In News
- Punjab CM unveiled a statue of Teja Singh Sutantar, former MP and revolutionary leader at Nihalgarh village in Sangrur district.
- Nearly 784 villages had taken part in the PEPSU Muzara movement, led by Teja Singh. Nihalgarh was one of these villages.
About Teja singh Sutantar
- Early life:
- Born as Sumand Singh in Aluana village of Gurdaspur. (16 July 1901 − 12 April 1973).
- He became Teja Singh when he liberated Veela Teja gurdwara from the clutches of the British-backed Mahants..
- Sutantar was added to his name when he led ‘Sutantar jatha’, which was at the forefront of gurdwara liberation.
- Contributions:
- In early 1923 , Teja Singh went to Kabul as a Sikh missionary. There he came in contact with a few leaders of the Ghadar Party.
- The Ghadar Movement was an early 20th century international political movement founded by expatriate Indians to overthrow British rule in India.
- In 1925, he joined the Turkish military academy under the pseudonym Azad Beg.
- He would eventually be granted Turkish citizenship and be commissioned into the Turkish army.
- He saved the life of Dr Saifuddin Kitchlew, the hero of Jallianwala Bagh, Kitchlew always referred to Sutantar as a ‘khuda’ who saved his life,”.
- He contributed revolutionary articles to the party journal, the Kirti, frequently writing about issues that plagued peasants.
- He edited Lal Jhanda, a monthly magazine in Urdu, Lal Savera, a Punjabi weekly and contributed to various newspapers.
- Saved hundreds of Muslims from communal riots during the Partition.
- He joined the Akali Dal to participate in the movement of liberating gurdwaras from degenerate mahants.formed his own squad called ‘sutantar jatha’ .
- Post-independence, Teja Singh, who was a prominent leader of the Kisan Sabha, led a number of peasant agitations against the government and landlords.
- He formed his Lal (Red) Party with the Kirti group of the Punjab Communist Party as its nucleus
- He was a revolutionary leader who led the PEPSU Muzara movement,
- In early 1923 , Teja Singh went to Kabul as a Sikh missionary. There he came in contact with a few leaders of the Ghadar Party.
PEPSU MUZARA MOVEMENT
- Back ground:
- In the 1870, the Maharaja of Patiala implemented the Biswedari system also known as landlord system.
- Under this system, the Biswedaris were appointed as the local authorities of villages.
- They were mostly government officials and were closely related to Maharaja and gradually took possession of the lands.
- The original owners of the land were reduced to mere status of muzaras or tenants.
- The muzaras were forced to pay batai and surrender half of the crops to their landlords.
- Movement:
- The PEPSU Muzara movement started in the 1930s and went on till 1952 against the Biswedari system.
- By landless peasants (muzaras) in PEPSU (Patiala and East Punjab States Union to obtain ownership rights of the land they had been tilling for generations.
- For their hereditary property right and democratic right from the British, The native aristocracy .
- The farmers would finally receive land rights in 1952.
Source: IE
