Basawon Singh (Sinha)
Encyclopedia
Basawon Singh has been among the greatest nationalists who joined into the freedom struggle at a tender age of 13 and kept on his struggle for the independence of the country from the colonial yoke and fighting for the rights of the underprivileged, industrial labours and agricultural workers all throughout his life. He had spent more than 16 years in prisons in British India fighting for India's independence. He lived until the age of 80 years and died on April 7, 1989. After his Revolutionary
activities in the initial phase of nationalist struggle, he remained committed to Democratic Socialism
till the last day of his life. He along with Yogendra Shukla
were among the founder members of Congress Socialist Party
from Bihar
.
on March 23, 1909.
He used to walk eight miles to go to the nearest school to get education. His formal education came to an abrupt end when he was rusticated from college in just after completing his matriculate because of joining the Nationalist Movement.
after Gandhi's visit to Hajipur in 1920-21 when he was only 13 years old.
in 1925. He absconded in 1929 after the famous Lahore Conspiracy Case
. He was co-accused in many conspiracy cases namely Bhusawal, Kakori
, Tirhut and Deluaha cases. He carried on the movement along with Chandrashekhar Azad and Keshav Chandra Chakravarty. He was arrested and thrown in Bankipore Central jail (June, 1930) from where he escaped on the third day, but was rearrested. He was served a seven -year sentence when he undertook a 57-day hunger-strike against the imposition of cross-bar fetters in jails. He was released in June, 1936 due to frail health due to his fasting.
in December,1936 and was appointed its labour secretary. He established trade unions in the coal fields, sugar mills, mica mines and railways of Bihar. He formed Japla labour union in 1937, Baulia Labour union in 1937, organized the workers of Jamalpur Workshop along with Shivnath Bannerjee, formed the Gaya cotton and Jute Mill Labour Union, formed the Tata Collieries Labour Association along with Subhash Chandra Bose
, went on to become its president when Bose left India in 1941. He organized coal workers of Talcher with close co-ordination and support of Dukhabandhu Mishra (founder member of HMS union in Talcher coalfields), Rajgangpur (Orissa) and Satna (MP); established Mica Workers Union, Gomia Labour Union (Explosives), later these unions affiliated to HMS. He was active in AIRF since 1936, president of OT Railway Union from Agra to Nefa and NE Railway Mazdoor Union.
He was rearrested in April, 1937 along with Jayaprakash Narayan
, Benipuri and others in Patna for "unconstitutional" works for six months. During the Second World War he was the first man in Bihar to be arrested under Defence of India Ordinance on 26 January 1940 in Husainabad, Palamu and released after eighteen months. During the Quit India Movement
, after the interception of Jayaprakash Narayan's Deoli letter addressed to him, he went underground in 1941 and went to Afghanistan to collect firearms and ammunition. He attended the Bombay AICC session (9 August 1942) and conducted the movement from the underground. He was held in Delhi on January 8, 1943 to be freed only on 3 April 1946 after which he continued his nationalist and Trade Union work.
He won from Dehri-on-Sone in the first General Elections of 1952 and becomes the first leader of the opposition from 1952 uptill 1962. Although being in the opposition,he was personally close to people cutting across party lines because many of them had fought shoulder to shoulder in the freedom struggle. He was well respected by all the nationalists of that era, including Jayaprakash Narayan
, Anugrah Narayan Sinha
and Sri Krishna Sinha
and he was personally close to the Socialists of his era like Jayaprakash Narayan
, Narendra Dev, Yusuf Meherally
, Minoo Masani, Asoka Mehta
, Achyut Patwardhan
, Nath Pai, S. M. Joshi and others. He became a Member of the Legislative Council from 1962-68. He became one of the most powerful Cabinet Ministers (Cabinet Minister of Labour, Planning and Industry) in the 1967 Coalition Government. During the Emergency of 1975 he stayed underground for 19 months conducting the movement and his wife was jailed under MISA
as a potential "threat" to the Government.
In 1977 he wins from Dehri-on-Sone and again becomes the Cabinet Minister for Labour, Planning and Industry in the Janata Party government in the state. He kept on guiding the Trade Union Movement and kept on fighting to keep the Janata Party intact till the last day of his life. He died on 7 April 1989.
He lived within very frugal means and was respected for his honesty and forthrightness. He was committed to the country for whose independence he was also instrumental. He kept guiding and working for the underprivileged, working class and agricultural labourers till the last day of his life.
He did not believe in the existence of God, much like the rest of his socialist comrades. He did not wear the sacred thread because he did not believe in segregation from the rest. Even his widowed mother supported the ideas of his only son. When he used to take his fellow revolutionaries to his mud house to have food, his mother never inquired about their caste even after being an orthodox Brahmin and used to serve them food. And it was only after his son along with other nationalists was gone that she used to wash the place with gangajal so that their feelings were not hurt.
The room of his house where he was born has fallen down and the whole house was in a dilapidated condition till recently when it was renovated to some extent by his descendants rather than the Government.
Basawon Singh (Sinha) was an extremely handsome personality with six feet five inches in height and extremely sharp featured with wheatish complexion.
in Bihar
.
Revolutionary
A revolutionary is a person who either actively participates in, or advocates revolution. Also, when used as an adjective, the term revolutionary refers to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor.-Definition:...
activities in the initial phase of nationalist struggle, he remained committed to Democratic Socialism
Democratic socialism
Democratic socialism is a description used by various socialist movements and organizations to emphasize the democratic character of their political orientation...
till the last day of his life. He along with Yogendra Shukla
Yogendra Shukla
Yogendra Shukla was an Indian nationalist born in Bihar. He served in the Cellular Jail , and he was among the founders of Hindustan Socialist Republican Association...
were among the founder members of Congress Socialist Party
Congress Socialist Party
The Congress Socialist Party was founded in 1934 as a socialist caucus within the Indian National Congress. Its members rejected what they saw as the anti-rational mysticism of Mohandas Gandhi as well as the sectarian attitude of the Communist Party of India towards the Congress Party...
from Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
.
Early life
Basawon Singh (Sinha) was born in a poor family in Jamalpur (Subhai), HajipurHajipur
Hajipur is the headquarters of Vaishali district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is famous for producing bananas, and has a modern railway zonal office. Patna, the capital of Bihar is only 10 km from Hajipur...
on March 23, 1909.
He used to walk eight miles to go to the nearest school to get education. His formal education came to an abrupt end when he was rusticated from college in just after completing his matriculate because of joining the Nationalist Movement.
Entry into freedom movement
He first participated in the Non-Cooperation MovementNon-cooperation movement
The non-cooperation movement was a significant phase of the Indian struggle for freedom from British rule which lasted for years. This movement, which lasted from September 1920 to February 1922 and was led by Mohandas Gandhi, and supported by the Indian National Congress. It aimed to resist...
after Gandhi's visit to Hajipur in 1920-21 when he was only 13 years old.
Becomes a revolutionary
He joined the Hindustan Socialist Republican Army headed by Yogendra ShuklaYogendra Shukla
Yogendra Shukla was an Indian nationalist born in Bihar. He served in the Cellular Jail , and he was among the founders of Hindustan Socialist Republican Association...
in 1925. He absconded in 1929 after the famous Lahore Conspiracy Case
Lahore Conspiracy Case
This can refer to :* The First Lahore Conspiracy, also known as the Lahore Conspiracy Case trial in the aftermath of the Ghadar conspiracy in 1915* The Second Lahore Conspiracy Case, the trial of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev in 1931...
. He was co-accused in many conspiracy cases namely Bhusawal, Kakori
Kakori
Kakori is a town and a nagar panchayat in Lucknow district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is situated 14 km north of Lucknow. More widely known for its kebabs, Zardozi work and Dasheri mangoes, Kakori is also the centre of once flourishing Urdu poetry, literature and the Qadiriya...
, Tirhut and Deluaha cases. He carried on the movement along with Chandrashekhar Azad and Keshav Chandra Chakravarty. He was arrested and thrown in Bankipore Central jail (June, 1930) from where he escaped on the third day, but was rearrested. He was served a seven -year sentence when he undertook a 57-day hunger-strike against the imposition of cross-bar fetters in jails. He was released in June, 1936 due to frail health due to his fasting.
Joined Congress Socialist Party and begins Trade Union work
He Joined Congress Socialist PartyCongress Socialist Party
The Congress Socialist Party was founded in 1934 as a socialist caucus within the Indian National Congress. Its members rejected what they saw as the anti-rational mysticism of Mohandas Gandhi as well as the sectarian attitude of the Communist Party of India towards the Congress Party...
in December,1936 and was appointed its labour secretary. He established trade unions in the coal fields, sugar mills, mica mines and railways of Bihar. He formed Japla labour union in 1937, Baulia Labour union in 1937, organized the workers of Jamalpur Workshop along with Shivnath Bannerjee, formed the Gaya cotton and Jute Mill Labour Union, formed the Tata Collieries Labour Association along with Subhash Chandra Bose
Subhash Chandra Bose
Subhas Chandra Bose known by name Netaji was an Indian revolutionary who led an Indian national political and military force against Britain and the Western powers during World War II. Bose was one of the most prominent leaders in the Indian independence movement and is a legendary figure in...
, went on to become its president when Bose left India in 1941. He organized coal workers of Talcher with close co-ordination and support of Dukhabandhu Mishra (founder member of HMS union in Talcher coalfields), Rajgangpur (Orissa) and Satna (MP); established Mica Workers Union, Gomia Labour Union (Explosives), later these unions affiliated to HMS. He was active in AIRF since 1936, president of OT Railway Union from Agra to Nefa and NE Railway Mazdoor Union.
He was rearrested in April, 1937 along with Jayaprakash Narayan
Jayaprakash Narayan
Jayaprakash Narayan , widely known as JP Narayan, Jayaprakash, or Loknayak, was an Indian independence activist and political leader, remembered especially for leading the opposition to Indira Gandhi in the 1970s and for giving a call for peaceful Total Revolution...
, Benipuri and others in Patna for "unconstitutional" works for six months. During the Second World War he was the first man in Bihar to be arrested under Defence of India Ordinance on 26 January 1940 in Husainabad, Palamu and released after eighteen months. During the Quit India Movement
Quit India Movement
The Quit India Movement , or the August Movement was a civil disobedience movement launched in India in August 1942 in response to Mohandas Gandhi's call for immediate independence. Gandhi hoped to bring the British government to the negotiating table...
, after the interception of Jayaprakash Narayan's Deoli letter addressed to him, he went underground in 1941 and went to Afghanistan to collect firearms and ammunition. He attended the Bombay AICC session (9 August 1942) and conducted the movement from the underground. He was held in Delhi on January 8, 1943 to be freed only on 3 April 1946 after which he continued his nationalist and Trade Union work.
In Independent India
One of the architects of the Socialist Party after its break with the Congress. He was a member of the National Executive of the Socialist Party. He is the founder of HMS (Hind Mazdoor Sabha), one of the six national federations affiliated to the Socialists. He was held for Gomia strike in 1965 fighting for the rights of workers.He won from Dehri-on-Sone in the first General Elections of 1952 and becomes the first leader of the opposition from 1952 uptill 1962. Although being in the opposition,he was personally close to people cutting across party lines because many of them had fought shoulder to shoulder in the freedom struggle. He was well respected by all the nationalists of that era, including Jayaprakash Narayan
Jayaprakash Narayan
Jayaprakash Narayan , widely known as JP Narayan, Jayaprakash, or Loknayak, was an Indian independence activist and political leader, remembered especially for leading the opposition to Indira Gandhi in the 1970s and for giving a call for peaceful Total Revolution...
, Anugrah Narayan Sinha
Anugrah Narayan Sinha
Dr. Anugrah Narayan Sinha , known as Bihar Vibhuti, was an Indian statesman who was the first Deputy Chief Minister cum Finance Minister of the Indian state of Bihar...
and Sri Krishna Sinha
Sri Krishna Sinha
Sri Krishna Sinha , known as Bihar Kesari, was the first Chief Minister of the Indian state of Bihar . Along with the nationalists Dr. Rajendra Prasad and Dr. Anugrah Narayan Sinha, Sinha is regarded among the Architects of Modern Bihar...
and he was personally close to the Socialists of his era like Jayaprakash Narayan
Jayaprakash Narayan
Jayaprakash Narayan , widely known as JP Narayan, Jayaprakash, or Loknayak, was an Indian independence activist and political leader, remembered especially for leading the opposition to Indira Gandhi in the 1970s and for giving a call for peaceful Total Revolution...
, Narendra Dev, Yusuf Meherally
Yusuf Meherally
Yusuf Meherally was an Indian freedom fighter and socialist leader. He was elected Mayor of Bombay in 1942 while he was imprisoned in Yerawada Central Prison....
, Minoo Masani, Asoka Mehta
Asoka Mehta
Asoka Mehta was an Indian freedom fighter and socialist politician. He helped organize the socialist wing of the Indian National Congress, along with Jaya Prakash Narayan, and was heavily involved in the politics and government of the western city of Bombay.Mehta was arrested during the Quit India...
, Achyut Patwardhan
Achyut Patwardhan
Achyut Patwardhan was an Indian independence activist and political leader and founder of the Socialist Party of India. He was also a philosopher who believed fundamental change in society begins with man himself.- Early life :Achyut's father, Hari Keshav Patwardhan, was a prosperous legal...
, Nath Pai, S. M. Joshi and others. He became a Member of the Legislative Council from 1962-68. He became one of the most powerful Cabinet Ministers (Cabinet Minister of Labour, Planning and Industry) in the 1967 Coalition Government. During the Emergency of 1975 he stayed underground for 19 months conducting the movement and his wife was jailed under MISA
Misa
Misa is a Japanese feminine given name or a Spanish surname. It may refer to:-People:* Two Japanese actresses**Misa Uehara in The Hidden Fortress and Storm Over the Pacific**Misa Uehara -Fictional characters:...
as a potential "threat" to the Government.
In 1977 he wins from Dehri-on-Sone and again becomes the Cabinet Minister for Labour, Planning and Industry in the Janata Party government in the state. He kept on guiding the Trade Union Movement and kept on fighting to keep the Janata Party intact till the last day of his life. He died on 7 April 1989.
He lived within very frugal means and was respected for his honesty and forthrightness. He was committed to the country for whose independence he was also instrumental. He kept guiding and working for the underprivileged, working class and agricultural labourers till the last day of his life.
He did not believe in the existence of God, much like the rest of his socialist comrades. He did not wear the sacred thread because he did not believe in segregation from the rest. Even his widowed mother supported the ideas of his only son. When he used to take his fellow revolutionaries to his mud house to have food, his mother never inquired about their caste even after being an orthodox Brahmin and used to serve them food. And it was only after his son along with other nationalists was gone that she used to wash the place with gangajal so that their feelings were not hurt.
The room of his house where he was born has fallen down and the whole house was in a dilapidated condition till recently when it was renovated to some extent by his descendants rather than the Government.
Basawon Singh (Sinha) was an extremely handsome personality with six feet five inches in height and extremely sharp featured with wheatish complexion.
Recognition
The Government of India issued a commemorative stamp in his name on 23/03/2000. There is an indoor stadium in his name in the city of HajipurHajipur
Hajipur is the headquarters of Vaishali district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is famous for producing bananas, and has a modern railway zonal office. Patna, the capital of Bihar is only 10 km from Hajipur...
in Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
.
Sources
- The Times of India had published a booklet both in English and Hindi in most of its editions published in the country on May 30, 1994 "A Tribute" and hailed him as "Son of Bihar".
- "Shramikon Ke Hitaishi Neta, Itihas Purush: Basawon Singh" published by the Bihar Hindi Granth Academy (1st Edition, April, 2000)
- Basawon Sinha; A revolutionary patriot. Commemorative Volume ed Rita Sinha and R. Manikaran (1999); released by the then President of IndiaPresident of IndiaThe President of India is the head of state and first citizen of India, as well as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. President of India is also the formal head of all the three branches of Indian Democracy - Legislature, Executive and Judiciary...
K. R. NarayananK. R. NarayananKocheril Raman Narayanan , also known as K. R. Narayanan, was the tenth President of India. He was the first Dalit, and the first Malayali, to have been President....
with a forward by Prof. Madhu DandavateMadhu DandavateMadhu Dandavate was an Indian politician.He was born in a Deshastha family. He was popularly known as an Economist....
and contributions by Prem Bhasin, Leela Alvares, Prof. Madhu DandavateMadhu DandavateMadhu Dandavate was an Indian politician.He was born in a Deshastha family. He was popularly known as an Economist....
, Prof. Bimal PrasadBimal PrasadBimal Prasad is an Indian historian known for his scholarship on modern Indian history.-Academic career:Prasad was professor of history and then South Asian Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, and served as Dean, School of International Studies.An intellectual with socialist inclinations,...
, Prof. R.S. Sharma, Surendranath Dwivedy, Chandra ShekharChandra ShekharChandra Shekhar Singh was the eighth Prime Minister of India.-Early years:He was born on 1 July 1927 to a Rajput farming family in Ibrahimpatti - Ballia in eastern Uttar Pradesh. Chandra Shekhar Singh did his Master of Arts at Allahabad University. He was known as a firebrand in student politics...
, Chaturanan MishraChaturanan MishraChaturanan Mishra was an Indian politician and trade unionist. Mishra, who was born in Nahar, Madhubani District, was a key leader of the Communist Party of India in Bihar, and served as the Agriculture Minister of India in the United Front government.-Quit India Movement:Mishra took part in the...
, Kailashpati MishraKailashpati MishraKailashpati Mishra is a leader of Bharatiya Janta Party and a former Governor of Gujarat and also shortly Governor of Rajasthan Following the Death of the Current Governor Nirmal Chandra Jain .Kailashpati Mishra, a bachelor and popularly called the "Bhishmapitamah" of Bihar has been affiliated...
, Satyendra Narayan SinhaSatyendra Narayan SinhaSatyendra Narayan Sinha was an Indian statesman, participant in the Indian independence movement, and a former Chief Minister of Bihar...
, Surendra Mohan, Samar GuhaSamar GuhaSamar Guha was a noted Indian politician, and an Indian independence movement activist. He was a close associate of Subhash Chandra Bose. He was also a well known academician, whose textbooks on chemistry are still widely used. In 1967, he was elected to the 4th Lok Sabha from Contai constituency...
, Samarendu Kundu, N.G. Gorey, Rameshwar ThakurRameshwar ThakurShri Rameshwar Thakur , a senior Indian National Congress politician and former union minister of India, is the former Governor of Madhya Pradesh from 2009 to 2011 and a former Governor of Orissa from 2004 to 2006, Andhra Pradesh from 2006 to 2007 and Karnataka from 2007 to 2009. He is a chartered...
, Jagannath Sarkar, K.C.Chandrashekharan, Barindranath Mitra, Rakhal Dasgupta, Jayanta Poddar, Brijmohan Toofan and many others.