Bundelkhand Kesri
Dewan Shatrughan Singh
Father of the Freedom Movement in Bundelkhand, India
The pride of Bundelkhand, a leader who served his country and his people and never took anything in return. He was the bedrock of the freedom movement in Bundelkhand, a large region in central India which is now a part of 2 staes U.P. & M.P.(includes 14 to 20 districts). He and his wife Rani Rajendra Kumari stayed in jail for over 9 years each for India's freedom struggle. He donated his vast properties to the poor and even donated his substantial wealth for the Indian freedom struggle. He never accepted any position in the government and never stood for elected office after India's independence. He just continued to serve the people as a humble servant of this great nation. He exemplified selfless service to the nation. He also fought against the caste system and served the poorest and the exploited citizens the most, right from the 1920s. A true Karmayogi Deshbhakt. He is called Bundelkhand Kesri, the only other person in history given this name was Maharaja Chatrasal.
The father of the freedom movement in the entire Bundelkhand region was the great Dewan Shatrughan Singh and his wife Rani Rajendra Kumari. They were two great Indian freedom fighters of Bundelkhandi aristocracy.
Dewan Shatrughan Singh is also known as 'Bundelkhand Gandhi' & 'Bundelkhand Kesari'. Earlier only Maharaja Chatrasal was addressed as Bundelkhand Kesari.
His father's name was Dewan Sudarshan Singh, he passed away while Shatrughan Singh was still in the womb. Dewan Saheb got married in 1914 to Rani Kaushalya Devi who was called Rani Rajendra Kumari after marriage. Rani Saheb was the daughter of a very rich aristocrat from Fatehpur. He was born on the 25th of December 1900, four months after the death of his father. He was taught by Maithlisharan Gupt, the famous Indian poet. He started out as an armed revolutionary against the British occupation of India. His support was crucial to many revolutionaries of the time including Chandrashekhar Azad. He invented a secret code language for use by his revolutionaries and used it for the distribution of information about freedom movement.
He determined the direction of the freedom struggle in Bundelkhand after being inspired by the famous book 'Rathaur Veer Durgadaas' written by Bankim Babu.
He initially created a group of dedicated youths who were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for their nation. The training of several hundred such freedom fighters was done at many locations all around Bundelkhand. The main site was the fort of Dewan Saheb on the banks of the Betwa, He also published a nationalist periodical which was distributed all over Bundelkhand. In the declassified documents of British India he was called by the British - "the most dangerous revolutionary in U.P.".
He met Gandhiji in the 1920's when he visited Dewan saheb's house in Rath, Hamirpur(now donated as Gandhi Ashram) and then became his follower - A follower of Ahimsa.
He united the entire Bundelkhand, irrespective of caste and religion, for the fight for India's independence. He was an example of a leader who created Hindu Muslim Unity in Bundelkhand. He regularly participated in Muslim functions like Muharram and Eid.
Dewan Shatrughan Singh was fortunate to have a team of colleagues, who inspired by him, worked with him for the freedom struggle. They included Shripat Sahay Rawat- Shri bhai, Pt. Manni Lal Gurudev, Ram Gopal Gupta, Mantriji and many other patriots.
Rani Sahiba was with him in all his endeavors. The duo spent life serving their people. During the freedom struggle the couple went to jail several times and refused Class A treatement that they were entitled to choosing to stay with the poor inmates who they believed needed their help. They each spent more than 9 years in jail for the freedom movement of India.They continued public service even after independence.
They gave up all items of luxury and wore only khadi their entire lives. They burnt all their foreign made luxury items, as instructed by Gandhiji, as this was adversely affecting the Indian economy at the time.
Dewan Shatrughan Singh initiated the First Gram daan. When Vinobha Bhave visited the district in early 1950's Dewan Saheb offered the entire village of Mangrauth. He also set up several schools and colleges in the district donating his own land and money and encouraging others in the process. None of the institutions were named after him or his family members. Dewan Saheb and Rani Sahiba are credited for inspiring people for the three most difficult Daan( Sacrifices)- Graam Daan , Bhoo Daan and Shram Daan. The road connecting Charkhari to Supa in Hamirpur district was built by Shram Daan.
Rani Sahiba defeated the sitting UP Chief Minister C.B. Gupta in 1958 by-election from Maudaha as an independent candidate. This was regarded as a major milestone in Democracies around the world where an independent woman had defeated the chief minister of the largest state of the union.
Numerous scholars have done PhD's on the life of these 2 great Indian patriots. There is an annual mela on the birthday of these two stalwarts held annually in Maungrauth on 25 December and is attended by thousands of people. The district hospital of Hamirpur is named after Dewan Saheb after his death. Despite being from one of the most affluent families in Central India this couple sacrificed everything for the nation. they passed away in 1975.
Dewan Saheb served the Harijans throughout his life. He fought against caste discrimination all his life. Dewan Shatrughan Singhji established a village named Harijan near Charkhari with the assistance of Shyam Bihari Chaubey.
After the first world war the financial condition of Britishers became bad and the main landed aristocrats were invited to a state function for donations towards helping the British war effort. All the elites started offering the money to the British but the young Dewan Shatrughan Singh refused to give a penny to the British who had enslaved his country.He said his loyalties were with his people and not the imperial power and walked out of the meeting and received a hero's welcome by the crowds who had gathered outside. He was then arrested for the first time.
Dewan Saheb was a friend of Pandit Nehru and close to Gandhiji.
Rani Sahiba stayed in jail with Smt. Kamala Nehru. They supported a lot of other freedom fighters in North and Central India, as very few such affluent people were involved in India's freedom struggle.
Dewan Saheb and Rani Sahiba are now the subject of folk tales and songs that recall their bravery . The Alhaa singers particularly have some beautiful compositions narrating stories from their lives. They are the pride of Bundelkhand.
