Gulzarilal Nanda (4 July 1898 – 15 January 1998)[1][2] was an Indian politician and economist who specialised in labour issues. He was the Acting Prime Minister of India for two 13-day tenures following the deaths of Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964 and Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1966 respectively. Both his terms ended after the ruling Indian National Congress's parliamentary party elected a new prime minister. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, in 1997.
Gulzarilal Nanda | |
|---|---|
 Nanda in 1965 | |
| Acting Prime Minister of India | |
| In office 11 January 1966 – 24 January 1966 | |
| President | Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan |
| Vice President | Zakir Husain |
| Preceded by | Lal Bahadur Shastri |
| Succeeded by | Indira Gandhi |
| In office 27 May 1964 – 9 June 1964 | |
| President | Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan |
| Vice President | Zakir Hussain |
| Preceded by | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Succeeded by | Lal Bahadur Shastri |
| Union Minister of Home Affairs | |
| In office 29 August 1963 – 14 November 1966 | |
| Prime Minister | Jawaharlal Nehru Lal Bahadur Shastri Indira Gandhi |
| Preceded by | Lal Bahadur Shastri |
| Succeeded by | Yashwantrao Chavan |
| Union Minister of External Affairs | |
| In office 27 May 1964 – 7 June 1964 | |
| Prime Minister | himself (Acting) |
| Preceded by | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Succeeded by | Lal Bahadur Shastri |
| Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission | |
| In office 17 February 1953 – 21 September 1963 | |
| Preceded by | position established |
| Succeeded by | V. T. Krishnamachari |
| 2nd Leader of the House in Lok Sabha | |
| In office 11 January 1966 – 24 January 1966 | |
| Preceded by | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Succeeded by | Lal Bahadur Shastri |
| In office 27 May 1964 – 9 June 1964 | |
| Preceded by | Lal Bahadur Shastri |
| Succeeded by | Satya Narayan Sinha |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 4 July 1898 Sialkot, Punjab Province, British India (present-day Punjab, Pakistan) |
| Died | 15 January 1998 (aged 99) Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India |
| Political party | Indian National Congress |
| Spouse | Lakshmi Nanda (till 1916) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Allahabad University |
Early life
editBirth
editNanda was born on 4 July 1898 in Sialkot in the Punjab, British India in a Punjabi Hindu Khatri family.[3] Sialkot later became a part of the Punjab Province of Pakistan in 1947, after the partition of India. Nanda received his education in Lahore, Amritsar, Agra, and Allahabad.
He met Mahatma Gandhi in 1921, where he settled in Gujarat on his request.[citation needed]
Research worker
editNanda worked as a research scholar on labour problems at Allahabad University (1920–1921), and became a professor of economics at National College in Bombay (Mumbai) in 1921.[citation needed] The same year, he joined the Indian Non-Cooperation Movement against the British Raj. In 1922, he became secretary of the Ahmedabad Textile Labour Association where he worked until 1946. He was imprisoned for Satyagraha in 1932, and again from 1942 to 1944.[citation needed]. He was honoured with "Proud Past Alumni" in the list of 42 members, from "Allahabad University Alumni Association", NCR, Ghaziabad (Greater Noida) Chapter 2007–2008 registered under society act 1860 with registration no. 407/2000.[4][5][6]
He married Lakshmi, with whom he had two sons and a daughter.[7]
Lok Sabha member
editNanda was elected to the Lok Sabha in the 1957 elections, and was appointed Union Minister for Labour, Employment and Planning, and later, as Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission. He visited the Federal Republic of Germany, Yugoslavia, and Austria in 1959.
Nanda was re-elected to the Lok Sabha in the 1962 elections from the Sabarkantha constituency in Gujarat. He initiated the Congress Forum for Socialist Action in 1962. He was Union Minister for Labour and Employment in 1962–1963, and Minister for Home Affairs in 1963–1966.
Nanda was re-elected to the Lok Sabha in the 1967 and 1971 elections from the Kaithal Constituency in Haryana. He was a principled man. In 1971, he resigned from the Congress saying that he did not like the politics of that era.[8][better source needed]
Acting Prime Minister
editNanda was the Acting Prime Minister of India twice for thirteen days each: the first time after the death of first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964, and the second time after the death of Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1966.[9] He was the Home Minister of India during both these periods, and this is the reason why he was chosen as Prime Minister. The Indian Constitution has no provision for an "acting" Prime Minister.[10] Both his terms were uneventful, yet they came at sensitive times because of the potential danger to the country following Nehru's death soon after the Sino-Indian War in 1962 and Shastri's death after the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965.[11]
Death
editNanda died on 15 January 1998 at the age of 99; from 25 November 1997 when former Malawian President Hastings Banda died; until his own death Nanda was the oldest living former state leader.[12] At his death, Nanda was the last surviving member of the second and third Nehru cabinets and the last living state leader to have been born in the 19th century.
Gandhian life
editHe lived a very simple life, with no personal property at the time of his death. He never allowed politics to influence his family life. Yet he always had enough time for his family. He once engaged his government provided driver for a car that was used by his family. He never allowed his family to use his official vehicle. He once got angry with his staff when he learned that his grandson, Tejas used his office paper and drew a picture. He immediately purchased paper from market and gave his grandson to draw on it.[13]
He was also concerned about rising corruption in the country and suggested to decrease wasteful consumption by officials and people in general. He had also opposed the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi, as he felt that the sacrifices to bring democracy to India became meaningless due to the tyranny.[14]
State honours
edit| Ribbon | Decoration | Country | Date | Note | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bharat Ratna |  India
|
1997 | The highest civilian honour of India. |
In popular culture
editA Dedicated Worker – Shri Gulzarilal Nanda is a 1999 short documentary film directed by A. K. Goorha and produced by the Films Division of India which covers Nanda's work towards labourers and others as the PM and otherwise.[15]
References
edit- ^ "Rediff on the NeT: Former PM Gulzarilal Nanda dead". Rediff.com. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
- ^ Disha Experts (10 July 2017). General Awareness for SSC Exams - CGL/ CHSL/ MTS/ GD Constable/ Stenographer. Disha Publications. p. 2. ISBN 978-93-86323-29-3.
- ^ Puri, Baij Nath (1988). The Khatris, a Socio-cultural Study. M.N. Publishers and Distributors.
- ^ "She is Proud Past Alumni Allahabad University". auaa.in.
- ^ "Internet Archive of Proud Past Alumni". auaa.in.
- ^ "Internet Archive of Proud Past Alumni". auaa.in.
- ^ Kalhan, Promilla (1997). Gulzarilal Nanda: A Life in the Service of the People. Allied Publishers. p. xvi. ISBN 9788170236931.
- ^ "Fifth Lok Sabha -State wise Details – Haryana". Retrieved 22 December 2017.
- ^ Former PMs of India Archived 25 June 2014 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Provide for an 'acting' PM". Business Standard. New Delhi. 29 January 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
- ^ "Gulzarilal Nanda Biography – Gulzarilal Nanda Profile, Childhood, Life, Timeline". Iloveindia.com. 15 January 1998. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
- ^ DEATHS. The Washington Post (18 January 1998). Retrieved on 2018-11-28.
- ^ "Gulzarilal Nanda — Frugal and honest life dedicated to country". Times Of India. 1 April 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
- ^ "Gulzarilal Nanda Death Anniversary: 10 Things to Know about the Former Prime Minister of India". News18. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
- ^ "DEDICATED WORKER ,A – SHRI GULZARILAL NANDA' | Films Division". filmsdivision.org. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
External links
edit
- Kalhan, Promilla (1997). Gulzarilal Nanda: A Life in the Service of the People. Allied Publishers. ISBN 9788170236931.