Page 1 of 6
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/index.php/JSMaP
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 10
November 2015
Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 379
Peasantry Society and Ch. Chhotu Ram: A Historical Study:
Dr. Dilbag Singh Bisla
Center for Rajiv Gandhi Research & Study Aryan's Institute, Rati Bad, Bhopal
Abstract
Chhotu Ram became a very popular
advocate. He could also lead a luxurious
life like many other advocates of his
time. He could also amass wealth like
many other politicians if he so desired.
But legal practice and politics were for
him a path of personal sacrifice and
selfless service to the peasantry and
downtrodden and not the pursuit of
wealth, power and abuse of authority.
During his student life, Chhotu Ram
experienced the deepest punch of poverty
and helplessness of rural people in
general and of peasantry in particular.1
According to Chhotu Ram,. A Sanskrit
couplet which he had read in Hitopdesh
for the first time in his school in 1897
planted a sapling of his life mission i.e.
improving the lot of the peasantry and
downtrodden in his heart. The couplet
says : "In ordinary course of nature
thousands upon thousands are born
everyday but he alone is truly born
whose birth leads to the elevation of his
race". Thus leaving all personal
considerations of his own and of his
family for comforts, money and power;
he directed all his time, energy, talent
and labour towards the selfless and
fearless service for the upliftment of
longue tied, poverty stricken, debt laden
peasantry and downtrodden and
worked for secularism and oneness of the
nation.
Chhotu Ram rightly saw in the anti- agriculturist and anti-labour policy of
British rulers who also gave full
protection to money-lenders and traders
oftenly enlarging their net of
exploitation. The irony was that though
the producer of food was worst-affected,
being squeezed and sucked by the
trading community delivering kicks to
their empty stomachs.2 According to
Darling, "Bulk of the Punjab cultivators
are born in debt, live in debt. And die in
debt".3
Further illiteracy, frequent occurance
of famines, traditional rainfed farming
with small and fragmented fields as
autumn leaves, ignorance and
extravagance of cultivators on social
customs, illegal extortion of money and
high handedness of officials were more
causes responsible for the pitiable
condition of peasantry.
Sir Chhotu Ram fought for the
emancipation of helpless peasantry and
the downtrodden both inside the
legislative and outside.
Page 2 of 6
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/index.php/JSMaP
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 10
November 2015
Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 380
(A) Agrarian Acts. Excessive
land revenue and rigidity in its
collection was one of the main
reasons for the distress and
indebtedness of peasantry who
had to sell not only their lands but
also their cattle, ornaments and
though not very often their
daughters too in order to pay off
their land revenue.4 The Punjab
Land Revenue (amendment) Act.
1928 which got Governor
General's consent in Feb. 1929
provided substantial relief to all
land owners big and small and
also fixed 40 years as period of
settlement. By 1938, the land
revenue rates in Punjab was the
lowest in the country as a whole.5
Another important legislation was
the Restitution of Land
Mortgaged At, 1938 which was
amended in 1939, 1940 and 1943
to put an end to benami
(fictitious) transactions.6 This
device was resorted to by the
moneylenders to frustrate the
intension of the Act. of 1901.
Also this Act protected the
peasantry from the agriculturist
money-lenders. The Act also
provided for restitution of land
mortgaged before June 8, 1901
free of cost to real owners.
Accordingly, 3.65 lakhs land
mortgagers got back 8.35 lakh
acres of their mortgaged land for
Rs. 413 lakhs without any cost.
Punjab Regulation of Accounts Act,
1930 which required the maintenance of
a regular record of loan and furnishing of
six monthly statement of accounts in
request of loan to the debtor. The Punjab
Relief of Indebtedness Act 1934 under
which the interest on loan could not
exceed the principal. The debtor stood
discharged of the loan liability if he had
paid the creditor twice the amount of
principal. It saved the debtors from the
loan of Rs. 200 lakhs. The Punjab Debtor
Protection Act, 1936 prohibited
attachment of, in the execution of a court
decree, the land on which the debtor and
his family depends, standing crops,
standing trees, dwellings, one third
output of food grains, bullock cart, mil
cattle etc. The Punjab Registration of
Money Lender's Act 1938 compelled all
moneylenders (except land owners who
lent money to their tenants for the
purposes of agriculture) to get
themselves registered and obtain licenses
from the District Collector and loan
entries could be made only in the register
certified by the Government and they
could charge only the regulated rate of
interest. Unlicensed money-lenders were
debarred from the claim of getting loan
repayment. Under the Punjab Relief of
Indebtedness (Amendment) Act XII,
1940, Debt Conciliation Boards were
established at District headquarters for
Page 3 of 6
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/index.php/JSMaP
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 10
November 2015
Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 381
settling debts of long standing duration
in order to save both the creditors and
debtors from litigation. For this purpose
an interest of 7.5 per cent per annum was
allowed for secured loans and of 12.5 per
cent for unsecured loans. Rs. 1400 lakhs
were settled at these rates in 1942.
One of the causes of economic
backwardness of peasantry was
fragmented land holdings. For instance
in one village of Central Punjab
fragmented land holdings. For instance
in one village of Central Punjab 584
owners used to cultivate 16,000 fields.
To remove the hurdles of countless
boundaries, irrigation channels and
supervision, the Punjab Consolidation of
Holdings Act 1936 and its amendments
in 1940 and 1945 were passed and
cooperation department was entrusted
the job of consolidation of holdings.
Another Agrarian Act for the benefits of
tillers of land was the Punjab Tenancy
(Amendment) Act IX, 1939.
Another reason for economic
backwardness of peasantry was the
prevalence of shady deals and
malpractices in marketing. The Punjab
Agricultural Produced Markets Act IX,
1941 were passed to ensure proper
returns to the farmers. These were
fiercely attacked by traders and hartals
were observed for a long periods. Their
implementation led to the establishment
of regulated marketing system in the
State.
In order to divide the burden of
taxation equally between agriculturists
and traders, the Punjab General Sales
Tax Act, 1941 was passed which
imposed tax on the sale of goods in cities
and towns. The Punjab Trade
Employee's Act 1941 made it
compulsory for all traders, shopkeepers,
businessmen, industrialists to observe
one day's holiday in a week. This
provided the much needed relief to all
workers employed in industry and trade
without affecting the business.
The vested interests, money-lenders,
traders and political opponents raised
hue and cry against many of these
legislations and questioned the legal
validity of State Legislature passing such
legislations with a threat that the matter
would be taken to the Federal Court to
declare them ultra-vires. It was mainly
Chhotu Ram who explained the declare
the real purpose of all these agrarian bills
to the masses and replied to the criticism
of his opponents who called them black
acts. Chhotu Ram made extensive use of
press, public platform and floor of
legislature displaying unhesitating force,
grim resolve and tremendous stamina in
his replies and rebuttals to the opponents
of Golden Acts. To convince about the
mass support to the opponents of
Golden Acts. To convince about the
