Buta Singh

Buta Singh is a veteran Indian politician (born 21 March 1934). He was the Union Home Minister of India, Governor of Bihar and more recently was chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes from 2007-2010.

Early life

Born in a remote village in Jalandhar, he completed his BA from Jalandhar then went for MA in Khalsa College Mumbai and later completed his PhD. He worked as journalist before joining politics. He fought his first elections as an Akali Dal member and joined the Indian National Congress in the late 1960s at the time when that party was split.

Political career

Buta Singh has been a politician for over 50 years and was he was first elected to the Indian Parliament from the Sadhna constituency. He has been involved with the Congress party since Jawaharlal Nehru was Prime Minister and he was close to former Indian Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. He has been elected eight times as a member of the Lok Sabha in 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 10th, 12th and 13th Lok Sabha. He became General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary (1978-1980), Home Minister of India and later Governor of Bihar (2004-2006). Other portfolios that he has held include those for railways, commerce, parliamentary affairs, sports, shipping, agriculture, communications and housing. He was chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (ranked as Cabinet Minister) from 2007-2010.

He has written a book Punjabi Speaking State - A Critical Analysis and a collection of articles on Punjabi literature and Sikh history. Indira Ganhi chose him to select a new party symbol when Congress was split. He was very closely involved with her in Operation Blue Star and as a minister he oversaw reconstruction of the Golden Temple following that exercise. His name was also in the finalists for the post of President of India along with Giani Zail Singh in the Indira era. He was also the chairperson of Asian Games organizing committee when the competition was held in India in 1982.

Controversies

As the Governor of Bihar, Singh's decision to recommend the dissolution of the Bihar Assembly in 2005 was sharply criticised by the Supreme Court of India. The court ruled that Singh had acted in haste and misled the federal cabinet because he did not want a particular party claiming to form the government, to come to power. Singh however claimed that the party was resorting to unfair means to secure support to form the government. On January 26, 2006 Singh sent a fax to Abdul Kalam offering to resign his post.^[1] The next day he left office and was replaced by West Bengal governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi.

Positions held

1. 1962  : Elected to 3rd Lok Sabha.
2. 1966-68  : Member, Public Accounts Committee.
3. 1967  : Re-elected to 4th Lok Sabha (2nd term)
4. 1971  : Re-elected to 5th Lok Sabha (3rd term).
5. 1971  : Chairman, Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
6. 1973-74  : Convenor, All India Congress Committee (Indira) [AICC(I)], Harijan Cell.
7. 1974-76  : Union Deputy Minister, Railways.
8. 1976-77  : Union Deputy Minister, Commerce.
9. 1978-80  : General-Secretary, AICC(I).
10. 1980  : Re-elected to 7th Lok Sabha (4th term).
11. 1980-82  : Union Minister of State, Shipping and Transport.
12. 1982  : Union Minister of State, Supply and Rehabilitation (Independent Charge).
13. 1982-83  : Union Minister of State, Supply and Sports (Independent Charge).
14. 1983-84  : Union Cabinet Minister, Parliamentary Affairs, Sports and Works and Housing.
15. 1984  : Re-elected to 8th Lok Sabha (5th term).
16. 1984-85  : Union Cabinet Minister, Agriculture and Rural Development.
17. 1985-86  : Union Cabinet Minister, Agriculture.
18. 1986-89  : Union Cabinet Minister, Home Affairs.
19. 1991  : Re-elected to 10th Lok Sabha (6th term).
20. 1994-95  : Chairman, Parliamentary Committee on Defence.
21. 1995-96  : Union Cabinet Minister, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution.
22. 1998  : Re-elected to 12th Lok Sabha (7th term).
23. Mar-Apr' 1998: Union Cabinet Minister, Communications.
24. 1998-99  : Member, Committee on Subordinate Legislation and Member, Committee on Finance.
25. 1999  : Re-elected to 13th Lok Sabha (8th term).
26. 1999-2000 : Member, Committee of Privileges and Member, Committee on Communications.
27. 1999-2001 : Member, Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
28. 2002-2003 : Chairman, Public Accounts Committee, Room No.-51, Parliament House, New Delhi.
29. 2004-2006 : Governor Of Bihar
30. 2006-2007 : Permanent Invitee Congress Working Committee
31. 2007-2010 : Chairman National Commission For Schedule Cast (rank of Cabinet Minister)

References

• Sardar Buta Singh