Sardar Budh Singh (Aged 91) was born on May 16, 1884, in Mirpur, the district headquarters in the Jammu region of Jammu & Kashmir, India. He received his education at the Government High School in Mirpur and became a prominent freedom fighter from the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Budh Singh is often regarded as the pioneer of political dissent in Jammu and Kashmir, as he voiced opposition and rebellion against the prevailing system long before any organized political movement in the region took shape. In 1915, he was the first and only known individual in Jammu and Kashmir to respond to Mahatma Gandhi’s call for wearing Khadi, marking the beginning of his association with the Indian national movement. His involvement in the freedom struggle continued, eventually leading him to hold the highest political office in the state.
Budh Singh was appointed as the Deputy Commissioner, but when the Akali Dal leader initiated a movement against the British government, he joined their cause. In 1925, he resigned from his position as Deputy Commissioner to wholeheartedly commit himself to the national movement. In 1934, he organized the Kisan Party, and during the same year, Sheikh Abdullah founded the Muslim Congress in Jammu and Kashmir.
In 1938, Budh Singh, along with other progressive freedom fighters, collaborated with Sheikh Abdullah to encourage the formation of a unified political party that included all communities. His most significant contribution was the transformation of the Muslim Congress into the National Conference Party, which he led as the Chief for approximately 25 years. In 1944, he was elected as the President of the National Conference Party.
Budh Singh adopted a humble and ascetic lifestyle, traveling from village to village to propagate the message of the freedom movement. He faced imprisonment by the colonial regime on three separate occasions, with his final incarceration occurring in May 1946 for his participation in the Quit Kashmir Movement. He lived a life of selflessness and passed away on his birthday, May 16, 1975.
Sardar Budh Singh
(1884 – 1975) – (Jammu & Kashmir)
Sardar Budh Singh (Aged 91) was born on May 16, 1884, in Mirpur, the district headquarters in the Jammu region of Jammu & Kashmir, India. He received his education at the Government High School in Mirpur and became a prominent freedom fighter from the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Budh Singh is often regarded as the pioneer of political dissent in Jammu and Kashmir, as he voiced opposition and rebellion against the prevailing system long before any organized political movement in the region took shape. In 1915, he was the first and only known individual in Jammu and Kashmir to respond to Mahatma Gandhi’s call for wearing Khadi, marking the beginning of his association with the Indian national movement. His involvement in the freedom struggle continued, eventually leading him to hold the highest political office in the state.
Budh Singh was appointed as the Deputy Commissioner, but when the Akali Dal leader initiated a movement against the British government, he joined their cause. In 1925, he resigned from his position as Deputy Commissioner to wholeheartedly commit himself to the national movement. In 1934, he organized the Kisan Party, and during the same year, Sheikh Abdullah founded the Muslim Congress in Jammu and Kashmir.
In 1938, Budh Singh, along with other progressive freedom fighters, collaborated with Sheikh Abdullah to encourage the formation of a unified political party that included all communities. His most significant contribution was the transformation of the Muslim Congress into the National Conference Party, which he led as the Chief for approximately 25 years. In 1944, he was elected as the President of the National Conference Party.
Budh Singh adopted a humble and ascetic lifestyle, traveling from village to village to propagate the message of the freedom movement. He faced imprisonment by the colonial regime on three separate occasions, with his final incarceration occurring in May 1946 for his participation in the Quit Kashmir Movement. He lived a life of selflessness and passed away on his birthday, May 16, 1975.
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