Bhupat Singh: The Fright of Saurashtra in the 50s

Over the years, democracy has become a preferred form of governance. However, till a few centuries ago, the concept did not excite many people. However, change is inevitable, and sooner or later democracy would have come to India. To prevent the complete democratization of India, the princely states joined hands with a daku who unleashed terror.

The infamous Dacoit, Bhupat Singh; Source: Scroll. in

Elections have always been a cutthroat battle arena. Each candidate goes out of their way to gather votes. Due to stiff competition and hunger for power, corrupt practices become a part of the voting process.

It makes sense for heavy security to be deployed at election centres to maintain law and order and prevent malpractice. Little does anyone know that in a newly independent India, a dacoit named Bhupat Singh went on a killing spree to scare people away from voting.

At the time of the first general elections, when the princely states were yet to be a part of Hindustan, Bhupat Singh was supported by the princes of the Saurashtra region to convince the general population that democracy was evil. The princes commissioned him to unleash a reign of terror. He went around plundering villages and killing people to instil fear and deter anyone from casting their votes.

The sole purpose of this vigilante was to convince everyone that such problems would persist if the Congress Party was elected to power.

As he had the full support of the princes and the talukdars, Bhupat Singh evaded laws and the police easily and without fear. Seeing Bhupat Singh prance on his high horse of trouble-making convinced everyone that he was as powerful as the landlords. After all, even the law could not touch him.

He was slowly getting out of reach and could do anything he wanted. His crimes had taken a toll on the country. Bhupat did not realise the gravity of his actions. One of the stories that go around him is how he vowed to visit the Kali Temple in Calcutta once he had killed a thousand people.

It was not just the general masses who were suffering. Political parties and leaders who proposed the idea of democracy were also feeling the tension. The Congress Party which gathered most of the limelight at the time was also suffering. The princely states of Saurashtra offered Bhupat Singh numerous incentives and provided ammunition to create political unrest.

In a not-so-surprising turn of events, Bhupat Singh’s actions became bolder as the elections neared. The princes of Saurashtra hoped that this trouble would be enough to keep the Congress from introducing land reforms and protect the privileges enjoyed by the princely states that were on the verge of being taken away.

Left with no choice, the political leaders decided to enforce the Preventive Detention Act and offered a reward of 50,000 rupees to anyone who captured the dacoit- dead or alive.

Despite the princely states’ efforts to keep the people from voting by employing scaremongering tactics, the voters overwhelmingly voted in favour of the Congress Party.

It was then that VG Kanitkar came into the picture. He was the highly decorated police officer who brought Bhupat down. Kanitkar tracked down one of Bhupat’s aides and killed him in a gunfight. Hearing about this, Bhupat fled. The search did not end there. Sometime later, Bhupat was found in Karachi with a gun and ammunition. That was the end of Bhupat Singh.

The end of Bhupat Singh was one of the main reasons for democracy prevailing with the highest number of votes in favour of the Congress party. Without the terror of Bhupat Singh, the princely states also gave in to merging with India. Democracy ruled, marking the victory of good over evil.