Ajit Singh & the Pagri Sambhal Jatta Movement

GS 1 – HISTORY

Why in News?

Farmers protesting at the Punjab-Haryana borders have declared February 23 as Pagri Sambhal Diwas to honor Ajit Singh, the uncle of Bhagat Singh and a key figure in India’s freedom struggle.

Ajit Singh – The Revolutionary Leader

• Born: February 23, 1881, in Khatkar Kalan, Punjab.
• Family: Elder brother of Kishan Singh and uncle to Bhagat Singh.
• Education: Studied at Anglo-Sanskrit High School (Jalandhar) and later joined DAV College, Lahore. He also pursued law at Bareilly College but dropped out.
• Early Activism:
  • Worked in famine-affected areas like Barar (now in Madhya Pradesh) and Ahmedabad.
  • Participated in relief work during floods and earthquakes in Srinagar and Kangra.

Pagri Sambhal Jatta Movement – A Farmers’ Uprising (1907)

• Led by Ajit Singh to protest oppressive agricultural laws imposed by the British.
• The slogan “Pagri Sambhal Jatta” (Hold your turban high, O farmer) became a symbol of self-respect and peasant dignity.

The Controversial British Laws:

1. Punjab Land Alienation Act (1900):
   • Restricted farmers from freely selling/mortgaging their land.
   • Favored landlords and moneylenders, leading to farmer debt.
2. Punjab Land Colonization Act (1906):
   • Gave British control over land in Chenab Colony (now in Pakistan).
   • Land would revert to the government after the farmer’s death, denying inheritance rights.
3. Doab Bari Act (1907):
   • Converted farmers into tenants or contract workers, stripping land ownership.
   • Increased taxes on land and irrigation, worsening farmer debts.

The Movement’s Legacy:

• Sparked mass farmer protests against British policies.
• Ajit Singh and Kishan Singh co-founded the Bharat Mata Society to unite farmers.
• Supported by leaders like Lala Lajpat Rai.
• The slogan “Pagri Sambhal Jatta”, coined by poet Banke Dayal, became a rallying cry.

Impact:

• Inspired future revolutionary movements, including the Ghadar Movement and Bhagat Singh’s activism.
• In May 1907, Ajit Singh and Lala Lajpat Rai were arrested and exiled to Burma but released in November due to public outrage.
• Ajit Singh later went into exile, traveling to Persia, Turkey, Brazil, Germany, and finally settling in Italy. He worked with revolutionaries like Lala Hardayal and Madame Cama.
• He returned to India in March 1947 but passed away on August 15, 1947, the day India gained independence.