History Of Baghpat

Situated at the banks of the Yamuna River, is the lush green district of Baghpat. Dotted with crop sown fields, cottage factories, jaggery making outlets, river bodies and cattle; the entire Johri village of Baghpat is like a breath of fresh air for a city dweller. The sky is clear and one can see the stars and constellations with naked eye at night. The village has well constructed cemented and metallic road, connecting the cluster of colonies to each other. At one corner of the village is the shooting academy, which can be seen by visitors from afar. The academy is surrounded by cemented pavement with a lone tree giving shade to a fresh water guzzling hand pump. Overlooking the academy are fenced and wired farmlands, where the flock of the egret bird is found hopping and flying behind the tractor tilling the field.

About a kilometer away in the bylanes and at a junction is a one hall space. There were six cots spread on either side and a massive gurgling hukkah by one of the cots. The space is spruced up with framed pictures of the shooters of the academy, who have brought in accolades to the academy. Beedi butts were strewn on the floor and the space is dim lit. It is the residence of Sohan Pradhan. It is where meetings, discussions and get togethers are held by the former Pradhan who is often visited by villagers, at all times of the day. Resting his head in one hand, lying on the cot with a blanket on, Pradhan takes a drag of the beedi and in his groggy voice begins to tell us about the inception of Johri village as a shooters hub, as he knows it.

In order to defeat the Britishers and push them out of here, Sambal Khan, who was an insurgent, created an army. One of the Commander Generals was encircled by the British Army and killed by them. It was a Muslim soldier from the British Army who had dismembered the head of the General and presented it to the British. Pleased with this, the Britishers gave the entire village of Baghpat to the Muslims to rule.

There was a shortage of water in Baghpat. The Britishers had constructed water storing dams and wells for it. Gradually, the village had electricity. As water and electricity ceased to be a problem for the village, there was an abundance in sowing of new crops that suited the climate and weather in Baghpat. Even though initially the payment for the novel amenities were delayed, eventually, it was paid on time. There were kuchcha houses around here, in which classes were taken. Pupils would go to school here. After some years, children started attending primary school which was on the outskirts of the village. It was aided and amended by the government. Even private schools began to spring up. When the villagers found it difficult to send their children to private schools due to the dilapidated condition of the school, all the elders who held administrative positions in the village, contributed money to fund the education of the children. They constructed cemented walls, laid down sturdy flooring and a rooftop, in the school. They recruited teachers from all across and instituted them here to teach the children.

Dr. Rajpal Singh, a resident of the Johri village, had acquired higher education and was one of the administrative heads of the village. Singh was fond of shooting and the idea of opening a shooting academy was his brainchild. He assembled the elders of the village and discussed the idea with them. In the year 1997, Singh opened a range in the village. The kids of the village head were the first ones to take admission in the academy. Seema Tomar became the first Indian Trap Shooter and the only Indian woman to have won a Silver Medal at the International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup. Gradually more and more children began to join the academy, both boys and girls. Pupils began to learn shooting here and then go on to get jobs in reputable places. In 2002, Prakashi Tomar and Chandro Tomar brought in their children to join the academy. The children began to practice in the academy. Eventually the octogenarians also started shooting in the range and became veterans there. Seema Tomar was the granddaughter of Chandro Tomar.

There was an initial reluctance in sending and inculcating the girls in the academy as it was not traditional for women folk of the village to practice shooting. However, eventually, the village folks had no reservations in sending their children to join the academy. The education system here was thriving and functional till the primary and secondary section only. Post that, there was a dearth of opportunities to be taken up by the children. There were five schools in all here. The elders of the village requested the administration to allot one of the schools to them. Thus, an inter college was opened in the village. The academy had pupils coming in from all religions and social class. There was not much of a screening in terms of recruiting the interested children in the academy.

While Dr. Rajpal Singh is held in high esteem by the villagers, the primary benefactor and adulant for the successful functioning of the academy are the villagers. The kids are taught discipline through the course of the rigorous training in the academy. The village gained reputation and acknowledgement, all throughout, for the academy. The children went from shooting at national level to international level. Children from all over the village would come over, learn to shoot and go on to get inducted in jobs. Seema Tomar, a veteran of the academy, is the first woman to go international in shooting. She is also honored with the Rani Laxmi Bai Award. This inspired a lot of other women to join the academy and learn the skills of the trade. The villagers have a lot of gratitude and love for Dr. Singh for the same.

Dr. Rajpal Singh used to work in Delhi. He would often go to the Tughlaqabad range in Delhi to practice shooting. He would go to the shooting range with some of his friends. He would observe and learn the skills of the trade around there. He met a coach there who was a Russian. He became friends with him and began to spend a lot of time with him. He passed on the knowledge of the skills of the trade to Dr. Singh. Singh began to shoot at the national level and won a lot of awards. He became extremely fond of the sport. He would practice shooting and would continue at his job, alongside. Both of Singh’s children are working in Air India. Witnessing the massive success of his shooting career, he decided to expand the academy to a larger scale. There are centres in Shamli, Baghpat, Meerut and other places around. Every six months, officials come over and test the children for their competence and skills at the shooting range in the Johri village of Baghpat, before recruiting them. There are forty to fifty children who are offered stipend from the academy. There is a tractor agency which also contributes to the stipend of the children of the academy. It is because of the hard work and diligence of the children who practice here that the academy has reached great heights. The veteran shooters of the range have won several awards, including the Arjuna Award.

As the village began to gain prominence and recognition all across, the infrastructure of the village began to improve too. Metallic roads were built and potholes were filled in the village. The village is full of amenities and utilities now. The communication network has also become stronger than it was. There are mobile phone network facilities as opposed to postal services and telegram in the past. The residents of the village already had the Indian pistol (katta) with them. Most of the villagers owned it and were fond of shooting. Satyapal Singh, former Mumbai Police Commissioner, had also made a huge contribution towards the setting up of the academy. “We always encouraged the children to both study hard and well and practice shooting daily. As a result of this rigorous training and inculcation, the students in the academy were well inducted into government jobs, while some took up shooting as a full time profession”, said Sohan Pradhan, a resident of Baghpat. “The village has seen a drastic drop in the unemployment rates, since. We encourage all children of the village to now take up shooting and make something good out of their lives”.

Close to 50 kilometers away from the district of Baghpat is Meerut. Meerut was known for its hunting tradition. People of Meerut were fond of shooting and that influenced the shooting culture in Baghpat immensely. For years, the Pathans would practice hunting in Baghpat. It was only the Pathans who were fond of hunting in the village. Gradually, they left hunting and joined the range, for jobs and other opportunities. The natives of the village were never hunters.

In 1857, the village of Baghpat was declared a village of rebels. It was because the villagers had protested against the Britishers. The village had garnered a reputation of insolence and rebellion. Travellers would skip a stop at the village as word had that it was the village of rebels and hence, dangerous.