Budh Ram Katewa

From Jatland Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
लेखक:लक्ष्मण बुरड़क, IFS (Retd.), Jaipur
Budh Ram Katewa

Budh Ram Katewa (बुधराम कटेवा) is a freedom fighter and reformer in Rajasthan. He was born in the family of a Katewa Jats of village Bharatia Ki Dhani, tahsil Ratangarh, district Churu in Rajasthan.

Efforts to impart education

Budh Ram Katewa Samman.jpg

Chaudhari Rupram Maan and Swami Chetnanand started the education program of Jat farmers in rural areas of Ratangarh tehsil by opening private schools. They appointed Swami Nityanand and Chaudhari Chandgi Ram for this purpose. Swami Chetnanand was born in the family of a Dhaka Jat farmer and could feel the effect of oppression by Jagirdars. These people remained under ground and collected money to start the private education of Jat boys. Chaudhari Budh Ram Katewa of Bharatia ki Dhani, Ratangarh, Chaudhari Budh Ram Dudi village Sitsar and Chaudhari Surta Ram Sewda, Ratangarh helped a lot in this campaign. Chaudhari Surta Ram Sewda gave his own land for starting a school and Chaudhari Budh Ram Dudi got made a shade on this land to start a school.

At that time there were about 40-50 Jat boys getting education in Ratangarh town who were mainly from Sihag, Dudi, and Tetarwal Jats of Ratangarh town and rest were from nearby villages like Sangasar, Loonchh, Loha, Chhabri, Kadia, Tidiyasar, Thathawata etc. Most of these boys were from poor families and could not afford education on their own. The only means of funding the private education was through collection of contribution (chanda) or subscription from the farmers. Jats of Ratangarh and Churu either could not afford or did not give subscription out of fear of the Jagirdars. But the Jats of Ganganagar district were well off and they were not much effected by Jagirdars. They gave handsome amounts for education.

Chaudhari Hari Ram Dhaka went to Sangariya to get financial help from Swami Keshwanand. Swami Keshwanand appointed him the Manager of Industries Department of Jat High School Sangariya. Megh Singh Sewda also joined this school. Chaudhari Hari Ram Dhaka collected about Rs. 2000/- from the teachers of Jat High School and called Chaudhari Rupram Maan, Vidyarthi Bhawan Ratangarh, to hand over this amount. He then sent Chaudhari Rupram Maan to Advocate Harishchandra Nain at Ganganagar. There was a good subscription at Ganganagar and with this financial assistance Chaudhari Rupram Maan and Swami Chetnanand organized a grand sabha of farmers at Ratangarh in Podaron ka Nohra. Swami Keshwanand and Chaudhari Hari Ram Dhaka also joined this sabha. A number of decisions were taken in this sabha about awakening of the farmers of this area. As decided in this sabha Swami Keshwanand sent Chaudhari Hari Ram Dhaka to Ratangarh to enhance the movement of education and freedom.


Back to The Freedom Fighters/Freedom Fighters From Churu