Ch. Ranbir Singh

February 1, 2011

A commemorative postage stamp on the Death Anniversary of Choudhary Ranbir Singh Hooda, an Indian National Congress politician from Haryana, father of Bhupinder Singh Hooda :

Issued by India

Issued on Feb 1, 2011

Issued for : India Post is happy to issue a commemorative postage stamp on Ch. Ranbir Singh.

Credits :
Stamp, FDC & Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.3 Million

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

Name : Ranbir Singh Hooda

Born on Nov 26, 1914 at Sanghi, Rohtak district, Haryana, India

Died on Feb 1, 2009 at Rohtak, Haryana, India

About :

Chaudhary Ranbir Singh was born on 26^th November 1914 in the village of Sanghi in Rohtak district of Haryana. His father Ch. Matu Ram was a freedom fighter, nationalist and a pioneer of the Arya Samaj movement & his family had close association with Lala Lajpat Rai and the family of Shaheed Bhagat Singh.
Ranbir Singh grew up in that atmosphere to become a true nationalist in thought, word and deed. After graduating from the Ramjas College, Delhi, in 1937, Ranbir Singh joined the freedom struggle and was arrested during the individual Satyagraha in 1941. In all, he underwent three and a half years’ rigorous imprisonment in eight different jails (Rohtak, Ambala, Hisar, Ferozepur, Lahore, Multan and Sialkot) and suffered two years’ house arrest in the wake of the freedom struggle.
His role in restoring communal harmony during the holocaust that erupted after the partition of the country in 1947 was praiseworthy.
After Independence, in 1947, he was elected to the Constituent Assembly of India. Following Gandhi ji‘s teachings that ‘to serve villages was to establish true swaraj‘ and ‘service to the daridranarayana’ (the poor) was service to God, he took up the cause of peasants and voiced their concern in the Assembly. He raised a powerful voice for making Hindi the National language.
He pleaded the case for the formation of the state of Haryana and empowerment of the helpless peasantry and demanded Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farm produce. He also worked towards abolition of Income Tax etc., on agriculture.
He holds the unique distinction of being the only legislator who was elected member of seven different houses. He will be long remembered for the significant role played by him as a Minister for Irrigation and Power in joint Punjab and in the development of irrigational infrastructures in the State. The great Bhakra Project was completed under his helmsmanship. Pong dam at Beas and the Beas-Satluj Link was also started during his tenure which augmented availability of Bhakra and Beas water to Haryana. Kishau and Renuka Dams across the tributaries of Yamuna were also initiated during his tenure. He remained as Minister for PWD & Health in Haryana from 1966-67.
Ch. Ranbir Singh held several important posts in the Congress Party Organisation in joint Punjab and Haryana. He was Chairman of House Committee, Rajya Sabha from 1974 to 1976 and Deputy Leader of Congress Parliamentary party in Rajya Sabha when Smt. Indira Gandhi was its leader.
After 31 years as legislator he retired from active politics to dedicate himself to the cause of freedom fighters and other issues. He along with Pt. Sheel Bhadra Yajee and Prof. N.G. Ranga founded the All India Freedom Fighter Organisation and was instrumental in ensuring Swatantrata Sainik Samman Pension to lakhs of freedom fighters in the country.
He championed the cause of the farmers, backward classes and down trodden sections of the society. He, as the President of Harijan Kalyan Sangh (Punjab) fought against untouchability, inequality and injustice towards oppressed people.
Ch. Ranbir Singh was a visionary, freedom fighter, great patriot, distinguished Parliamentarian and an able administrator. He passed away on 01^st February 2009.
Text : Based on the material provided by the proponent.