Prominent People

Sant Fateh Singh (1911- 1972)

A preacher who became a political force, Sant Fateh Singh was from Badiala in the Bathinda district. Educated in traditional scriptural schools, he later migrated to Sri Ganganagar and was involved in preaching. As senior vice-president of the Shiromani Akali Dal, he led several marches supporting the Punjabi Suba movement in the 1950s. He started a fast-unto-death in support of his demand on December 18, 1960. He ended his fast on January 9, 1961, following a statement by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru supporting the creation of a Punjabi Suba. In July 1962, Fateh Singh parted ways from Master Tara Singh to form his own faction, which later dominated the elections of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. He was unsatisfied with the progress on Punjabi Suba, but supported the government during the 1965 India-Pakistan War. After the War, the Hukam Singh Committee recommended the reorganisation of Punjab. Modern Punjab state came into being on November 1, 1966. However, unhappy over Chandigarh and some other Punjabi-speaking areas being left out of Punjab, Sant Fateh Singh undertook another fast-unto-death. He ended his fast following some assurances. However, his political influence declined thereafter. He died in Amritsar on October 30, 1972.

Read More: Punjab Assembly Elections — 1962

• Kairon retains his hold on Punjab
• General Election in Punjab
• Election Results
• Biggest Revolution in India
• 14 Women Candidates In Field
• Punjabi Suba Harmful To Common Man
• No Promise Held Out On Commission’s Personnel
• 862 Candidates Left In Election Field
• Peaceful Polling in Punjab
• 1,251 In The Field For 154 Assembly Seats
• Final party position in Punjab Assembly
• Prominent People

Darbara Singh (1916–1990) 

Educated at Khalsa College, Amritsar, Darbara Singh started his political career as President of the Jullundur Congress Party (1946–1950) and went on to serve as general secretary of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC, 1953–56). He was PPCC president from 1957-1964. He was a member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly from 1952–69. During this period he was the Minister of Agriculture, Development and Home. He was in the Congress Working Committee from 1962, till his death. Darbara Singh was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1971 from Hoshiarpur. He was elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly from Nakodar in 1980 and became Chief Minister on February 17, 1980. However, rising militancy led to a premature end of his tenure with the imposition of President’s Rule on June 6, 1983. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1984. He died on March 13, 1990.

Giani Gurmukh Singh Musafir (1899 –1976)

A politician and a prominent Punjabi poet, Giani Gurmukh Singh Musafir had the distinction of being the Jathedar of Akal Takht, Chief Minister of Punjab and winner of the Sahitya Akademi Award. He was born on January 15, 1899, at Adhval (now in Pakistan). He taught at Khalsa High School, Kallar, for four years from 1918. In 1922 he took part in the Guru ka Bagh agitation and was sent to prison. He was the Jathedar of Akal Takht for a year in 1930. He was secretary of the SGPC as well as general secretary of the Shiromani Akali Dal. In 1949, he became the President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee — a position he held for 12 years. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Amritsar constituency in 1952, 1957 and 1962. In 1966, he resigned from the Lok Sabha and became the Chief Minister of Punjab (November 1, 1966 to March 8, 1967). In 1967, he contested the Vidhan Sabha election from the Amritsar constituency, but was defeated by Satyapal Dang of the Communist Party of India. He was member of the Rajya Sabha from 1968 to 1974. In 1978 he got the Sahitya Akademi Award for his short story collection in Punjabi Urvar Par. He died in Delhi on January 18, 1976 and was awarded the Padma Vibhushan posthumously in 1976.

Justice Gurnam Singh (1899 –1973) 

Born in Narangwal, Ludhiana, on February 25, 1899, Gurnam Singh did his graduation from the Forman Christian College, Lahore. He practised law in Layallpur and after Partition served as a judge in the PEPSU and Punjab High Court (1950-1959). Later he joined the Shiromani Akali Dal. He was elected MLA from Raipur in 1962 and served as Leader of the Opposition in state Assembly till 1967. He led the first non-Congress United Front government and became the first SAD Chief Minister of Punjab — a position he held from March 8, 1967 to November 25, 1967. His government was, however, toppled when the Lachhman Singh Gill group deflected from the SAD.  He, however, bounced back and became Chief Minister again (February 17, 1969 - March 27, 1970). Later, he was appointed High Commissioner of India in Canberra, Australia. He lost his life in an air crash in Delhi on May 31, 1973.

Lachhman Singh Gill (1917-1969)

A former contractor, Lachhman Singh Gill was active in the Punjabi Suba movement in the 1950s. He was a member of the Sikh Educational Committee and became general secretary of the SGPC in the 1960s. He was elected MLA from Jagraon in 1962 and from Dharamkot in 1967. He was made Education Minister in the Justice Gurnam Singh Cabinet, but revolted against the government and defected with 16 MLAs. Gill formed a minority government on November 25, 1967 with support from the Indian National Congress, but the latter pulled the carpet from under him on August 21, 1968, and the President’s Rule was imposed in the state. However, in its short tenure the Lachhman Singh Gill’s government made Punjabi the official language of Punjab, and speeded up the development of metalled link roads to villages. He died in Chandigarh on April 26. 1969.