Colonel Lal Singh Thind

Background

His father Maiya Singh had served in the army of former princely State of Kapurthala where he held the rank of army Major.

Career

He was also the Zaildar of the village. Lal Singh received his education up to B.Sc and then joined the army of Maharaja of Kapurthala as a Lieutenant. The issue was tactfully and firmly handled.

Later Lieutenant Lal joined the army of princely State of Patiala where he soon promoted to the rank of Colonel.

After retirement from Military service after partition in 1947, Colonel Thind took several of his co-villagers from Turna and purchased a big tracts of land in Rudurpur city, District Rampur now Udham Singh Nagar in Uttarakhand. The land was fertile and virgin but all jungle and was infested with wild and dangerous animals like tigers and wolves, boars and fierce cobras et cetera at the time of its purchase.

With dedication and discipline of a true soldier, Colonel Thind managed to turn his tract, running into thousands of acres, into a flourishing tillable land over the years and started the progressive farming using the ultra modern scientific techniques. He named his farm as Barandari farm.

Colonel Thind soon caught the eyes of the Government of India for producing highest yield/acre for rice, wheat, sugarcane and several other crops in his farm.

lieutenant was the first award ever given to any farmer throughout India. In 1966, an All India Seed Improvement Seminar was held in New Delhi which was presided over by Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India. Colonel Thind was the special guest in the Seminar and was chosen to speak on the topic.

A progressive farmers’ meeting was held in United States of America (United States of America) in July 1973 which from Indian side was attended and represented by Colonel Thind alone.

Prince Norodom Sihanouk extended a special invitation to a Delegation of Indian Kambojas on behalf of Cambodian government in 1959. The Kamboj delegate consisted of several prominent Kamboj personages of the day which also included Colonel Lal Singh Thind (Nainital) besides four other Kamboj members Mr.

Himat Singh Thind, Advocate (Saharanpur), South. Hazara Singh Jossun, President, All India Kamboj Mahasabha (Delhi) and Doctor Ganga Singh Soni (Khemkaran, Panjab), President, Indo-Cambodian Friendship and Cultural Association et cetera This Kamboja Delegation was given a rousing and royal treatment in Cambodia by the Cambodian Imperial family as well as by the Kambuja (Cambodian) people.

One brother of Lal Singh was Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery doctor and had retired as Chief Medical Officer.

Achievements

• He was widely recognized for this achievement and was conferred upon the Padma Shri award by Doctor Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the third President of India in 1965. In 1968-1970, Doctor Zakir Hussain, the fourth President of India also invited and honored Colonel Thind and awarded him certificates in recognition of his outstanding achievements as the most progressive farmer of India.