Lucknow: Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary has a new identity — he will now be addressed as Chaudhary Jayant Singh, or ‘Bade Chaudhary’. The new title symbolises Jayant’s position as the new political representative of khaps across India.
Beyond the personal sphere and even the community, there is a political significance to this change of identity. The RLD enjoys a strong hold in western Uttar Pradesh, but is hoping his new status as ‘Bade Chaudhary’ will expand his influence beyond this region to other parts of north India.
Jayant’s recognition as ‘Bade Chaudhary’ came in a traditional ‘rasam pagdi‘ ceremony on 20 September, for which all major khaps — informal village unions or councils operating mainly in north India that have often emerged as quasi-judicial bodies in recent years — gathered in Chhaprauli town of UP’s Baghpat district, the traditional seat of the Chaudhary family, to recognise him as the community head. The position was held by his father, former Union minister Chaudhary Ajit Singh, who died in May this year, and before him, Ajit Singh’s father, former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh.
In parts of north India, the ceremony of ‘rasam pagdi’ is organised to pass on the responsibility of the family or clan to the eldest surviving male member (or someone held in highest regard), after the death of the former head. Khaps also refer to the ceremony as ‘sarv khap rasam pagdi‘, when all major khaps from across the country gather to pass on the responsibility of the ‘samaj‘ (community) to the one who will be known as ‘Chaudhary’.
Chaudhary Jayant Singh’s rasam pagdi, where he was presented with a traditional headgear to symbolise his position in the community, was attended by over 40 khaps from UP, Delhi, Haryana, and Rajasthan. Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) president and head of Balyan Khap, Naresh Tikait, and several senior Jat leaders also attended the event. The ceremony was the formal recognition of Jayant as the successor of Chaudhary Charan Singh and Ajit Singh.
Talking to ThePrint about his new responsibility, Jayant said: ”It’s a message to respect a legacy. It’s not about me particularly. It’s a collective responsibility that has been given to me. My role is to give them a political voice, to raise their issues on political platforms. I assured the crowd that I will work just like my father. I will try to fulfill all the responsibilities given to me.”
Jayant also said that he will soon rename his Twitter handle. “My name is Jayant Singh. I used Jayant Chaudhary, but now I am thinking of changing it on Twitter too,” he added.
While Chaudhary and Singh are both last names used by Jats, according to an RLD functionary, the use of ‘Chaudhary’ before his name will add more gravitas to Jayant’s identity.
Jayant now plans to go on an ‘Aashirwad Path’, a yatra to meet people across villages, which will begin at Hapur district’s Noorpur village on 8 October and conclude at Baghpat district’s Baraut town on 30 October. Noorpur was Chaudhary Charan Singh’s birthplace.
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Rasam Pagdi, an old tradition
Subhash Chaudhary, head of the Choubissa Khap of Baghpat, told ThePrint: “After the death of Chaudhary Ajit Singh, the legacy has been handed over to his son, Jayant Chaudhary. Now he will be known as Chaudhary Jayant Singh, just like we used to address Ajit Singh as Chaudhary Ajit Singh. The khap members tied a turban on Jayant Chaudhary’s head (to recognise him as their political representative). This turban has its own value among khaps.”
According to Subhash Chaudhary, the turban (pagdi) is not just a symbol but an acronym.
“‘Pa’ stands for the pagdi or headgear itself; ‘Ga’ for garima (dignity); and ‘Di’ for digna (the loss of dignity). So the person who gets this pagdi takes an oath that ‘Pagdi ki garima ko kabhi digne nahin denge (will not let down the dignity of this headgear)’,” he said.
“It’s an old tradition, dating back to before independence. People from different khaps also bring pagdis to present to the ‘Bade Chaudhary’,” Subhash Chaudhary added.
An RLD functionary who was present at the event told ThePrint that the number of pagdis received by Jayant would number over a thousand, and that representatives of 34 castes as well as Muslim farmers were present to show their support for him.
Surendra Solanki, head of Delhi’s Palam khap said: “Jayant Chaudhary’s family has an immense connection with our samaj (community). There is huge respect for this family among all khaps.”
He added: “Whoever is given the pagdi receives the responsibility of taking a stand for the samaj or the people who are part of these khaps.”
The title of ‘Chaudhary’ brings it with immense respect and responsibility among khaps. Subhash Chaudhary said: “Each khap represents a certain number of villages. For example, as head of the Chaubisi (24) Khap, I represent people of 24 villages. For them I am ‘Chaudhary’, their representative in our khap panchayats. Similarly, Palam Khap, one of the biggest khaps in India, represents more than 360 villages. The ‘Bade Chaudhary’ is the representative of all khaps.”
Solanki also clarified that it would be wrong to assume that khaps are only composed of people from the Jat community. “There are people of all castes and religions who are a part of the khaps,” he said.
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What Jayant being ‘Bade Chaudhary’ means for RLD
The RLD is looking to capitalise on the growing resentment against the BJP among farmers, especially Jats, over the new farm laws. The party hopes this will help it revive its Jat vote bank, which it had lost to the BJP in a big way since 2014.
According to Anupam Mishra, RLD spokesperson, the party is ready for next year’s UP assembly elections and has the full support of the farmers in the state.
“We are focusing on further increasing our base in western UP,” he said.
On Jayant’s new role as ‘Bade Chaudhary’, Mishra said: “It’s a proud moment for the party that our president Jayant Chaudhary has been given another responsibility by more than three dozen khaps from all over India. He is a true leader with the courage to raise his voice for the masses. We are hopeful for our better future in this election as we saw a huge crowd gathered at all his events.”
He added: “Jayant Chaudhary already had the support of western UP, but after this Rasam Pagdi event, he will be treated as the most powerful political voices in north India. We are hopeful it will benefit the party in the coming elections.”
(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)
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