Hanuman Singh Budania
Hanuman Singh Budania was a social worker and freedom fighter from Churu district in Rajasthan, India.
Birth
He was born in Budania gotra Jat Hindu family at village Dudhwa Khara, a historical village in Churu district in Rajasthan, situated in Thar Desert at a distance of 36 km from Churu in north direction.
Role in Freedom movement
Hanuman Singh Budania took the lead in freedom movement in 1942. His village, Dudhwa Khara, become the centre of freedom movement. He was in police service of princely state of Bikaner. He was sympathetic to the people who did conspiracy against the state. This fact came to the notice of Bikaner Maharaja and he was warned on this. He left the police services of Bikaner state in 1942 to take part in the struggle for independence and joined Bikaner Rajya Praja Parishad. He spread the message of freedom movement from village to villages and made villagers member of this Parishad. He was arrested by the state and was dispossessed of his land and village. His entire family was also arrested. He sat on fast till death. When the Maharaja Bikaner learnt that the death of this freedom fighter might create problems for the state, he was released. Maharaja enticed him by offering hundred murabas (irrigated land), but he refused. During the same period there was a conference of the Indian Praja Parishads going on in Udaipur, chaired by Jawahar Lal Nehru. Hanuman Singh Budania approached Pandit Nehru and told every thing to him. Maharaja Bikaner invited him back to join service but he refused. He was again arrested. His 90-year-old mother, four brothers and their wives were imprisoned for two years. He again sat on fast till death in jail and continued it for 65 days when he got fainted for 10 hours, and then he was released.
In 1947 the farmer’s movement for freedom and abolition of Jagirs was in full swing. He was arrested along with 8000 participating farmers and left in unknown forest. Later he was arrested and punished with hard imprisonment for one year. To enhance the hardships in jail, snakes were left in his room. He was released only after India got freedom in 1947.