Palthana

Palthana was founded by Palaram Jat of Burdak gotra in 1480. Burdaks had come in 5 carts from village Kari near Nawalgarh in Shekhawati region in Rajasthan. One cart of Palaram Burdak stayed here where Sarans were cultivating in this village. Palaram Burdak wanted to occupy this village. Sarans resisted it. There was a struggle in which Sarans were defeated and the village land was occupied by Palaram Burdak. He founded the village and was called Palthana after Palaram. There is an old building in the village built by Palaram, the founder, about 500 years back.

The population of the village is about 3000 out of which 1500 people are Jats. They are all of Burdak gotra. There is one family of Meel gotra.

Palthana was the centre of Sekhawati farmers' movement before independence. It is well developed village with modern facilities like good road connectivity, watercoolers in the centre of village to give relief to people

The Palthana village has special importance in the movement of freedom and awakening of the farmers of Shekhawati. This was the place where it was decided to conduct Jat Prajapati Maha-Yagya, which proved a turning point for Shekhawati farmers' movement. This was the place where the terror of Jagirdars first time came to an end. In this very village the jagirdars destroyed the school opened by Hari Singh Burdak and arrested master Chandra Bhan Singh.[1]

After successful Jhunjhunu adhiveshan in 1932, a deputation of Jats from Sikar district, under the leadership of Prithvi Singh Gothra met Thakur Deshraj and requested him to do a similar adhiveshan in Sikar also. After long discussions Thakur Deshraj proposed to have a yagya at Sikar. A meeting for discussing this issue was called in Palthana village in October 1933. This was attended by all activists from Shekhawati and one member was invited from each family in Sikar district. About 5000 people gathered in the meeting. The Sikar thikana wanted to make this meeting a failure. For this, the thikanedar sent hundreds of handcuffs loaded on camels along with the police force to terrorize the people taking part in the meeting.[2] Thakur Deshraj addressed the people that

"these handcuffs would get you independence. If you are afraid of these you would never get freed. We have gathered here for a religious purpose and we will complete".[3]

These words of Thakur Deshraj played a lightening effect amongst the people and they all were energized for further struggle with the Jagirdars. People listened the leaders very calmly and meeting was a great success. Police could do nothing. The leaders who attended the meeting were Sardar Harlal Singh, Chaudhary Ram Singh Kunwarpura, Chaudhary Ghasi Ram, Kunwar Net Ram Singh, Kunwar Panne Singh of Devroad's elder brother Bhoor Singh and many more. There was a speech by Master Ratan Singh Pilani. A resolution was passed in this meeting to conduct a seven-day "Jat Prajapat Mahayagya" (Prayer ceremony for the Lord of Universe) in Sikar on next basant in 1934, to spread the principles of Arya Samaj and create awakening in Shekhawati. It was decided for this purpose to collect ghee and money from each household. A yagya committee was formed consisting of Chaudhary Hari Singh Burdak of Palthana village as its president, Master Chandrabhan Singh as minister. Deva Singh Bochalya, Thakur Hukum Sing and Bhola Singh were made in charge of publicity.[3] The office of managing committee was earlier in Palthana. In December 1933 this office was transferred to Sikar.

The Jat Prajapati Maha-Yagya took place at Sikar from 20–29 January 1934. Kunwar Hukam Singh Rahees Angai (Mathura) was made Yagyapati or Chairman of the Yagya. Chaudhary Kaluram of village Kudan was the Yagyaman. Acharya Shri Jagdev Sidhanthi received an invitation for this Yagya at his Gurukul at Kirttal, In that invitation was he requested to attend the Yagya and bring twenty Bhramcharis and disciples with him. Volunteers went to all the households in all the villages in the region and collected material that would be needed. They collected Ghee, Flour, Gur, and invited all the householders to participate. Hundreds of cans of Ghee and hundreds of sacks of flour were collected.

During the Yagya 3000 men and women adopted the Yogyopavit, which was a symbol Kisan sangathan. Sheetal Kumari daughter of Kunwar Netram Singh adopted yagyopavit. Chaudhary Chimana Ram of Sangasi brought his wife wearing salwar-kurta. The unity of Jat farmers in this Yagya had terrified the Jagirdars of Sikar. The role played by Sardar Har Lal Singh and Thakur Deshraj was unparallel which made this yagya a grand success.

The Jat Prajapati Mahayagya of Sikar was attended by about a lakh farmers and was a grand success in awakening of the farmers of Shekhawati. This annoyed the Rao Raja of Sikar and his other thikanedars. Jats had still one grievance that they were not able to take the procession of sabhapati of yagya on elephant as planned because the Rao Raja of Sikar had helped in getting the elephant run away. Immediately after the yagya Jat leaders held a meeting under the chairmanship of Thakur Deshraj to settle the issues with Rao Raja Sikar and his thikanedars. They founded a body called "Sikarwati Jat Kisan Panchayat". Thakur Deva Singh Bochalya was elected General Secretary and Hari Singh Burdak as sarpanch of this body.[4] During those days a folk song was very popular amongst the women of Shekhawati which is as under in Rajasthani language:

चलिए सखी यज्ञ देखन कूँ, सीकर के अस्थाना में ।

तोही सरपंच दिखाऊँ पलथाना में ।।[5]

• Villages in the Sikar tehsil, Sikar district, Rajasthan