Sujan Singh (contractor)

Sardar Bahadur Sujan Singh was a contractor and agriculturalist in Punjab and Delhi during World War I and a contractor in the 1920s who helped in agricultural development, construction of highways and infrastructure in Punjab along with Delhi.

Early life and family
His father, Inder Singh, was a trader, and his grandfather was one too, and he traced his lineage from Baba Sangat Singh. His grandfather was Sohel Singh (born Pyare Lal Khurana) who used to work at the Khewra Salt Mines near the desert area of Hadali. They both used to have camels which would transport rock salt from the Khewra Mines, along with dates to sell in Lahore and Amritsar. They brought back textiles, kerosine oil, tea, sugar and spices to sell to other villages. His father Inder Singh was very patriotic toward the British Raj. When any ruler was crowned, Khushwant Singh recalled, they distributed sweets to their neighbors in Hadali, and when any ruler died they would do an Akhand Path.

His family Haveli was the largest house in Hadali and on the two sides of the door had a picture of Guru Nanak Dev on one side and Queen Victoria (Malika Victoria) on the other. After the Partition of India, his family Haveli in Hadali was inhabited by a Muslim family from Rohtak, although is now in ruins.

He was married to Lakshmi Devi (also known as Lakshmi Bai) and had two children- Ujjal Singh and Sir Sobha Singh.

Shaida Peer Incident
He is ascribed to an old Pakistani legend, wherein a Sufi Peer, named Shaida Peer was caught in a massive flood in the salt range of Pakistan. He was trapped on the thatched roof of his hut, and by the time he had reached Hadali, where Sujan Singh was staying, he only had a loin cloth around him. Sujan Singh made him clothes, food and built him a hut near the Muslim graveyard. Shaida Peer blessed him, and said, "I will give your two sons the keys to Delhi and Lahore; they will prosper." His two sons were Sir Sobha Singh, the owner of around fifty percent of Lutyens' Delhi and Ujjal Singh, one of Pre-Partition Punjab's largest landholders and Governor of Punjab and Tamil Nadu.

Agricultural Career
In vast tracts of land between Montgomery and Khanewal; Sujan Singh tried to introduce modern techniques of farming like tractors and harvesters. He was a pioneer of exploiting the soils and was the first to use mechanized tools for farming along with oil pressing. The land was crisscrossed with canals and the farmers were very tough, most of them being servicemen or ex-servicemen with Punjabi and Baluchi blood. He also raised a cotton factory, which was named after his father, Inder Cotton Factory in Jaranwala, Mian Channu, Bhalwal and Sargodha, the factory existed till the 1960s. There were two families who were awarded lots of land- these were the families of Sujan Singh and Datar Singh. Both families prospered. For his successful attempts to improve cattle breeding the British Government conferred knighthood on Sir Datar Singh, whereas Sujan Singh was given the title of 'Sardar Sahib'.

Sujan Singh and his son Sobha Singh were present for the Coronation of the King and Queen near Delhi in 1911 as guests due to their work in the field of canal irrigation, development and construction of roads and rail tracks, invited by Malcom Hailey. Sir Sobha Singh and him were given the task to build Delhi as the capital was shifting, as he had bought land there anticipating the shift of the capital.

Real Estate Career
After building the Kalka-Simla railway, he was of the opinion that being a contractor was more lucrative. He contacted Malcom Hailey, who was put in charge of selecting contractors for building New Delhi, and put the names of Sujan Singh and his son Sobha Singh. They were given a house on Rafi Marg, now Old Mill Road along with other Sikh contractors.

Sardar Sujan Singh and his family shifted near Sabzi Mandi in Delhi and worked in the textile industry, in a cotton mill. It was originally called Jumna Mill but then he changed the name to Khalsa Cotton Spinning and Weaving Mills. He left it during the First World War.

World War I
Due to the First World War, the plans for building the city had been postponed. Sujan Singh was asked by the government to help in the war effort- he enlisted 437 soldiers from around Shahpur and gained more land, thousands of acres across the North and South West of Punjab. After the war they reaped the benefits, they were rewarded with large tracts of land between Mian Channu and Khanewal along with Jaranwala which was canal area, which went to Ujjal Singh. The railway station near Khanewal was named after his father called Kot Sujan Singh after persistence by Ujjal Singh, and his Havelis in Mian Channu and Hadali were given to Ujjal Singh too. Whereas Sobha Singh was able to receive plots of land where the India Gate, Vijay Chowk, Rashtrapati Bhavan and other monuments and buildings would be built.

Later Life and Death
He went back to his home in Mian Channu and worked in his fields. He put cotton ginning and spinning mills along with oil pressing in the area. It was noted by Khushwant Singh, his grandson, that in their family they did not mourn death but celebrated it as a release from the world's bondage.

Personal life
Sujan Singh and his son Ujjal Singh wrote a doggerel after Sir Datar Singh was given his grandiose title and Sujan Singh was given a far smaller one- Sardar Sahib. It went -

"'Ban Gaya Sir Datar,

Mjhan Chaar Kay,

Moh Layee Sarkar,

Guppan maar maar kay'

(He has become a Sir Datar,

For taking buffaloes out to graze,

He has won over the government,

By sweet talk and hogwash)"

He was very traditional in his mindset. When his three grandchildren joined Modern School in Delhi he saw them being taught the Sitar and Esraj- he was disgusted and taunted them by labelling them 'miraasees' (folk singers) and 'ran-mureed' (disciples of lowly women).

He was also religious and took part actively in the Chief Khalsa Diwan of Sir Sundar Singh Majithia. They presented memoranda on behalf of the Sikhs at the time of Minto Morley Reforms.

Despite being rich he was very money-minded and used to argue with vegetable sellers over prices in annas and paisa.

Khushwant Singh (his grandson) noted that Sujan Singh's special word of affection was "bharua" (pimp).

Legacy
Many places are named after Sujan Singh, mainly:


 * 1) Kot Sujan Singh, a railway station in Mian Channu.
 * 2) Sujan Singh Park, a high-end colony in New Delhi.
 * 3) Sujan Singh Block, now Wengers Block, in Connaught Place.