Nathuram Mirdha

Nathuram Mirdha
Member of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly
In office 1952–1967
Member of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly
In office 1984–1989
Personal details
Born	October 20, 1921(1921-10-20) Kuchera, Nagaur, Rajasthan
Died	August 30, 1996(1996-08-30) (aged 74)
Political party	Bharatiya Lok Dal
Spouse(s)	Kesar devi
Alma mater	Lucknow University
Profession	Politician, freedom fighter, social reformer
Religion	Hindu

Nathuram Mirdha (1921–1996) was a parliamentarian, freedom fighter, social reformer and popular farmer leader of Marwar region in Rajasthan, India. He was born in a Rad (also spelled Rar (Hindi:राड़)) gotra Jat Hindu family of village Kuchera in Nagaur district in Rajasthan on 20 October 1921. His father’s name was Thana Ram Mirdha.^[1]

Education

Nathuram Mirdha passed his matriculation from Darbar High School Jodhpur with first division. He did MA (Economics) and completed LLB degree in 1944 from Lucknow University. He started practice as advocate in 1946.^[1]

Rise as farmer leader

Nathuram Mirdha was simple, soft-spoken but talented personality. He was committed to the service of people especially farmers. He was friendly with every person who came in his contact. He was straightforward and man of words. He organized a massive farmer gathering at Jodhpur under the Chairmanship of Sir Chhotu Ram. He joined the Institution of farmers “Kisan Sabha” founded by Baldev Ram Mirdha as Secretary in 1946. He was made the Revenue minister in the Jodhpur state. Nathuram Mirdha had intimate association with Kan Singh Parihar (Parihar was a great advisor to Baldev Ram Ji Mirdha^[2]). Parihar was the backbone of the Marwar tenancy act 1949 and Marwar Land Revenue Act 1949. He strongly emphasized Natu Ram Mirdha to act quickly on land reforms in Marwar. The Marwar tenancy act 1949 and Marwar Land Revenue Act 1949 was drafted by Kan Singh Parihar, which gave ownership rights to the farmers of Marwar over the night without having to pay anything. Nathuram Mirdha played an instrumental role in enactment of the Marwar tenancy act 1949 and Marwar Land Revenue Act 1949 and it was one of the important objectives set forth by Baldev Ram Ji Mirdha.

Nathuram Mirdha visited every village of Marwar region and had person-to-person contact. He united farmers of Marwar against the oppression of Jagirdars under the banner of “Marwar Kisan Sabha” and “Rajasthan Kisan Sabha”. These Institutions developed into very strong organizations and became instruments of social change in abolition of Jagirs and spread of education.

Freedom fighter and political leader

Nathuram Mirdha simultaneously fought feudalism as well as the British during the Indian independence movement. Drawing his strength primarily from the peasantry, he was an undisputed leader of his People for nearly five decades. Nathuram Mirdha made the service of poor farmers and labourers as main objective of his life.

On 15 August 1947 India became free and a popular Ministry was installed in Jodhpur. Recognizing the importance of the Kisan Sabha, its general Secretary Nathuram Mirdha, nephew of Baldev Ram Mirdha, was included in the Ministry. He won his first assembly election in 1952 from Merta City constituency with a huge majority. He was a Member of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly from 1952 to 1967 and 1984 to 1989 and held several important portfolios in the Government of Rajasthan. He is known for strengthening agriculture and cooperative sectors in Rajasthan. Commencing from 1972, he was returned to the Lok Sabha six times. He served in the Union Council of Ministers in 1979-80 and 1989-90. He served too, with distinction, as the Chairman of the National Agricultural Prices Commission.^[1]

Chairman of National Agricultural Prices Commission

As Chairman of National Agricultural Prices Commission, he implemented number of schemes in the interest of farmers. There is an interesting historical anecdote about the Chairman of the National Agricultural Commission, Nathuram Mirdha, who, when asked by a foreign delegation as to what, according to him, was the culture of India, replied “Agriculture and no other culture is the culture of India”. The kingpin of agriculture in the country is the Cow, otherwise known as “Kamdhenu”.

He was Chairman of Maharaja Suraj Mal Institute, New Delhi for ten years.^[1] This institute progressed very fast during this period.

Differences with Indira Gandhi

Nathuram Mirdha developed differences with Mrs. Indira Gandhi in 1975 during emergency period. He left the National Congress and joined Lok Dal Party under the leadership of Choudhary Charan Singh. Nathuram Mirdha, then of the Congress, won the 1971 and 1977 elections. He retained the seat for the Congress-Urs in 1980, and in 1984 kinsman Ram Niwas Mirdha of the Congress defeated him. In 1985 he was leader of Lok Dal in Rajasthan assembly. It was with his efforts and strategy that made Lok Dal party a national level organization. He was state president of Lok Dal Party in 1988. In 1989, contesting on the Janata Dal ticket, Nathuram defeated Ram Niwas.

By 1991 he had joined the Congress, for which party he won the seat in 1991 and 1996. Nathuram Mirdha joined Congress in 1991 after a period of fourteen years. He was also the Deputy Leader of the Congress-I Parliamentary Party till 1996. In 1996 he got elected to Lok Sabha with a huge majority. That his popularity was undiminished can be seen from the 1996 result: he defeated his BJP rival H Kumawat by almost 160,000 votes. However, he died soon after. In the by-election that followed Nathuram Mirdha's death, the BJP fielded his son Bhanu Prakash Mirdha, a newcomer to politics, and took the seat from the Congress (I).

Gandhi of Rajasthan

Mirdha was a veteran freedom fighter and an erudite Parliamentarian. He was Minister of State for Irrigation, Finance, Food and Civil Supplies and Chairman of many important Parliamentary Committees. He rendered yeoman service to the cause of the farmers, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other weaker sections of the society. His services to the farming community will be long remembered. A lawyer by profession, he also rendered invaluable service in the field of education by establishing many educational institutions and Hostels.

Family

He was married to Kesar devi in 1936 and they had two sons and two daughters. His older son, Ram Prakash Mirdha died on 22 July, 1993. His younger son Bhanu Prakash Mirdha was elected to Lok Sabha in 1996 presently lives in Jodhpur. The two daughters Usha and Shobha are married and live in Jaipur. Kesar devi lives in Jaipur with her eldest daughter Usha.

Nathuram Mirdha was a successful politician, leader of farmers and a man of mass appeal in Rajasthan. He was popularly known as Gandhi Baba of Rajasthan. Nathuram Mirdha died on the 30 August 1996 in New Delhi at the age of seventy-five.

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} "Biographical Sketch: Mirdha, Shri Nathu Ram". http://parliamentofindia.nic.in/ls/lok11/biodata/11rj19d.htm. 
2. ^ "Hon'ble Justice Kan Singh Ji Parihar". http://www.justicekansingh.org/testimonials.php. 

See also

Dr. Jyoti Mirdha

The Mirdha Family