Rana Chandra Singh

Rana Chandra Singh
Member National Assembly of Pakistan from Umerkot
In office
1977–1999
Personal details
Born1931 (1931)
Rana Jagir, Umerkot, British India
Died (aged 78)
Karachi, Pakistan
NationalityPakistani
Children4 sons and 1 daughter, including Rana Hamir Singh
OccupationPolitician, agriculturalist
Known forFounder of Pakistan Hindu Party

Rana Chandra Singh (Sindhi: رانا چندر سنگه‎; 1931 – 1 August 2009), also known as Rana Chandar Singh, was a Pakistani politician and a federal minister. He was one of the founding members of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan from Umerkot seven times with PPP between 1977 and 1999. He founded the Pakistan Hindu Party (PHP) in 1990.[1][2]

Early life

Rana Chandra Singh was born in 1931 in Rana Jagir, 16 km from Umarkot, present day Umerkot District.[3][4] He belonged to the Hindu Sodha clan of Rajputs, and was the Rana (chieftain) of the Amarkot (Umerkot) jagir, a Rajput estate in Pakistan.[5]

Career

He was a close friend of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, and was a founding member of Pakistan Peoples Party. He was also elected as MPA a number of seven times, serving as Minister of Science and Technology, Revenue and Narcotics Affairs. In 1990, he left PPP and formed his own political party, the Pakistan Hindu Party (PHP).[2] He himself designed for his party a saffron flag bearing two ancient logos – Om and Trishool.[6] He served as Minister for Agriculture and Revenue, and was the Chairman of National Commission of Minorities.[6] He won elections as an Independent candidate for a continuous 53 years – a considerable achievement for a minority Hindu. He had joined PPP after parting way with PML-Q.[7]

He died on 1 August 2009 at the age of 78, after a prolonged illness, as he suffered paralysis in 2004. Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, in a message to his family, expressed grief over the death of former federal minister,[8] while President Asif Ali Zardari described him as "one of the fearless political activists who joined the party in the early days of its formation by Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and who stood by him through thick and thin".[9] His body was taken to his native village Rana Jagir, 16 km from Umarkot for cremation, where earlier, his elder son Rana Hamir Singh was installed as his successor, the 26th Rana of Tharparkar's Thakurs.[10]

According to Waseem Altaf, a retired Pakistani bureaucrat, "whenever the Cabinet was given a defense-related briefing, Rana Chandra Singh was asked to leave the Cabinet Room."[11]

Personal life

He was married to Rani Sahiba Subhadra Kumari, daughter of Rawat Tej Singh of Rawatsar in Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan. They have four sons and one daughter.[12]

References

  1. ^ "Hindu Leader, Ex-minister Chardar Singh is Dead". 8 June 2011. Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  2. ^ a b Guriro, Amar (2 August 2009). "Chieftain of Pakistani Hindu Thakurs dies". Daily Times. Retrieved 2 August 2009.
  3. ^ "Rana Chandar Singh dies". DAWN.COM. 2 August 2009. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  4. ^ Chandra, P. B. (10 August 2009). "Rana kin in Pakistan for mourning". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  5. ^ "Pakistan Hindu Party founder passes away | TopNews". topnews.in. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  6. ^ a b Vardhan, Harsh. "Rendezvous with Rana". Rajasthan Plus. Retrieved 10 August 2009.
  7. ^ "Rana Hameer rejoins PPP". Daily Times. 20 November 2008. Retrieved 2 August 2009.
  8. ^ "PM condoles ex minister's death". Associated Press of Pakistan (APP). 2 August 2009. Archived from the original on 19 February 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2009.
  9. ^ "President condoles death of Rana Chandar Singh". Associated Press of Pakistan. Archived from the original on 28 December 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2009.
  10. ^ Arisar, A. B. (3 August 2009). "Final journey of the Last Rajput". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  11. ^ At time-stamp 47:24 My response to Ambassador Abdul Basit's allegations, retrieved 29 December 2023
  12. ^ Rathore, Abhinay. "Amarkot (Jagir)". Rajput Provinces of India. Retrieved 18 April 2022.