Hans Raj Arya

Chaudhary Hans Raj Arya (Sahu) (born:1908 - death:) (चौधरी हंसराज आर्य) (Ex-MLA) was a well known social worker and freedom fighter from Rajasthan, who fought against the Rajput supremacy and exploitation of farmers In Rajasthan and against the British rule.

Early life

He was born in 1908 in a Hindu Jat family of Sahu gotra in village Ghotda in Bhadra tehsil of Hanumangarh District in Rajasthan .

Freedom Movement and Exploitation of Farmers

Arya Samaj attracted him in early days of his life. He was strongly against the untouchability that was wide spread in the society at that time. He was a strong follower of Swami Dayanand Saraswati.

He used to work as a Patwari before Independence. Later he resigned from the Government job and jumped into the Indian Freedom Struggle.

He was one of the prominent members of Praja Parishad Bikaner, which organized the farmers against oppressions by the Jagirdars.

He was involved in the well known Kangad incident in village Kangar in Ratangarh tehsil of Bikaner district during the rule of Raja Ganga Singh of Bikaner. The book about that Kangad incident is still there in Bikaner State library. He had worked very hard for all the rural people. He was arrested many times by Bikaner Maharaja and the British. He was also tortured very badly by Thakurs and once hit by a bullet. He never gave up on the cause he strongly believed in.

Political Life after Independence

He was elected as an MLA twice after independence. He was elected MLA from Nohar in 1952 and Bhadra in 1967, Distt Hanumangarh.

Water was the major problem of those days in that area. People had to walk at least 5-6 miles just to bring a pitcher of water. So, he took this problem as primary concern and helped and educated people to dig wells for water. Within a few years, most of the villages in that area were having at least one or in some cases two wells for water. He was a devoted social reformer. People liked to listen to him.

He established the first School for Girls, in spite of great difficulties, in Mahajan town in Bikaner district of Rajasthan. Very soon this school became famous and people started taking interest in educating their girls. Even Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru visited that school bringing little Indira Gandhi along with him.

Man of High moral Principles and ideals

He was widely knows as a man of principles and great follower of Maharishi Dayanad. He was against the social evils like untouchability, alcohalism, dowry, Parda Pratha etc and tried to remove these evils by educating and helping people. Whenever he visited any school, he always used to ask for a Harijan boy to bring water for him. Hence he used to lead by example. He was strongly against the evil of alcohalism and worked hard to remove it from the society. Every year on Gogaji Fair at Gogamedi he used to set up a special camp to enlighten the people about the bad effects of alcohalism. He always propagated against the social evils like Dowry System and Prada Pratha.

Besides, he was always against any type of corruption. In 1977, when Birla fought for a Parliament election from Churu, he was offered a blank cheque from Mr. Birla, just for not to oppose him there, but he declined saying that Nobody can buy me with money. Since that time people used to call him as Man of principles.

जाट जन सेवक

ठाकुर देशराज^[1] ने लिखा है ....पटवारी हंसराज - [p.145]: बहता पानी कड़ाके की शीत में भी गर्म रहता है। इसी प्रकार लाख मुसीबतों के समय में अवडार नौजवान की रगों में गर्म खून उवाले लेता रहता है। बीकानेर के आतंक पूर्ण वातावरण में भी जिसके हृदय को भय ने नहीं छूया ऐसे एक नौजवान को मैंने सन् 1946 में रतनगढ़ में देखा। वह चौधरी कुंभाराम जी के लेफ्टिनेंट में से था। नाम उसका हंसराज बिल्कुल उपयुक्त।

तहसील भादरा के गांव घोटडा में सहू गोत्र के जाट सरदार चौधरी मोतीराम जी के संवत 1968 की कृष्णाष्टमी को जो लड़का पैदा हुआ उसी का नाम हंसराज हुआ और वह वास्तव में अपने गांव और तहसील के दूसरे बच्चों में हंस समान आगे बढ़ा।

जाट हाई स्कूल संगरिया में शिक्षा पाकर चौधुरी हंसराज पटवारी हुए और राजपूताने की अशिक्षित जाट मां के इस कथन को चरितार्थ किया कि "पढ़कर लाला पटवारी होगा"।

आर्य समाजी खयालातों ने उन्हें आगे बढ़ाया और उसी का फल है - आप के लड़के लड़कियां सभी पढ़ते हैं।

आप सरकारी सर्विस में थे किंतु बीकानेर की नौकरियों में जाटों के साथ द्वेष पूर्ण सलूक होता है। उसे कोई जीवन्त वाला जाट आज तक बर्दाश्त नहीं कर सका। फिर आप ही कैसे बर्दाश्त करते। आप ने नौकरी छोड़ दी और फिर कौमी सेवा में जुट पड़े। सन् 1946-47 के राजनीतिक आंदोलन में आप

[p.146]: बीकानेर की पुलिस के लिए हाथ में न आने वाली चिड़िया बन गए और आपने अपने अधिक परिश्रम से आंदोलन की खूब सेवा की।