| Balwantrai Mehta | |
|---|---|
| Chief Minister of Gujarat | |
| Preceded by | Dr. Jivraj Mehta |
| Succeeded by | Hitendra K Desai |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 19, 1899 Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India |
| Died | September 19, 1965 Suthari, Kachchh, Gujarat |
| Political party | Indian National Congress |
| Spouse(s) | Sarojben |
| Religion | Hindu |
Balwantrai Mehta (February 19, 1899 - September 19, 1965) was the second Chief Minister of Gujarat, India. He was a valiant freedom fighter, social worker and pioneer of concept of Panchayati Raj (local government). He was a soldier in the Bardoli Satyagraha. His greatest contribution were in the sphere of princely states' peoples' fight for self-rule. His name is conspicuously linked with democratic decentralization. The revolutionary programme of what is popularly known as Panchayati Raj, being implemented in the country, is based on the recommendations of Balwantrai Mehta Committee.
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Balwant Rai Mehta was born on February 19, 1899 in Bhavnagar (Gujarat) in an ordinary middle class family. He studied up to B.A classes but refused to take the degree from the foreign government. His teachers admired his devotion to study, hard work and gentle nature.
He joined the national movement of non-cooperation in 1920. He founded Bhavanagar Praja Mandal in 1921 for carrying on the freedom movement in that state. He participated in the Civil Disobedience movement from 1930 to 1932. He was sentenced for three years imprisonment in Quit India Movement of 1942. In short, he spent seven years of precious life in prison of British Empire. On Gandhiji’s suggestion, he accepted membership of the Congress Working Committee. When Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru became president of All India Congress Committee, he was elected its general secretary; in 1957, he was selected for Lok Sabha.
There he rose in grassroots politics. Coming in contact with likes of Mahatma Gandhi and Lala Lajpat Rai, he joined Indian independence movement. During this struggle, the British government many times imprisoned him.
He succeeded Dr. Jivraj Mehta as the Chief Minister of Gujarat on September 19,in 1963. He also started Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan. The institution was started to give world class education and Indian values to children of India.He lived and died for the country; a dedicated life; widely known as ‘Architect of Panchayati Raj’.
The events that led to the death of Balwant Rai Mehta were witnessed by Wing Commander B.C. Roy (Retd.), the then commanding officer to the Indian Air Force Radar unit stationed at Bhuj, Gujarat during the Rann of Kutch operations, of the 1965 India-Pakistan war. Wing Commander Roy, after watching the NDTV programme 46 years after the war , rubbished the sequence and circumstance in which the Pakistan Air Force pilot Flying officer Qais Hussein claimed that he was compelled to shoot down the BeechCraft aircraft that was ferrying Balwant Rai Mehta along with his wife and was being piloted by a famous ex-Indian Air Force pilot and war ace, Jehangir Engineer.
Quoting Wing Commander Bankim Chandra Roy (Retd.) verbatim, the following were the day's events which led to the death of Balwant Rai Mehta, his wife and the pilot Jehangir Engineer:
1. Beech-craft takes off from Tata Chemicals, Mithapur. It was being piloted by former ace Indian Airforce officer pilot Jehangir Engineer and on board was the then serving Chief Minister of Gujarat Balwant Rai Mehta along with his wife and journalists,on 19 September 1965.
2. The movement of the Chief Minister was well publicised in newspapers, including advertisements. The Pakistan knew of his movement all along.
3. Two Sabres from Pakistan chased the plane, twenty kilometers deep into Indian territory from international border and wanted to hijack this aircraft. They asked the plane to follow them to their airbase. The Pak Airforce knew all along that the Beechcraft was being flown by none other than the ace IAF pilot Jehangir Engineer, ferrying the then Gujarat Chief Minister and wife. The Pakistan wanted to take them along as their prisoner which would certainly have been a great prize catch indeed.
4. While being escorted Jehangir Engineer, whose younger brother Group Captain Ronnie Engineer was then the Station Commander of the Pune Airbase and another was Air Vice Marshal (famous Engineer brothers of IAF), could not let the Pak Air Force do this to them. He found a patch of land within Indian territory at Rann of Kutch. He ducked and wanted to force land the aircraft to save the Chief Minister from the two enemy Sabre jets.
5. The Sabres shot down the aircraft, killing the pilot, the chief minister, his wife and other passengers on board, even though the pilot had waggled his wings, indicating it to be a civilian aircraft.
The Department of Post, Government of India has issued a special postage stmp of face value INR 3.00 to commemorate his 100th birth anniversary on February 19, 2000.[1]
After the independence he was twice elected as a Member of Parliament in India's Lok Sabha. he was the Chairman of Estimate committee of Parliament.
He was the Chairman of the Committee on Plan Projects which brought out an excellent report that paved way for establishment of three tier system in the States in India. So he was hailed as the Father of Panchayat Raj in India.
Kerala State celebrates February 19, the birth anniversary day of Belwant Rai Mehta as the panchayati Raj Day in the State, in recognition of his contributions to the development of panchaytiraj in India. Every year the day is celebrated with pomp and gaiety.