Hambran | village

India / Punjab / Mullanpur Dakha /
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THIS IS VILLAGE OF CAPTAIN S.PARAG SINGH GILL
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Coordinates:   30°56'11"N   75°40'7"E

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  • CAPT. S. PRAG SINGH , WE CAN SAY WAS THE CREATER OF VILLAGE HAMBRAN.ALL THE PROGRESS IN EVERY FIELD IN THE AREA WHAT WE SEE TODAY IS ONLY BECAUSE OF CAPT. PRAG SINGH.AFTER HIM, S.ALBEL SINGH SARPANCH HAD ALSO WORKED HARD TO CONTINOUE THE PROGRESS. SLUTE TO THEM WITH GREAT RESPECT&REGARD DARBARA SINGH GARCHA FINLAND
  • After the partition in 1947, most families were new from Pakistan to Hambran except some scheduled caste families. Hambran was considered a very backward Bet village without any paved road to Ludhiana or other focal points. Like most other families in Hambran, my parents had to start from the scratch, and cultivated the barren parcels inherited in exchange of good land left in Pakistan. Hambran had only only few brick buildings, three open wells as a source of drinking water, and a pond for wastewater and drainage collection. A Primary School existed near the original Gurdwara building inside the village, while a Middle School was located outside the village. The first Panchayat was unanimously formed with five members in 1953-54. My father as the member of Panchayat started the first "Rural Dispensary" in our house at Hambran in 1954 with one MBBS Doctor, a Compounder, a Nurse and a servant. At the same time frame, land demarkation under the consolidation program was started and thus stone pillars were installed for a permanent allotment with identification of all acreage for ultimate settlement. A big challenge and struggle was continued by all hard working farmers while adjusting to their new adopted village. Only few selected children were able to join and pass the high schools away from Hambran. Furthermore, only few lucky and determined fellows were able to join college and succeed. Couple of persons joined the military and few other migrated to oversees in the first two decades after the partition. Respectable Capt Parag Singh Ji Gill (also known as Rasaldar Sahib, originally from Sudhar) after retiring from the Army in about 1960, settled at village Hambran. He was elected as a Sarpanch, and was involved heavily with the Zila Parishad and thus established important relationsships with the local and state authorities. Under his leadership many projects were initiated and completed such as soil work and pavement of village streets, connecting roads, hospital, Gurdwara, improvement of school buildings, Panchayat Office, tubewells, toilets, residential buildings, cultivation and control of Panchayat land and completion of methane gas project among other work. He was a true GurSikh, he never drank liquor or cosumed any drugs, helped the poor as well as his community, driven his bicycle till old age, never asked for a cup of tea as a bribe from anybody, and did not charge any fee or demanded money or favors in return of his services to the community. He had the guts to speak the truth. I have seen him closely and worked on his many projects with my own hands and thus he has earned the respect of many. He was a great role model.
  • Hambran – A Health Perspective and Environmental Awareness Initiative: Purpose: Create awareness of “health risks” and environment due to “release of contaminants” from agriculture land, shops, homes, stores, and industrial facilities at Hambran. The village continues making remarkable progress and the life style is changing at a faster speed with modernization, use of the state-of-the art technology, and the existing facilities created by great efforts of the village leaders, as well as the sacrifice of many hard working individuals. Overall progress and economic benefits are realized from the high appreciation rate or equity gained from the assets, improved market conditions, and efficiencies gained in the agriculture, and industrial growth, proper use of Panchayat resources, and creation of commercial facilities such as banks, shops, hospitals, and a power station, market with proper infrastructure. Efforts of all good leaders and cooperation of the community members deserve a big appreciation and congratulations for the success of this village. However, significant efforts are yet required for the remaining work to make Hambran a world class ”model village” with complete peace, harmony, justice, happiness and liberty for the life and properties for all to enjoy. In this context, for example, the obvious environmental and public health problems need to be addressed with effective measures for the desired end results in the best interest of the current population and the future generations to come. The roles and responsibilities of all polluters must be determined for the desired preventive measures and remedial actions must be undertaken with proper planning and execution. The village Sarpanch, local/district, state, and national leaders should be involved for a favorable response. All individuals currently living in the village as well as subject matter experts (legal, technical, and financial) including teachers (from Primary School to the University), engineers, physicians, soil scientists, hydrologist, geologist, chemists, toxicologist, environmentalists, businessmen, leaders, politicians, economists, bankers, attorneys/judges, and religious preachers, and all other stakeholders or interested parties with ambition and motivation are requested to help alleviate the existing or anticipated health problems due to the depleting natural resources including water, soil, and air. The community should learn important lessons from the city of Ludhiana in adopting suitable preventive measures to control leakage of hazardous materials impacting the public health and environment. As we know, “prevention is better than cure”, thus avoiding leakage by controlling the chemicals is less expensive than the environmental restoration of the contaminated sites. Considerable information regarding the environmental restoration initiatives and associated technology is widely available to understand the nature and extent of the associated health problems and thus it is logical and reasonable to emphasize implementation of effective corrective measures earlier rather than later to help avoid unbearable financial burden and suffering of the next generations. Recommendations: 1. Educate the community for their awareness in health, safety, and environment 2. Create inventory of all hazardous materials used, stored, and waste disposal techniques by industries and others to adopt preventive measures for clean air, land and water resources 3. Panchayat and District authorities enforce rules with policy that “polluter pays” 4. Find substitute and safe materials to replace the hazardous materials, as may be possible. Note: This article is published in respect and honor of all good and loving people who dedicated their lives in the honest service of others, before self.
  • No historical data exists to identify the original settlers, reasons for selecting the name “Hambran”, and/or any information about its founder. The original Hindu families humorously explained the definition of village name Hambran as “Ham Bra” (We are Great), or translated as “Humb Barah” (We arrive as tired). Before the partition of country in 1947, about 100 Muslim families and 20 Hindu families (scheduled caste, or Chamars) are believed to be living here with a total estimated population of 800 to 1000 persons. All Muslims migrated to Pakistan in 1947, while the Hindu families remained at Hambran. No evidence of any Gurdwara or a temple existed before 1947. The village had at least two mosques built of small bricks, two Khangahs (Graves of some Pirs), two Taqyas or open space with trees, and a large grave yard on the ridge side covered with old “Ban” trees, behind the Primary School. Evidence of animal slaughter house existed near the village, as confirmed by the original dwellers. Most of the Muslim houses were constructed of mud and local materials. Only few buildings were artistically built with small bricks and lime. The surface water and wastewater was collected in three ponds outside the village perimeter. Mud bricks excavation continued from the dry beds of three ponds for construction, and this practice ceased in 1970, when kiln baked bricks and cement was available for new construction. Thus the mud houses were demolished, and the ponds were leveled for farming. A Primary School existed inside the village, near the Gurdwara building (converted from mosque), while a Middle School was located outside the village. The drinking water from three “open wells” was manually pulled by ropes attached to the buckets. First “hand pump” was drilled by the local persons in about 1958-59. All poor Hindu families were settled at one side of the village serving as farm labors, janitors, shoe makers (by processing leather of dead animals), and worked on various chores/tasks, as assigned by the new settlers. Cattle and animals normally consumed water from the village ponds, and there were no separate farm houses or sheds for the animals. Smarter farmers composted the manure for fertilizing their farms and the manure pits were open excavated pits mostly within the residential compounds or near the village border. The cow and animal dung as dry cakes were stacked near the homes for burning to generate heat for cooking. Like any other village, many wild animals, wild cats and stray dogs roamed without control of rabies and other diseases. The village is about 10 miles (or 16 Km) from the Clock Tower of Ludhiana, and all connecting roads were unpaved reflecting soil deformation and marks of heavy traffic volume on terrain by ” wooden wheel carts” as well as walkways created by the bicycle treads, and the travelers on foot. The village is situated at the Ludhiana-Sidhwan Bet road on a ridge of sand dunes (Dhaha) at one side, and the clay top soil (Bet land) on the other side, created by river Sutlej, believed to be flowing very close to Hambran ridge some time ago. Budha Nullah as a tributary of Sutlej crossed Khaira Road at a distance of about two Km from Hambran. In 1954-55, Sutlej was over flooded form Hambran to Bilga near Mau Sahib in Doaba, while Buddha Nullah and other tributaries were merged in creating 8 Km wide river or large open water channel. Considerable land in the river bed and surrounding the village was barren and covered by wild bushes, various types of tall grasses or weeds used for shelter, fodder, heating, and cooking purposes. Open wells operated by bullocks and camels were used for irrigation. These animals were also used for pulling carts, cultivation, and grinding of food grains such as wheat and corn at the village grinding mills or flour mills (Chaki/Gharat). A carpenter, Bachan Singh installed a diesel engine powered grinding mill in 1960, and another flour mill was subsequently started by Tara Singh and Lachhman Singh as financed by the Sud brothers who shifted from Ludhiana to Hambran. As a result of “Green Revolution” and modernization, the old farming techniques were eliminated by the tube-wells/pumps, tractors and other equipment. The farmers improved crop yield with new seeds, and application of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. All land including river beds were brought under cultivation with optimum yield and thus the sand dunes were flattened resulting in a big change in the landscape. All parcels of land or original terrain has considerably deformed with the new infrastructure, modern buildings, extensive new industrial complex, and commercial establishments.
  • By 1950, all Muslim homes and land was occupied by the Sikh farmers and new Hindu families migrated from Pakistan. List of the new Hindu families: 1. Amritsaria Ram (Hakim Ji) and his brother Ved Prakash Gupta (Medical practice) 2. Master Lahori Ram, and his brother Sant Ram (Post Master/Mail Carrier) 3. Tirath Ram (shop keeper) and his sons Janak and Shiv Kumar (retired from AF and now physician) 4. Ram Lal and his brother Brij Lal and sons Kewal, Hem, (shopkeepers) 5. Raja Ram and his daughter Pari and her son Madan Lal Mittal (in Ludhiana) 6. Master Mathura Das and his son Omi and other son was in cycle business 7. Headmaster Baisakhi Ram and his son Hari 8. Sud brothers moved from Ludhiana in 1956 and returned back in 1962 Carpenter and/or Blacksmith families: 1. Sawan Singh, son Bachan, nephew Ude started a diesel engine driven flour Mill 2. Bhan or Bhagwan Singh had an ox or camel driven flour mill 3. Hari Singh moved to Hambran in 1957, only one eye, married a non-Punjabi woman Water Carrier Families: 1. Two brothers Lachhman and Tara Singh and their families 2. Isshar Singh a shop keeper 3. Lachhman Singh arrived in 1958, sold merchandise on bicycle and in shop 4. Puran Singh waterman (made corn flakes) helped in marriages and ceremonies 5. Bachan Singh and son Nachhatar mechanic, helped in marriages and ceremonies There was one tailor Bhagwan Singh and his family, and one barber Nahar Singh and his wife. In 1960 a clay pot maker Chhotu Ram settled here and he excavated streets for chemical mining, and designed settling ponds for crystallization of “Shora”. Rattan Singh was a village Chowkidar or a servant for the Patwari and served Nambardars such as Mal Singh, Narang Singh, Kehar Singh, Albel Singh etc. Prominent Landlord families: 1. Gurdit Singh Gill and his sons: S. Chhanga Singh, Bikram, Pritam, Mohinder and Gurmukh. Gurdit Singh died during the partition in 1947, S. Chhanga Singh died in an accident at his farm in 1955. Bikram Singh died in 1962 and the remainder family was divided and unable to manage their inherited assets. 2. Albel Singh doubled his land after death of brother Gurmail (had no children) 3. Giani Jai Singh and his son Surjit and Paul 4. Amar Singh B.A. of Mansooran (British awarded land for education) 5. Capt Parag S. Gill (British land for military service)-moved in 1960 6. Narang Singh and Naginder Singh “Khanda” 7. Badan Singh and sons Kehar, Santa, Harbans, and Bhagat Singh 8. Amar Singh Dollon Many other families migrated from Pakistan were Mal Singh and Nagahya Singh of Dhaulmajra, three families of Leelan, two families of Rauwal, about 10 families of Chak, two families of Warsal, two family of Sawadi and several other families were also settled here, and it is a long list of new settlers, while some of them moved away such as Giani Lal Singh and his son Hari Singh and Jarnail Singh Mullanpuria among others. Mujhail Families: There were about six Mujhail families of Makhan Singh and his brother, Meja Singh Karwathia and his sons, Udam Singh and his brother, Ajaib and his sons Veeru and Sheeru, Chanan Singh, and one family lived in the same house where now Kishan Singh of Boparai lives, and one more family lived near the old Gurdwara and grazed the village cattle. Most of these families rented land for cultivation, but mainly involved in selling homemade liquor and thus were trouble makers resulting in fights and a murder in the village. By 1960, most of these families moved away to UP or other places. Giani/Granthi Sahib at two Gurdwaras (converted from old mosques): 1. Giani Dal Singh 2. Giani Hazura Singh 3. Giani Jai Singh (mostly stayed away from the village) 4. Bhai Gurdial Singh (leg amputated because of fights before partition) Schools: Both Primary and Middle Schools were well maintained and managed with good acceptable standards during 1955-1965 and the students from various surrounding villages including Nurpur Bet, Khaira, Birmi, Fagla, and Purain etc were educated here. These schools provided good foundation to create certain business men, engineers, doctors, military persons, a police officer, and other professions/officials. Hambran was initially backward in the District, but was ahead of Bet villages.
This article was last modified 7 years ago