Kunwar Raghunandan Singh
Kunwar Raghunandan Singh (Ahlawat) (1915 – 1985) s/o Ch. Rishal Singh was born in 1915 in Daurala village of Sardhana tahsil of Meerut district, Uttar Pradesh. He was a notable jat zamindar of Daurala and an agriculturist and a philanthropist as well. He was confered the title of "Kunwar Raees" by the British regime in around 1930s or 1940s.
Agriculturist
Kunwar Raghunandan Singh was one of the pioneers who set the foundation of mechanized farming in entire north eastern India. The first machinery to be used for harvesting crops was brought in India from Germany by him. He worked extensively for the upliftment of his village farmers. He started the first co-operative bank (1962) for farmers and also the first co operative society (1962) for farmers in Daurala, where he would also help poor farmers procure seeds, fertilizers and pesticides etc. & provide financial help to them. He was elected unanimously as president of both the co-operative bank and society for about 7-8 years.
Educationist
He was also one of the few Indians to own a vintage car in entire Meerut city under the British regime. It was his dream to help educate everyone specially the girl child and so a school was started in his name for the underprivileged girls in Daurala village which is run in his ancestral home and land even today and is recognised by Uttar Pradesh Education Board.
Demise
Kunwar Raghunandan Singh breathed his last on 21st July 1985. His samadhi was built in his village daurala.
- Note - The above article is based on the content provided by Dr. Aditi Singh, Pediatric dentist, Mumbai (Ph. 8279819316) who is the grand-daughter of Kunwar Raghunandan Singh. Dayanand Deswal (talk) 09:51, 28 November 2017 (EST)