Chhotu Ram
Sir Chhotu Ram | |
|---|---|
Sir Chhotu Ram on a 1995 stamp of India | |
| Born | Ram Richpal 24 November 1881 |
| Died | 9 January 1945 (aged 63) |
| Other names | Deenbandhu Rahbar-e-Azam Kisano ke Maseeha |
| Alma mater | University of Delhi |
| Title | For the honesty of social work, he was given the title of the Sir. |
| Political party | Unionist Party (Punjab) |
| Spouse | Giano Devi |
| Family | Birender Singh (grandson) |
Ram Richpal Ohlyan (born 24 November 1881 – 9 January 1945), better known as Sir Chhotu Ram, was a prominent Indian politician, agrarian reformer, and ideologue in British India's Punjab Province. He was known for his advocacy for the rights of farmers and oppressed rural communities. A co-founder of the National Unionist Party, he played a pivotal role in shaping agrarian policies that protected peasants from exploitative moneylenders and promoted agricultural development in pre-independent India. Chhotu Ram is popularly known as "Deenbandhu", "Rahbar-e-Azam" and "Kisano ke Maseeha", as he championed a secular, cross-communal alliance of Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh agriculturists, countering the rising influence of the Indian National Congress and Muslim League in Punjab.
His legislative reforms, including the Punjab Restitution of Mortgage Land Act and the Punjab Agricultural Produce Markets Act, laid the foundation for modern agricultural market systems and farmer protections, earning him a knighthood in 1937 and the title of Rao Bahadur. He is widely regarded as father of Bakhra Dam. He co-founded the Jat Mahasabha and started a weekly newspaper, Jat Gazette.