Ajit Singh was an accomplished computer scientist. I had heard from his contemporaries at IIT, Chicago that Ajit Singh was amongst the highly cited computer professionals at that point in time.
New Delhi: The country has lost one of the tallest farmer leaders in Chaudhary Ajit Singh on 6 May 2021. He was born in Bhadola village of district Meerut on 12 February 1939 into a family of freedom fighters. This was the time when his father, the late Chaudhary Charan Singh, Former Prime Minister India, was busy playing a crucial role in India’s freedom movement. So, rearing of little Ajit was singularly entrusted with mother Gayatri Devi. A good-natured and humorous Ajit was exceptionally brilliant right from his childhood. After his early schooling from the city of Lucknow, he earned his first Bachelor’s degree from Lucknow University and second Bachelor’s degree in Electronics & Electrical Communication Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. Thereafter, he obtained his Master’s degree in Science from Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), Chicago. Ajit Singh was an accomplished computer scientist. I myself had heard from his contemporaries at IIT, Chicago that Ajit Singh was amongst the highly cited computer professionals at that point in time. He worked with the IBM in America for almost two decades before family circumstances forced him to come back to India as his father was suddenly taken ill in 1985, and went into coma.
Chaudhary Charan Singh was such a living ideal and virtuous leader that he had never ever thought of passing on the baton of leadership to his son. He wilfully kept Ajit Singh away from politics. Ajit Singh himself was not too keen either. But with persistent goading by his father’s followers, he had to plunge into politics at the age of 47. No one had thought that Ajit Singh could do it but, against all odds, he had a phenomenal rise in Indian politics.
He started his innings as a Member of Rajya Sabha in July 1986. After the demise of his father due to protracted illness on 29 May 1987, Ajit Singh became the president of Lok Dal. After a little gentle persuasion by Chandra Shekar, he merged Lok Dal with Janata Party and became its president in 1988. In 1989, with the formation of Janata Dal, he became its general secretary. For the first time, he entered the Lok Sabha from the Baghpat seat in November 1989. He had represented the same constituency for six-times in Lok Sabha.
Ajit Singh had a unique distinction of working as a Cabinet Minister with as many as four Prime Ministers. He served as a Minister for Commerce and Industry from 1989-90 with V.P. Singh; Minister for Food Processing Industries from 1995-96 with Narasimha Rao; Minister of Agriculture from 2001-03 with Atal Bihari Vajpayee; and Minister of Civil Aviation from 2011-14 with Dr Manmohan Singh.
Ajit was a simple man in a complex world. He believed everything with childlike simplicity. He had never given any publicity to the monumental work that he had done as a minister whilst holding different offices, nor for the social services that he had rendered for farming and labour communities across the states. Having realized the problems of the peasantry, he was instrumental in carrying out massive expansion of sugar mills, government tube-wells, milk-chilling plants, agriculture and veterinary science centres, government polytechnic colleges, all-weather roads connecting villages, electrification of villages, etc., after amending archaic rules and lifting age old restrictions.
Ajit Singh was a lot like his father in many ways. He had the best secular credentials. Like his father he worked tirelessly to unite people belonging to diverse religions and cultures in the country. He worked with the leaders of diverse ideologies but he never allowed anyone in his camp to compromise on his commitment to tolerance and inclusion. He always underscored the benefits of pluralism of culture, religion and diversity. He understood the value of a gentle caress and a soft-spoken word. He had a fine track record of not providing any protection to wrongdoers. In his political career of over four decades he had never sought favour of any kind from businessmen, traders or any other person. He had always been as much cordial with his opponents as with his comrades. Those were some of the exquisite qualities of his head and heart that would be fondly remembered by his supporters and opponents as well.
Right from his early years in politics, Ajit Singh showed passionate devotion to the welfare of farmers and the underprivileged in general and the people of western Uttar Pradesh in particular. As a fervent advocate of good governance, he was in favour of smaller states. He wanted the state of UP to be divided into Harit Pradesh, Purvanchal and Bundelkhand. In addition, he craved for the growth and development of education and small scale industries. He made them the core values of his mission and accorded them precedence over personal desires. He had to negotiate and compromise with political forces to make them happen sometimes even at his own personal cost. Sadly, Ajit was misunderstood by those who were not able to understand and appreciate his vision and passion. Nevertheless, he would eternally remain in the hearts and minds of the peasantry.
Ajit Singh left for heavenly abode after fighting the heart wrenching cruelty of the coronavirus on 6 May 2021. On this occasion, I pay my tributes with reverence to this great peasant leader, deeply loved by his people.
Prof Ved Prakash is former Chairman, UGC.