Dalbir Singh Lohar unsung Indian Gorkha freedom fighter from Assam

Writes Sanjog Chamling

Dalbir Singh Lohar (Nepali दलबिर सिंह लोहार) , unsung Indian  Gorkha freedom fighter, was a prominent political leader of Indian Freedom Movement from Assam. He was the first Indian Gorkha to win assembly election. Shri Dalbir Singh Lohar was a popular labour leader who closely worked with the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) as he was associated with the Assam Provincial Congress. He was also the President of Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha Central from 1964 to 1968. Singh actively fought in the freedom movement of India.

Dalbir Singh Lohar

Dalbir Singh Lohar  joined the procession led by the Congress in 1921 during Gandhiji's visit at Dibrugarh in Assam. Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi visited Assam 4 (four) times. The first visit of Mahatma Gandhi took place in the year 1921 when he was invited by Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) to propagate the message of non-cooperation in Assam.

Dalbir Singh Lohar actively took part in Satyagraha launched by Gandhiji. During the third phase of the Satyagraha campaign middle of April 1941 a large number of political leaders were kept interned at home or placed under restrication and Dalbir Singh Lohar was externed from Assam for offering Satyagraha along with other leaders.

Rare photo of Late Dalbir Singh Lohar 

During the Civil Disobedience Movement in Dibrugarh (Assam) Dalbir Singh Lohar was imprisoned from 13-10-1930 to 12-01-1931. During the Civil Disobedience movement Dalbir Singh Lohar, Bir Bahadur Chettri, Anantalal Sarma, Bhakta Bahadur Pradhan were given imprisonment by the British Authorities. During the Quit India Movement, the Indian Gorkha freedom fighters of Assam were also sentenced to rigorous imprisonment and kept in different jails of Assam.

Dalbir Singh Lohar was one of the prominent leaders of the Digboi refinery strike of 1939 (Digboi is Asia's oldest refinery and the birth place of the Oil Industry in India). In 1939, the non-unionised Digboi oil refinery workers resorted to a strike.The Gandhi Movement of Congress for Indian Independence struggle was backed by labour rights and equality hence the strike was against the British  Administration. Jawahal Lal Nehru also gave speeches at Digboi condemning capitalist exploitation. The oil sector strike which began in 1939 and was so successful that eight platoons of Assam Rifles had to be brought in to crush it. Since the break of the World War II coincided with the Digboi labour strike therefore the  British had to take harsh steps to crush the strike by shooting down the president of the Labour Union which was followed by issuing orders of Quit Digboi, Quit Lakhimpur and finally Quit Assam to the leaders of the labour union.

In the first general election of Independent India Dalbir Singh Lohar became the first Indian Gorkha to win assembly election on a Congress ticket from Assam Digboi constituency. Singh got his Congress ticket for the first election on public deamnd as because All Assam Sikh Association had recommended Dalbie Singh, Labour Digboi Constituebcy Demanded seat for him.

NOTE - Looking for more information about legend Dalbir Singh Lohar as you can see we don't even have his photo. Information regarding his early life, education, birth and anything related to him would be very helpful. Request to readers, kindly pass the valuable information about Dalbir Singh Lohar to us so that we could publish theme here. You can  send us the information at indiangorkhacommunity@gmail.com


Sources 
Book -Urban History of India: A Case Study By Deepali Barua
Book - Indian Nepalis: Issues and Perspectives edited by Tanka Bahadur Subba
Book - Empire's Garden: Assam and the Making of India By Jayeeta Sharma
Information collected from Internet.

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