Govind Ballabh Pant | |
|---|---|
 Postage stamp, 1965 | |
| 5thMinister of Home Affairs | |
| In office 10 January 1955 – 7 March 1961 | |
| Prime Minister | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Preceded by | Kailash Nath Katju |
| Succeeded by | Lal Bahadur Shastri |
| 1stChief Minister of Uttar Pradesh | |
| In office 26 January 1950 – 27 December 1954 | |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Sampurnanand |
| 2ndChief Minister of the United Provinces | |
| In office 1 April 1946 – 25 January 1950 | |
| Preceded by | Vacant |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| In office 17 July 1937 – 2 November 1939 | |
| Preceded by | Muhammad Ahmad Said Khan Chhatari |
| Succeeded by | Vacant |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1887-09-10)10 September 1887 Khoont, North-Western Provinces, British India |
| Died | 7 March 1961(1961-03-07) (aged 73) New Delhi, India |
| Political party | Indian National Congress |
| Children | 3, includingKrishna Chandra Pant |
| Relatives | Ila Pant (daughter-in-law) |
| Residence(s) | No. 6, Maulana Azad Road,New Delhi |
| Alma mater | Allahabad University |
| Awards | Bharat Ratna (1957) |
Govind Ballabh Pant (10 September 1887 – 7 March 1961) was an Indian independence activist and politician who was the firstChief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. AlongsideMahatma Gandhi,Jawaharlal Nehru andVallabhbhai Patel, Pant was a key figure in theIndian independence movement and later a pivotal figure in the Indian government. He was one of the foremost political leaders ofUttar Pradesh (then known asUnited Provinces) and a key player in the successful movement to establishHindi as the official language of Indian Union.[citation needed].
Today, several Indian hospitals, educational institutions and foundations bear his name. Pant received India's highest civilian honour, theBharat Ratna, in 1957.
Govind Ballabh Pant was born on 10 September 1887 in Khoont village nearAlmora. He was born in aMarathiKarhade Brahmin family that had migrated from the present daynorthern Karnataka toKumaon region.[1] The name of his mother was Govindi Bai. His maternal grandfather, Badri Dutt Joshi, an important local government official who played a significant role in shaping his personality and political views, raised Govind because his father, Manorath Pant, was a government official who was constantly on the move.[2]
Pant studied atAllahabad University and subsequently worked as a lawyer inKashipur. Here, he began active work against theBritish Raj in 1914, when he helped a localparishad, or village council, in their successfulchallenge ofcoolie begar, a law requiring locals to provide free transportation of the luggage of travelling British officials. In 1921, he entered politics and was elected to the Legislative Assembly of theUnited Provinces of Agra and Oudh.
Known as an extremely capable lawyer, Pant was appointed by theCongress party to initially representRamprasad Bismill,Ashfaqulla Khan and other revolutionaries involved in theKakori case in the mid 1920s. He participated in the protests against Simon Commission in 1928.Jawaharlal Nehru, in his autobiography, mentions how Pant stood by him during the protests and his large figure made him an easy target for the police. In those protests he sustained severe injuries which prevented him from straightening his back for the rest of his life.[3]
In 1930, he was arrested and imprisoned for several weeks for organising aSalt March inspired byGandhi's earlier actions. In 1933, he was arrested along with Harsh Dev Bahuguna (Gandhi of Choukot) and imprisoned for seven months for attending a session of the then-banned provincial Congress. In 1935, the ban was rescinded, and Pant joined the new Legislative Council. During theSecond World War, Pant acted as the tiebreaker between Gandhi's faction, which advocated supporting the British Crown in their war effort, andSubhas Chandra Bose's faction, which advocated taking advantage of the situation to expel the British Raj by all means necessary. He increased his support base and influence in Lucknow and surrounding areas of Oudh by seeking help and guidance from Chaubey Mukta Prasad, a civil engineer and public figure.In 1934, the Congress ended itsboycott of the legislatures and put up candidates, and Pant was elected to theCentral Legislative Assembly. He became deputy leader of the Congress party in the Assembly.[4]
In 1940, Pant was arrested and imprisoned for helping organise theSatyagraha movement. In 1942 he was arrested again, this time for signing theQuit India resolution, and spent three years inAhmednagar Fort along with other members of the Congress working committee until March 1945, at which pointJawaharlal Nehru pleaded successfully for Pant's release, on grounds of failing health.[4]
Pant took over as theChief Minister of the United Provinces from 1937 to 1939.
In 1945, the BritishLabour government ordered new elections to the Provincial legislatures.[4] TheCongress won a majority in the 1946 elections in the United Provinces and Pant was again the Premier, continuing even after India'sindependence in 1947 till 1954.
His judicious reforms and stable governance in theUttar Pradesh stabilised the economic condition of the most populous State of India.
TheRam Janmabhoomi issue emerged during his rule. The idols ofRama andSita were installed inside theBabri Masjid on the night of 22–23 December 1949 and the devotees began to gather from the next day.[5][6] Home MinisterVallabhbhai Patel and Prime MinisterJawaharlal Nehru directed Pant to remove the idols, however Pant was not willing to remove the idols and added that "there is a reasonable chance of success, but things are still in a fluid state and it will be hazardous to say more at this stage".[7][8] By 1950, the state took control of the structure under section 145 CrPC and allowed Hindus, not Muslims, to perform their worship at the site.[9]
He played a significant role in developingpanchayat system in the state. He also urged farmers to become self-reliant and educate their children and strive on a co-operative basis to enhance their life and ways of cultivation.[10]
Pant served asUnion Home Minister from 1955 to 1961.[11]Pant was appointed Minister of Home Affairs in the Union Cabinet on 10 January 1955 in New Delhi byJawaharlal Nehru. As Home Minister, his chief achievement was there-organisation of States along linguistic lines. He was also responsible for the establishment ofHindi as an official language of thecentral government and a few states.[12]
During his tenure as theHome Minister, Pant was awarded theBharat Ratna[13] on 26 January 1957.
In 1960, he suffered aheart attack. He was treated by top doctors in India, including his friend DrBidhan Chandra Roy, the thenChief Minister of West Bengal. His health started deteriorating and he died on 7 March 1961 at the age of 73, from acerebral stroke. At that time he was still in office as theHome Minister of India.
Mourning him,Dr Rajendra Prasad, the thenPresident of India was quoted as saying, "I had known Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant since 1922 and in this long period of association it had been my privilege to receive from him not only consideration but also affection. This is no time to assess his labour and his achievements. The grief is too intense for words. I can only pray for peace to his soul and strength to those who loved and admired him."
Govind Ballabh Pant's son,Krishna Chandra Pant, was also a politician.
Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant was a Karhade Brahmin whose ancestors went north from Karhatak to settle in the Kumaon region
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Nawab SirMuhammad Ahmad Said Khan Chhatari | Chief Minister of United Provinces 17 July 1937 – 2 November 1939 | Succeeded by Vacant |
| Preceded by Vacant | Chief Minister of United Provinces 1 April 1946 – 25 January 1950 | Succeeded by Post abolished United Provinces renamed to Uttar Pradesh |
| Preceded by New Creation | Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh 26 January 1950 – 27 December 1954 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Union Home Minister 10 January 1955 – 7 March 1961 | Succeeded by |
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