| Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant | |
|---|---|
| Govind Ballabh Pant | |
| Chief Minister of United Provinces | |
| In office 17 Jul 1937 – 27 Dec 1954 |
|
| Preceded by | Nawab Sir Muhammad Ahmad Said Khan Chhatari |
| Succeeded by | Governor's Rule |
| Chief Minister of United Provinces | |
| In office 1 Apr 1946 – 26 Jan 1950 |
|
| Preceded by | Governor's Rule |
| Succeeded by | Post abolished |
| Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh | |
| In office 26 Jan 1950 – 27 Dec 1954 |
|
| Preceded by | New creation |
| Succeeded by | Sampurnanand |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 10, 1887 Khoont-Dhaamas village, Almora, North-Western Provinces |
| Died | March 7, 1961 Uttar Pradesh |
| Political party | INC |
Bharat Ratna Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant (September 10, 1887 - March 7, 1961) was a statesman of India, an Indian independence activist, and one of the foremost political leaders from Uttarakhand (then in United Provinces) and of the movement to establish Hindi as the official language of India.
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Govind Ballabh Pant was born on September 10, 1887 in Khoont village of Shyahi Devi hills in District Almora. His mother's name was Govindi. His father, Manorath Pant, was constantly on the road. Govind was brought up by his grandfather, Bandri Dutt Joshi, who played a significant part in molding his political views.[1]
As a lawyer in Kashipur, Pant began his active work against the British Raj in 1914, when he helped a local parishad, or village council, in their successful challenge of 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 the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh.
In 1930, he was arrested and imprisoned for several weeks for organizing a Salt March inspired by Gandhi's earlier actions. In 1933, he was arrested 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 In 1935, the ban was rescinded, and Pant joined the new Legislative Council.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 the Second World War, Pant acted as the tiebreaker between Gandhi's faction, which advocated supporting the British Crown in their war effort, and Subash Chandra Bose's faction, which advocated taking advantage of the situation to expel the British Raj by any means necessary.
In 1934, the Congress ended its boycott of the legislatures and put up candidates, and Pant was elected to the Central Legislative Assembly. His political skills won the admiration of the leaders of the Congress, and he became deputy leader of the Congress party in the Assembly.[2]
In 1940, Pant was arrested and imprisoned for helping organize the Satyagraha movement. In 1942 he was arrested again, this time for signing the Quit India resolution, and spent three years in Ahmednagar Fort along with other members of the Congress working committee until March 1945, at which point Jawaharlal Nehru pleaded successfully for Pant's release, on grounds of failing health.[2]
In 1937, provincial elections were held as a result of the Government of India Act 1935.[2] The Indian National Congress secured a majority in the United Provinces, but did not immediately take office because of a dispute over the use of the Governor's special powers.[3] Therefore, on April 1, 1937, the Nawab of Chhatari, the leader of NAPs (National Agriculturist Parties), was invited to form a minority government. Within a few months, the Congress accepted to form the government under Pant who was made the Chief Minister on July 17, 1937 and was in power till 1939 when all Congress ministries in India resigned.
As Chief Minister, Pant won the confidence of the Indian Civil Service, and Sir Harry Haig, the governor of the United Provinces, wrote to the Viceroy that Pant was "an interesting and rather attractive personality... essentially a conciliator and not a dictator"[4] However, in 1939 the Viceroy's declaration of war, without consultation, led to a clash with the Indian National Congress, and its Provincial ministers resigned.[2]
In 1945, the new British Labour government ordered new elections to the Provincial legislatures.[2] The Congress won a majority in the 1946 elections in the United Provinces and Pant was again made the Chief Minister, continuing even after India's independence in 1947.He was the first Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in Independent India. Among his achievements in that position was the abolition of the zamindari system.
He served as Union Home Minister from 1955-1961.[5] In 1955, he was awarded the Bharat Ratna.[6] As Home minister , his chief achievement was the establishment of Hindi as an official language of the central government and a few states.[7]
As Union Minister , Ballabh Pant and the then Government of Indian National Congress announced on September 30, 1955 that the Jeep scandal case was closed for judicial inquiry ignoring suggestion by the Inquiry Committee led by Ananthsayanam Ayyangar. He declared that "as far as Government was concerned it has made up its mind to close the matter. If the opposition was not satisfied they can make it an election issue."[8][9]
In 1960, he had a heart attack. After this his health started deteriorating and he later died on March 7, 1961 after spending several days in a coma.
Pant's son, Krishna Chandra Pant, is likewise a politician.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Nawab Sir Muhammad Ahmad Said Khan Chhatari |
Chief Minister of United Provinces 17 July 1937 - 02 November 1939 |
Succeeded by Governor's Rule Administered by the Governors of the United Provinces Sir Harry Graham Haig |
| Preceded by Governor's Rule Administered by the Governors of the United Provinces Sir Harry Graham Haig |
Chief Minister of United Provinces 1 April 1946 - 26 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 Sampurnanand |
| Preceded by Kailash Nath Katju |
Minister for Home Affairs (India) 1955 - 1961 |
Succeeded by Lal Bahadur Sastri |
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