic reforms.

He is particularly renowned as the chief architect of land reforms in Uttar Pradesh. His efforts were instrumental in the passage of significant land reform legislations such as the Debt Redemption Bill of 1939 and the Land Holding Act of 1960. These laws aimed at addressing land distribution and promoting agricultural sustainability.

In 1946, he became the Parliamentary Secretary in the Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant’s government and managed various departments, including Revenue, Medical and Public Health, and Justice. By June 1951, he had risen to the position of Cabinet Minister in the state. Until his resignation in April 1959, he held the Departments of Revenue and Transport.