Great Garhwali Personalities of Uttarakhand -1

Great Garhwali Personalities of Uttarakhand -1
Jeet Singh Negi: First Garhwali singer of gramophone and Akashvani
Adaptation -Bhishma Kukreti


“ Too wheli Beera uchi nisi dandyun man ghasiyaryun ka bhesh man…” stirred so much the insight of Uttrakhand written by Jeet Singh Negi that not only common men but even the knowledgeable Uttarakhandis perceive that this famous song is folk song .
A couple of few people knew that Jeet Singh Negi created this song on the road, Agara road, Bhandup , Mumbai at around 11PM. This author is fortunate that he listened the autos-story of Jeet Singh Negi about creation of this song by Jeet Singh himself at the residence of Mrs Pushpa Dobhal and her husband Professor Radha Ballabh Dobhal, Garhwal Darshan, Mumbai. Professor Dobhal have the recorded tape told the story of creation of ‘too wheli beera…” by Negi .
He was the initiator of creating Garhwali song, singing, performing cultural shows in various parts of India
I tried for searching on the net about complete biography of Jeet Singh Negi. However, my surprise that nothing much is written about this great personality of India in web-world.
This write up is to provide full honor to a legendary creative ever born in Uttarakhand.

It is Negi’s popularity that census department (jangana vibhag) of government of India (1961) in its Vol.XV, Uttar Pradesh, Part V, Gramya Survekhsan, page48, describes the popularity of song “too wheli beera…”

Great Uttarkhandi personality Govindh Ballabh Pant was fond of the talent of Negi and he used to call jeet Singh Negi for performing of welcoming cultural show before foreign delegates as cultural show by Negi’s troop before Chines delegate, when Pant was home minister of India.
Father-----Sultan Singh Negi
Date of Birth: ----27February, 1927
Place of birth or village: Village-Ayal, Paidalsyun,Pauri Garhwal
Present address----108/12,Dharmapur, Dehradun
Education---
Primary education---Myanmar (Burma)
High school in Pauri and d A V College Dehradun

Garhwali literature or creativity Published :

Geet Ganga (Song collection)
Jaul Mangari (Song Collection)
Chham Ghungru Bajala (Song Collection)
Maleth ki Kool (Historical musical drama (geet natika )
Bhair Bhool (social musical drama)
Manuscript ready for publication:
Jeetu Bugdwal (historical musical play)
Raju Postman (Drama)
Rami baurani (Musical play)
Unpublished Hindi work
Pativrata Rami (Drama form)
Raju Postman (Drama)

Dramas staged by Negi and his troop

1- Bhari Bhool: Staged in, 1952, damodar hall, Mumbai in the program of Garhwal Bhratri Mandal . The play was instant hit and the drama stirred not only the mind set of migrated Garhwali Mumbakrs but across the India, migrated Garhwali became aware about the importance of drama in their cultural programs. The dialogues are in hindi and Garhwali and that was the unique experiencing point (UEP) , Jeet Singh Negi was conceptulizer, writer, director and stage manger of Bhair Bhool. Bhari Bhool is a mile stone in the history of Garhwali stage and cultural programs. Himalaya Kala Sangam, Delhi staged this drama in 1954-55. Later on this drama was stage many places and many times. Sudharani a research scholar of Garhwali drama writes, “ Is natak ko dekhne sabhi jagah darshak toot pade and this was the reason that Lalit Mohan thapliyal entered in Garhwal drama taking leave from Hindi drama.
2-Maletha Ki Kool: This is historical drama and based on famous Maletha canal built by Chief of army staff of Garhwali a sovereign kingdom, the winning warrior of Tibet and father of brave bhud Gajendra Singh Madho singh Bhandari . The dram is staged 18 (eighteen ) times in Dehradun, Mumbai, Delhi, Chandigarh, Mussorie, Tihri and many places. Jeet singh Negi wrote and directed this drama.
3-Jeetu Bagdwal: Jitu Bagdwal is famous folk lore of Garhwal. Jeetu Bagdwal was a brilliant flute player. Singh wrote the musical drama on this folk lore and more than eith times this melodious drama is staged at various places under his direction, stage administration.
4-Pativrata Rami: Parvatiya Munch Delhi staged the Hindi drama Rami Baurani conceived and created by Jeet Singh Negi in 1956 and staged many times.
5-Rami : At the occasion of Tagore centurion year , Rami a Garhwali musical drama (geet natika ) was staged first in Narendra Nagar in 1961 . Later on more than hundred of stage shows have been all across India.
6-Raju Postman: This is a Dhabadi Garhwali drams and dialogues are mixed Hindi and Garhwali. Raju Poastman Garhwal sabha Chandigarh staged this dhabadi drama first and more than ten times this drama is staged
7-Relays from Akashvani : His first Garhwali song was relayed from Akashvani in 1954. His dramas and songs are relayed more than six hundred times and it is great achievement for any regional language artist. Jeetu Bagdwal and Maletha ki Koo the radio-geet-natika are also relayed more than fifty times from Akashvani
8-Relay from Doordarshan: The Hindi version of Rami was relayed by Delhi Doordarshan

Achievements fo Jeet Singh Negi

1-He is called swar samrat. He collected many lost Garhwali folk music methodologies notes and preserved the for our future . . He also showed many Garhwali music instruments to our generation and showed that our conventional instruments are important to create Garhwali music . Jeet Singh Negi is great admirer of late kasha Anuragi the expert of dhol Sagar .
2-Jeet Singh Negi is first Garhwali folk singer whose six songs were recored by His master Voice (HMV) in 1949

Cultural Activities

1942- Started cultural programs, staging dramas, and singing programs in Pauri city
1954: Worked as assistant director in Khalifa and Chaudaheen Rat (Hindustani Movies) in Mumbai
1954: He worked as Deputy Music Director in National Gramophone Company , Mumbai
1955 : First Garhwali Song Batch Singer in Akashvani Delhi
1955 ; Directed cultural program in Raghumal Arya Girls School, Delhi
1955: Lead the cultural show before Chinese Foreign delegates in Kanpur
1955-56: was connected with cultural programs of Sarswati Maha Vidyalaya Delhi
1955: Sung Garhwal land reform related progressive songs at Garhwali progressive front conference in Delhi
1956, Lead the Garhwali Cultural Team for participating in Parvteeya Lok Geet program , Delhi, inaugurated by Indian Home minister Govind Ballabh Pant
1956: Participated and sung in Buddha Jayanti program in Lansdown
1956; All India tour for organizing Garhwali musical and cultural programs in many cities
1956: Uttarapradesh lok Sahitya Sameeti Lucknow recorded those songs which were created sung and provided music by him only
HMV Mumbai recorded his song (music by him) in 1956 and 1964
1957: Participated and lead the singers and Garhwali cultural team in the program of Uttar Pradesh Suchana Vibhag and Lok Sahitya samitee, Lucknow
1957: Participated in first Greesma kalin festival, Lainsdown
1960-He represented and led the Garhwali cultural team in participating in historical Viraat Sanskrit Sammelan Dehradun and later, Negi Ji on became secretary of this organization
1962-He organized and participated with zeal in Parvatiya Sanskritik Sammelan
Trained the child artists for participating as Garhwali performers for collecting money for Rashtriya Surakhsa Kosh through Harijan Sevak Sangh Dehradun
1964-Organized a famous Garhwali cultural show for arijan Sevak Sangh in Shrinagar Garhwal
1966- Led the Garhwali cultural team for participating in cultural program of Garhwal Bhratri Mandal Mumbai
1970- Member of organizing body of Sharad Utsav Mussurie
1972-Led the cultural team of Dehradun for Garhwal Sabha Moradabad
1976- Trained the local Mumbai performing team for the cultural show of Garhwal Bhratri Mandal Mumbai. In Garhwali society, this is historic moment that local performers Mumbaikars came out on the stage
1979- Led the cultural team at occasion of inauguration of Door Darshan TV tower in Mussorie
1979-Particpated by staging cultural program in Central Defence Account Sahtabdi celebration , Dehradun
1979-lded the Garhwali cultural team for Sharadotsava in Mussorie
1980-Staged a Garhwali cultural show in Chandigarh for Garhwal sabha
Organized piratical Kala manch Dehradun and staged four Garhwali cultural shows in that year
1982-Staged a cultural show in Chandigarh
Selected secretary of piratical kala manch
1986 Presided Garhwali Kavi Sammelan Kanpur
1987 led the Garhwali cultural team for participating in Uttar Madhya Sanskrit sammelan of Government of India in Allahabad
One of the organizer of cultural program in Rashtriya Drishtibadharth sans than Dehradun

Garhwali Movies

He wrote dialogues and song for Meri Pyari Bwai
Total creation of Cithara (Video cassette ) of Rami and maletha Ki Kool
Wrote song for Samaun (till now, un-exhibited )

Awards /Appreciations

1955-Raghumal Arya Kanya Pathshala
1956-Garhwal sabha , Dehradun
1956 District Magistrate Dehradun for program in Prantiya Raksha dal
1956-Parvitiya jan vikash delhi
1956 Sarswati mahavidyalaya Delhi
1957 Prashastrti patra by Bhagta Darshan (MP) and Naredndra Dev Sgashtri (MLA)
1958, Parvatiya Sanskritik sammelan Dehradun
1962 Lok Vidyalaya Chamoli awarded hi by“ Lokaral’award
1970, himalaya kala sngh awarded him for Maletha ki Kool
1979, Central Defense Account Department Dehradun awarded him for his contribution in promoting cultural program
1980-Akshvani Naziabad awarded as “Lok Sangeet Swar”
1984, Doon memoranda club

Vishishtha samman
1990, Gadhratna, by garhwal Bhratri Mandal Mumbai
1995 Academy award by uttar Pradesh sangeet Academy of Uttar Pradesh government
1995, Doon Ratna by Nagrik Parishad SanshthanDehradun
1999, Meeel ka Pathar award by Uttarakhand Mahotsava Dehrdun
2000, First “ mohan Upreti lok Sanskriti Puruskar” by Almora sangh
2003, Eighteen social organizations of Dehradun facilitated him by “ samuhik Nagrik Abhnandan ”

Uttaranchal government
2007, New Tihri club facilitated him on 25/5/2007

His relation with social and cultural organization

Manonranjan Club Pauri
Shail Suman Mumbai
Himalaya kala sangam Delhi
Parvtiya jan kalyan samitee Delhi
Garhwal Bhratri Mandal Mumbai
Himalaya Kala sangam Dehradun
Parvatiya Sanskrit sammelan
Sarswati mahvidyalaya Delhi
Garhwal Sabha dehradun
Garhwal ramleela parishad Dehradun
Garhwali Sahitya mandal Delhi
Uttar Pradesh Harijan Samaj Dehradun
Bharat Sevak Samaj
Curtsey by Hilliwood News , Mussorie, Vars-1, edition-4th,March, 2009, pages 8-1)