INDIANCULTURE

Tuesday, 16 October 2012

R. Venkataraman

R. Venkataraman is the Eighth President of India. He was born on December 4, 1910 in the village of Rajamadam, Thanjavur District, Tamil Nadu. He educated in Madras and obtained his Master Degree in Economics from Madras University. He later qualified in Law from the Law College, Madras. He was enrolled in the High Court, Madras in 1935 and in the Supreme Court in 1951. He married Smt Janaki Venkataraman in the year 1938.

While practicing Law, Shri Venkataraman was drawn into the movement for India's freedom from Britain's colonial subjugation. His active participation in the Indian National Congress's celebrated resistance to the British Government, the 'Quit India Movement of 1942', resulted in his detention for two years under the British Government's Defence of India Rules. In 1946, the Government of India included him in the panel of lawyers sent to Malaya and Singapore to defend Indian nationals charged with offences of collaboration during the Japanese occupation of those two places. In the years 1947 to 1950, Shri Venkataraman served as Secretary of the Madras Provincial Bar Federation. On his release from prison in 1944, Shri Venkataraman took up the Organisation of the Labour Section of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee. He founded, in 1949, the Labour Law Journal which publishes important decisions pertaining to labour and is an acknowledged specialist publication. Shri Venkataraman came to be intimately associated with trade union activity, founding or leading several unions, including those for plantation workers, estate staff, dock-workers, railway workers and working journalists. Shri Venkataraman also took a direct and keen interest in the conditions of agricultural workers in his home district of Thanjavur.

He was elected in 1950, to free India's Provisional Parliament (1950-1952) and to the First Parliament (1952-1957). During his term of legislative activity, Shri Venkataraman attended the 1952 Session of the Metal Trades Committee of International Labour Organisation as a workers' delegate. He was a member of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in New Zealand. Shri Venkataraman was also Secretary to the Congress Parliamentary Party in 1953-1954.

Although re-elected to Parliament in 1957, Shri Venkataraman resigned his seat in the Lok Sabha to join the State Government of Madras as a Minister. There Shri Venkataraman held the portfolios of Industries, Labour, Cooperation, Power, Transport and Commercial Taxes from 1957 to 1967. During this time, he was also Leader of the Upper House, namely, the Madras Legislative Council.

Shri Venkataraman was appointed a Member of the Union Planning Commission in 1967 and was entrusted the subjects of Industry, Labour, power, Transport, Communications, Railways. He held that office until 1971.In 1977, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Madras (South) Constituency and served as an Opposition Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee. In 1980, he was re-elected to the Lok Sabha and was appointed Union Minister of Finance in the Government headed by Srimati Indira Gandhi. He was later appointed Union Minister of Defence.

Shri Venkataraman has received the Doctorate of Law (Honoris Causa) from University of Madras, the Doctorate of Law from Nagarjuna University. He is Honorary Fellow, Madras Medical College; Doctor of Social Sciences, University of Roorkee; Doctor of Law (Honoris Causa) from University of Burdwan. He has been awarded The Tamra Patra for participation in the freedom struggle, the Soviet Land Prize for his travelogue on Shri Kamraj's visit to the Socialist countries. He is the recipient of a Souvenir from the Secretary-General of the United Nations for distinguished service as President of the U.N. Administrative Tribunal. The title of "Sat Seva Ratna" has been conferred on him by His Holiness the Sankaracharya of Kancheepuram.

Shri Venkataraman was elected Vice-President of India in August, 1984. He was, simultaneously, Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (Council of States), the Second Chamber of the Indian Parliament. As Vice-President of India, he was Chairman of the Jury for the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding and of the International Jury for the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development. He was Vice-Chairman of the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund; Trustee, Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust; President, Indian Institute of Public Administration; Chancellor, Gandhgram Rural Institute; Chancellor, Delhi University; Chancellor, Punjab University and President of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.

Shri Venkataraman elected as presedent on July 25, 1987.

Giani Zail Singh

Giani Zail Singh was first punjabi to become president of India. Born on 5 May 1916, son of Mata Ind Kaur and Bhai Kishan Singh in a small village named Sandhwan, near Kot Kapura, formerly prince state of Faridkot. Kishen Singh was village carpenter. He also had some land to till. He was devout Sikh and was known in the countryside for his simple and upright manner. Zail Singh was youngest of Five brothers and sisters. Zail Singh lost his mother at his early age. He was brought up by the sister of his mother named Daya Kaur. He had little formal education. He inherited the family's broad interest in religious learning and gained easy fluency in reading the Guru Granth Sahib . He acquired a fairly wide knowledge of Sikh doctrine and history. He was accepted for admission to the Shahid Sikh Missionary college at Amritsar, without fullfilling the miminum entry condition of marticulation. What immpressed authorities was his flair for public speaking.

After this course, Giani was attached to his name., which meant "the one learned in the religious lore". This epithet was stuck to his name for rest of the life. He grew into the mastery of public speaking and could easily throw spells on his audiences. He could mix with uncanny facility couplets of Urdu verse with his fluent Punjabi. He had a subtle sense of fun.

His native Faridkot was small unit politically and geographically., peaceful and quiet. It ruler, Raja Harinder Singh was a colorful personality. He was full of energy and ambition. One of his aims was to open the doors of modern progress for his state and have it counted among the more progressive territories of the region. Because of Raja's friendly nature he knew almost two three families of all the villages of his territories. Raja was an easy mixer with common folks. In the year of Indian Independence, 1947 Nehru came to Faridkot asking Raja to align himself with India. Nehru encouraged the local extremsits. When Raja was away in Malerkotla they formed a parallel government. Raja was in a rage. He immediately put an end to revolt and send out a very angry cable to Nehru and Patel, two indian leaders who were negotiating with the Indian Princes. Since Zail Singh was aligned with the people who were protesting against the Raja, he had to bear the Raja's brunt.

After India was divided into Muslim Pakistan and Secular India, East Punjab's small kingdoms were made into a state called PEPSU short for Patiala and East Punjab States Union, that was conglomerate of Patiala,Jind, Nabha, Kapurthala and Faridkot states. This new state had total area of 10,090 Sq Miles with population being 34,24,060. The annual revenue of the state was little over 5 crores.

Giani Zail singh had emerged from one of the smaller units. He was dedicated and single minded with limitless powers of concentration. In 1949, a non party government was established in PEPSU with Gian Singh Rarewala of Patiala as Chief Minister and Giani Zail Singh as Revenue minister. Then after the elections in 1951, in the congress government formed on 23 May 1951, he became Agriculture minister. From 1956 to 1962 he served as a Member of Indian parliament (Rajya Sabha). In general elections in 1972, he became chief minister of Punjab. In the 1980 General elections Giani Zail singh was elected as Member of Parliament of Lok Sabha, Indira Gandhi the president of the Congress party made him minister of home affairs. In 1982 Giani Zail Singh was unaanimously elected by the congress party as a choice for President. Giani Zail Singh won almost by a unianomous vote of the nation. Even the dissident parties such as Akalis and Communists supported him.

Eventhough Giani Zail Singh achieved much in his life but he did not aligned himself with the Akalis in Punjab, the leading group of Sikh political aspirations. Giani Zail Singh owing to his humble background was always trying to immpress his bosses (especially Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India), he even once said "I will sweep the door of her house if Madam tells me to do so". Such comments from a person of such stature made him unpopular in Sikhs and Akalis. Earlier when he was Chief Minister of Punjab he dangerously brought religion into politics. He would often visit Gurdwaras and give them huge grants. He named many roads on the name of Sikh Gurus. Obviously this type of politics was to undermine Akalis who were openly working for Sikhs and Sikhism causes. His dirty politics with religion brought in front Jarnail Singh Bhindrenwale who was simple minded and zealously working for Sikh causes and hated both Congress and Akalis. Zail Singh supported Bhindrenwale and brought back the rule of Congress in Punjab under Darbara Singh as chief minister. When he was president of India, Indira Gandhi ordered Army attach on Golden Temple called Operation Blue Star without disclosing these orders to the President of India, Zail Singh., eventhough Army is under the direct command of President of India. This incident alone shows that President is merely a puppet at the hands of Prime Minister. Giani Zail Singh visited Golden Temple four days after the army attack. After this attack many Sikh resigned from their posts, many sikhs revolted in army, but Giani Zail Singh remained firmly attached to his ceremonously post, this showed his true colors and respect for Sikhs and Sikhism. Then when Indira Gandhi was murdered by two Singhs named Beant Singh and Satwant Singh, Giani Zail Singh made Rajiv Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India. Rajiv Gandhi's party and henchmen killed more then 7000+ Sikhs (Government of India estimates), but Sikh president of India could do nothing. SO! this biography of Zail Singh is being presented as a dark chapter in Sikh history, the darkest hour of this century in Sikh history that was 1980's.

In 1994 when he was on a pilgrimage to Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib his car met with a serious accident. He was taken to PGI at Chandigarh where he died on 25 December 1994.

Neelam Sanjiva Reddy

Sri Neelam Sanjiva Reddy was the sixth President of India. Born in a peasant family at Illuri village in the Anantapur District of Andhra Pradesh on May 19, 1913. Sri Sanjiva Reddy had his early education at the Theosophical High School at Adyar in Madras and later joined the Arts College at Anantapur.

In 1931 he gave up his studies and took part in the freedom movement. At the age of 25, he was elected Secretary of the Andhra Pradesh Provincial Congress Committee and remained in that office for 10 years. Shri Sanjiva Reddy married Shrimati Nagarathnamma on June 8, 1935. He was in prison for a greater part of the period 1940-1945. In 1946 he was elected to the Madras Legislaltive Assembly and became the Secretary of the Madras Congress Legislature Party the following year. In 1947, he became a Member of the Indian Constitutent Assembly.

From April 1949 to April 1951, he was Minister for Prohibition, Housing and Forests for the state of Madras. In 1951, he became the president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee. In 1952, he was elected Member of the Rajya Sabha. In 1953, he became the deputy chief minister in the Cabinet of the T. Prakasam and he was the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party. He was again elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1955 and became Deputy Chief Minister in B. Gopala Reddi's cabinet.

He became the first Chief Minister to the new State of Andhra Pradesh in October, 1956. In 1959, he resigned the Chief Ministership to take over the Presidentship of the Indian National Congress. In March, 1962, he again became the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. In February 1964, he voluntarily resigned the office of Chief Minister.On June 9, 1964, he was appointed a Member of the Union Cabinet formed by Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri and took over the portfolio of Steel and Mines. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in November, 1964.

Reddy was Union Minister of Transport, Civil Aviation, Shipping and Tourism from January 1966 to March 1967 in the Cabinet formed by Indira Gandhi. He was elected Speaker of the Lok Sabha on March 17, 1967, an office that won him unprecedented acclaim and admiration. After 1969, Shri Reddy devoted his time to agriculture. In March 1977, he fought the Lok Sabha election from Nandyal constituency in Andhra Pradesh as a Janata Party candidate. He was the only non-Congress candidate to get elected from Andhra Pradesh.

Neelam Sanjiva Reddy was unanimously elected Speaker of the Lok Sabha on March 26, 1977. He was unanimously sponsored as the consensus candidate for the Presidentship by all political parties, a rare even in recent political history. He was declared elected unopposed on July 21, 1977.

Basappa Danappa Jatti

Shri Basappa Danappa Jatti, the former Vice-President of India passed away on 7 June, 2002 at Bangalore, Karnataka at the age of 90. He also served as the Acting President for five months from February to July, 1977.

Shri Jatti, during his illustrious administrative and political career served the nation in various capacities. An advocate by profession, Shri Jatti was legal practitioner in the erstwhile Princely State of Jamkhandi, now in Karnataka. An outstanding statesman, Shri Jatti was the Lieutenant Governor of Pondicherry from 1968 to 1972 and took over as the Governor of Orissa in November, 1972. He held the office of the Vice-President and Chairman of Rajya Sabha from 1974 to 1979 with great distinction.

Earlier, Shri Jatti was the Chairman of Municipal Council, Jamkhandi and Member of Legislature in the Princely State of Jamkhandi. He served as Minister under Maharaja of Jamkhandi and also became the Chief Minister. He piloted the proposal for merging the State with the Indian Union and was the first to do so in South India. He was nominated to the then composite State of Bombay as a Member of the Legislative Assembly. He became Parliamentary Secretary to then Chief Minister. He served as Deputy Minister of Health and Labour in the Morarji Desai Ministry of Bombay and later held charge as Minister of Health and Labour for some time. He was also appointed as Chairman of the Land Reforms Committee of the State and had submitted a report on the subject, which was later known as �Jatti Committee Report�. This report dealt with all problems and possible solutions regarding land reforms in the State. He was the Chief Minister of the erstwhile Mysore State from 1958 to 1962, Finance Minister in 1962 and Food Minister in 1966. He was re-elected to the Mysore Assembly in 1967.

A man of letters, Shri Jatti has to his credit a number of articles on philosophy, literature and allied subjects. His gentle demeanour and humility endeared him to all.

Dr. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed

Dr. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed was born on May 13, 1905 at Hauz Qazi area of Old Delhi. His father was a Col. Zalnur Ali who married the daughter of the Nawab of Lohari in Delhi. He started his educated in the Bonda Government High School in U.P. He matriculated from the Delhi Government High School. He went to England for higher education in 1923. He joined the Catherine College of Cambridge University. He started legal practice in the Lahore High Court in 1928. Ali Ahmed married Begum Abida Saheba of a respectable family of U.P. educated in Aligarh Muslim University on 9 November, 1945.

He met Jawaharlal Nehru in England in 1925. He joined the Indian National Congress and actively participated in the freedom movement. He started individual satyagraha on 14 December, 1940 for which he was imprisoned for a year. Again on 9 August, 1942 he was arrested in the 'Quit India Movement' while returning from the session of the AICC meeting held at Bombay. He spent in prison for until April 1945. He was a member of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee since 1936. He was elected to the Assam Assembly in 1935 and became the Minister of Finance, Revenue and Labour in the on 19 September, 1938.

he was elected to Rajya Sabha from 1952 to 1953 and after that he became Advocate-General of the Government of Assam. He was elected to the Assam Assembly from 1957 to 1962 and again from 1962 to 1967. He joined the cabinet of Jawaharlal Nehru at the Centre in January 1966. He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1971. He was the minister of Food and Agriculture, Cooperation, Education, Industrial Development and Company Laws. He became President of India on 29 August, 1974.

He was a tennis player and golfer, he was elected President of the Assam Football Association and the Assam Cricket Association several times. He was elected as the Vice-President of the Assam Sports Council. In April, 1967 he was elected President of the All India Cricket Association and also was a member of the Delhi Golf Club and the Delhi Gymkhana Club.

Ali Ahmed died on 11 February, 1977 while in the office.

Muhammad Hidayat Ullah

Muhammad Hidyat Ullah was acting President of India from July 20, 1969 to August 24, 1969. He was succeeded by the previous President Varahagiri Venkata Giri.

V. V. Giri

Shri Varahagiri Venkata Giri was born on 10 August, 1894 at Berhampore in Ganjam district at that time in the Madras Presidency and now in Orissa. He came from a Telugu speaking Brahmin family. His father Shri V.V. Jogaiah Pantulu was a prosperous lawyer at Berhampore and the leader of the local Bar. After his early education in his home-town Giri went to Ireland and joined the University of Dublin for higher studies. It was here that he came under the spell of the freedom struggle in Ireland and drew his inspiration from De Valera. He became associated with the Sinn Fein Movement and came in close contact with De Valera, Collins, Pearee, Desmond Fitzgerald, MacNeil, Connolly and others. Giri was called to the Bar during World War I and returned to India in 1916.

Upon returning to India, he became heavily involved in the labour movement. As early as 1922 he identified himself closely with the organization of the working classes and became a trusted lieutenant of N.M. Joshi. From that time onwards his main sphere of work was the Trade Union movement. To this day he is proud above all else of being a trade unionist, becoming general secretary and then president of the All-India Railwaymen's Federation and twice serving as president of the All-India Trade Union Congress. Giri first entered politics in 1937 when he became minister of labour and industries for the Congress Party government formed in the Madras Presidency. When the Congress governments resigned in 1942, he returned to the labour movement as part of the "quit India" movement and was imprisoned by the British.

During the Civil Disobedience Movement in the early thirties Giri, as a prominent labour leader, did much to organize trade unions in support of the nationalist movement. He was a member of the Indian Legislative Assembly from 1934 to 1937. In the 1936 General Election in Madras, after the introduction of the Act of 1935, Giri was put up as the Congress candidate in Bobbili against the Raja of Bobbili and he won that election. After the election when C. Rajagopalachari formed the Congress Ministry in Madras in 1937, V.V. Giri was naturally taken into the Cabinet and given the portfolio of Labour. Again after the General Election of 1946 in Madras Giri was taken into the Cabinet formed by T. Prakasam and given the portfolio of Labour. Later Giri was appointed India's High Commissioner in Ceylon.

He was a member of the Lok Sabha from 1952 to 1957. From 1952 to 1954 he was a member of the Union Cabinet and was given the portfolio of Labour. He served as Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Mysore. In 1967, during the period of turmoil, he was invited to be the Vice-President. Dr. Zakir Hussain died on 3 May, 1969, V.V. Giri had to officiate as the President. He was elected (1969) the fourth President of the Republic with the acclaim of the people.

Giri has written two books, one on "Industrial Relations" and the other on "Labour Problems in Indian Industry".