Gwalior: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav and Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia are set to unveil a statue of former Gwalior MLA and veteran public leader Raghuveer Singh, popularly known as “Babuji,” at Akashwani Road near Thatipur Gaon in Gwalior on Wednesday.
The ceremony will commemorate a political and social figure whose public life spanned the freedom movement, farmers’ and workers’ causes, electoral politics, cultural organisations and sports development in Gwalior.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav’s official Gwalior itinerary includes participation in the statue unveiling programme near Akashwani Tiraha after attending the state-level Balram Jayanti celebrations at Mela Ground. Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia is also in the Gwalior-Chambal region and is scheduled to proceed to Gwalior on Wednesday following a series of engagements in Shivpuri.
The unveiling gives a permanent public memorial to a leader whose association with Gwalior stretched across several decades — and across considerably more institutions than would comfortably fit on a conventional political résumé.
Who Was Raghuveer Singh ‘Babuji’?
Raghuveer Singh “Babuji” was born on September 25, 1932, in Thatipur village, Gwalior, to late Bhanwar Singh and late Sonadevi. His wife was Savitri Devi.
His biographical account describes him as a prominent voice for workers, farmers and disadvantaged sections of society, while also highlighting his role in Gwalior’s political, social and cultural development.
Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi From Childhood
According to the biographical record, Babuji was influenced by the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi from an early age and became actively involved in activities linked to India’s freedom struggle.
As a young activist or “Bal Senani,” he helped families of imprisoned freedom fighters and played a role in carrying messages between activists while avoiding the attention of British police.
During his school years, he also sought to make other students aware of the freedom movement and the oppression associated with colonial rule.
Elected Gwalior MLA in 1993
Babuji went on to build a lengthy career in public life and was elected as an MLA from Gwalior in 1993.
Before entering the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, he had been elected a Gwalior Municipal Corporation councillor in 1983. His biographical profile also records his service in an opposition leadership role.
Agriculture was another important part of his work.
A graduate in agriculture, Babuji devoted himself to farmers’ development and agricultural advancement after Independence. The profile credits him with pursuing innovative work in agriculture while contributing to efforts associated with the Green Revolution.
Close Association With Madhavrao Scindia
Raghuveer Singh “Babuji” was also a close associate of late Madhavrao Scindia.
Working under Scindia’s guidance, he participated in several initiatives aimed at strengthening Gwalior’s developmental and cultural standing.
The biographical account states that Babuji served as Gwalior district president in 1997 and was a member of various committees of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly.
The presence of Jyotiraditya Scindia at the memorial programme therefore carries a historical connection as well as a contemporary political one, linking the ceremony with Babuji’s long association with the Scindia family.
Decades-Long Association With Gwalior Trade Fair
Babuji was closely involved with one of the city’s best-known institutions, the Gwalior Trade Fair.
Beginning in 1972, he served as coordinator of various committees associated with the fair. His biographical account credits him with contributing to its development from a trade fair into a more formally structured authority.
His work extended far beyond electoral politics.
He held leadership responsibilities in organisations associated with the Ramlila Mandal, Shri Dwarkadhish Mandir Committee, Ganeshotsav Committee, school development initiatives and crematorium renovation, among other community projects.
Advocate for Workers and Rural Labour
Workers’ welfare was another recurring theme in Babuji’s public career.
He was associated with INTUC and the District Rural Labour Union and served as a state member of the Madhya Pradesh State Contract Labour Advisory Council, according to his biographical profile.
His involvement with farmers, agricultural development and organised labour placed him among a generation of politicians whose public activities often extended well beyond legislative chambers into unions, community institutions and local organisations.
Football, Wrestling and Gandhi Club
Sports also occupied an important place in Babuji’s life.
The profile describes him as a skilled wrestler and football player and says that from 1948 he played a central role in organising a national-level football tournament in Gwalior.
He was also instrumental in the establishment of the Gandhi Club in Gwalior.
Babuji Died in 2006
Raghuveer Singh “Babuji” died on September 17, 2006.
His biographical account remembers him for the lasting imprint he left on Gwalior’s social and political life through his public-interest work, ethical values and long association with civic institutions.
Nearly two decades after his death, the statue being unveiled near his native Thatipur brings his legacy back into Gwalior’s contemporary public landscape.
For a leader whose journey stretched from childhood participation in the freedom movement to the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, farmers’ causes, labour organisations, the Gwalior Trade Fair, community institutions and football grounds, the memorial is also a reminder of an older style of grassroots politics — one in which public service was often practised as much on the streets and fields of a city as inside its corridors of power.
