Dudhwa Khara


Dudhwa Khara is a village in Churu district in Rajasthan, in northwest India, situated in the Thar Desert and 24 km north from Churu. The historic rural village has large designed havelis, an interesting topography, and camel safaris.

Role in the 1940s freedom movement

Dudhwa Khara was at the center of a freedom movement in 1942. Hanuman Singh Budania along with Nyola Ram Jariya from this village, who took the lead in this movement, was in the police service of princely state of Bikaner and was sympathetic to the people who conspired against the state. This came to the attention of the Bikaner Maharaja, and Hanuman left the police services in 1942 and Nyola Ram Jariya left military to take part in the struggle for independence joining Bikaner Rajya Praja Parishad. Both helped spread the message of the freedom movement from village to village, gaining members to their Parishad. He was later arrested by the state and was dispossessed of his land. His entire family was also arrested. He was sent to jail and was made to fast for the duration he was detained. When the Maharaja Bikaner learnt that his death might create further problems for the state, he was released. The Maharaja enticed him by offering a hundred murrabas which he refused. During the same period there was a conference of the Indian Praja Parishads in Udaipur, chaired by Jawahar Lal Nehru. Hanuman Singh Budania approached Pandit Nehru and told him everything. The Maharaja Bikaner invited him back to join the service but he refused and was again arrested. His 90-year-old mother, four brothers and their wives were imprisoned for two years. He was again sent to jail and was made to fast for 65 days, after which he lost consciousness for 10 hours, and then was released. Dungur Singh Kaswan was also a freedom fighter and he also struggled for his village.
In 1947 the farmers' movement for freedom and abolition of Jagirs was in full swing. Hanuman was arrested along with 8,000 other farmers. He was punished with hard imprisonment for a year, with snakes being left in his room. He was released only after India became independent later that year. Nyola Ram Jariya also arrested in bikaner jail.

Notable people