Ram Chandra

Baba Ram Chandra (1864/1875–1950) was an Indian trade unionist who organised the farmers of Awadh, India into forming a united front to fight against the abuses of landlords in 1920s and 1930s. He was also an influential figure in the history of Fiji, and owed his inspiration to take up the cause of the down-trodden to his 12 years as an indentured labourer in Fiji and to his efforts to end the indenture system. He is one of the prime characters in Kamla Kant Tripathi's history based novel "Bedakhal".

Early years Ram Chandra was born in a small village in Gwalior State in 1864 He left for Fiji as an indentured labourer Ram Chandra used religion to organise the people. He was responsible for the staging of Ram Lila in Fiji which helped in creating a sense of solidarity among the Indian indentured labourers. He also ensured the dismissal of an official who rode roughshod over the religious sentiments of the labourers. He led popular demonstrations in Fiji to focus on the grievances of indentured labourers. He smuggled into India an article on the deplorable and inhuman conditions of indentured labourers, which was published in Bharat Mitra, a newspaper from Calcutta. The Fiji Government was alarmed by this article and was on the look out for its writer. The article created such a furore that Ram Chandra was advised by his friends to leave Fiji before the authorities were able to lay their hands on him. He left Fiji in 1916.

Formation of the Oudh Farmers' Association On his return to India he settled in Ayodhya and became a sadhu (holy man). He was accused by the local police of spreading disaffection among the peasantry. He married a woman of Chamar caste He was arrested on a number of occasions for organising public protests. He established Oudh Kisan Sabha and organised farmers' protest, but he did not get support from Indian National Congress. Baba Ramachandra operated independently and his movement, with support of peasants, put a charter of demands with 14 points, like receipts for rent paid, not to pay more than actual rent for land, refusal to pay begari etc. He had large support from peasants and when he was kept in Pratapgarh jail in September 1920, peasants numbering 40,000 to 50,000 assembled to press his release. Baba Ramachandra noted the contributions of lower cast people in the agrarian fight against British and recorded the contribution of Pasi and Chamars in the Kisan Sabha meetings held in Rure village, Pratapgarh during 1919 and 1920.

In June 1920, Nehru toured the villages of Awadh. By October the Sabha was headed by Baba Ramchandra, Nehru and a few others. Within a month it had set up over 300 branches. It helped integrate the peasants in the Non-cooperation movement.

The peasant movement was subdued in that area after the arrest of Baba Ram Chandra.