About the founder

Rashtriya Swabhiman was formed in 1998, but its inception, its philosophies and theories lay way back in Dr Singh’s childhood.

He was an ordinary man born in Mundka village, Outer Delhi to a farmer family. His days were spent on the fields, but his desire to learn kept him motivated to study whenever he could find the time. He wrote his PhD thesis on “Study of Public Libraries and Literacy Movement in India with Special Reference to Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan” after completing his masters in Library Science and Economics and graduation in Library Science.

Even before starting his work as a Librarian in Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, he was involved with the Rashtriya Swyam Sevak Sangh as an activist and a dedicated worker. Between 1977 and 2004, he served as the Municipal Councillor, Education and Development Minister in Delhi, the Chief Minister of Delhi and the Minister of Labour (Government of India).

He covered a lot of ground from working on the fields to the Lok Sabha - entirely on his own, without a mentor and with immense will power. He wanted to be that mentor that he never had, for the other 70% people who live in the villages and never step out of it due to the absence of adequate infrastructure and opportunities.

Following these ideologies therefore, Rashtriya Swabhiman has been a constant endeavour to facilitate the basic educational, medical and infrastructural projects, to eradicate the consequential helplessness in the absence of these resources.

Dr Verma used to rise early, in his attempt to make the most of the time given to him. His constant efforts were to work towards an equal, better India, without worrying about the paper works and records. He firmly believed that it could only happen with instilling in people a dignity in what they do. He often said that, even if a person is sweeping the roads, he should have a sense of pride about earning his own bread and butter. It is that dignity that should project over the country of over billion people to successfully shape it into the next super power.

Sadly, we were left devoid of his leadership on 30th June 2007, when we lost him to a car accident while he was returning from Neem Ka Thana after having laid the foundation stone for a school. But, Rashtriya Swabhiman lives on – with his philosophies and dreams – because even when the physical ends, the soul remains to steer what has yet not been finished.
Know more about Dr. Sahib Singh Verma visit www.drsahibsingh.com