THE 124th birth anniversary of Justice Gurnam Singh, the first non-Congress Chief Minister of Punjab, falls today. He was exceptional among the leaders of Punjab in the tumultuous years before and after the Partition. Born on February 25, 1899, he graduated from Forman Christian College, Lahore, and was called to the Bar at the Middle Temple, London, in 1928. He was a brilliant sportsman, excelling in hockey and athletics, and a member of the Indian Olympic Association. His outstanding legal acumen made him a leading lawyer early in his career, and he became a judge of PEPSU and the Punjab High Court from 1950 to 1959.
Justice Gurnam Singh gave emphasis to laws enshrining individual rights. He believed that draconian colonial laws did not bode well for safeguarding the life and liberty of the citizens of a free state. An excerpt from his letter dated July 6, 1960, to PM Nehru states this clearly: ‘Draconian laws… may become only the will and the whim of those in power, and as such, they can be the most terrible weapons of tyranny man has ever possessed.’ This can be read today as a stern reminder of the misuse of the law, its capacity to afflict democracy, and the danger of oppressive laws of detention, without bail and trial, in the hands of the executive.
He argued for the independence of the judiciary right from the district level itself. At that time, the lower judiciary was a part of the Civil Service and thus under executive control. He considered the separation of powers between the two as essential in a democracy.
The key issues in Punjab today are the ones he worked on during his tenure as the CM and the first permanent judge to head an elected government. The foundation for India’s food policy was laid down by him to implement a remunerative minimum price regime for surplus foodgrains for assured purchase by the Centre. Impetus was given to industry, with emphasis on agro-industry. Education was advanced with the establishment of Guru Nanak Dev University, the Punjab School Education Board and 23 colleges. On all these fronts, Punjab became the leading state in terms of per capita income and human resources.
As a member both of the higher judiciary as well as the head of an elected government, Justice Gurnam Singh saw what the public needed from both, and how important it was to stem the rot of corruption and abuse of power before it threatened to destroy the hard-won gains of freedom.
It is his legacy that needs to be brought to our attention in the prevailing scenario at regional and national levels. Above all, it is the lawyers and judges who must remain the best custodians of the Constitution, protecting the nation’s freedom and the rule of law.
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