Govind Ballabh Pant

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	10 September 1887 Khoont-Dhaamas village, Almora, North-Western Provinces
Died	7 March 1961 Uttar Pradesh
Political party	INC

Bharat Ratna Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant (10 September 1887 – 7 March 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.

Early life

Govind Ballabh Pant was born on 10 September 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.

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 the freedom struggle

Statue of Govindballabh Pant, at Mall Road, Nainital

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 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 In 1935, the ban was rescinded, and Pant joined the new Legislative Council.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 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.

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.

Chief Minister

Govind Ballabh Pant statue near Parliament of India, Delhi

In 1937, provincial elections were held as a result of the Government of India Act 1935. 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. Therefore, on 1 April 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 17 July 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" 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.

In 1945, the new British Labour government ordered new elections to the Provincial legislatures. 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.

Union Home Minister of india

He served as Union Home Minister from 1955-1961. In 1955, he was awarded the Bharat Ratna. As Home minister, his chief achievement was the re-organisation of States along linguistic lines. He was also responsible for the establishment of Hindi as an official language of the central government and a few states.

Controversies and criticisms

As Union Minister, Ballabh Pant and the then Government of Indian National Congress announced on 30 September 1957 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."

Death

In 1960, he had a heart attack. After this his health started deteriorating and he later died on 7 March 1961 after spending several days in a coma.

Family

Pant's son, Krishna Chandra Pant, was likewise a politician.

Timeline

Political offices
Preceded by Nawab Sir Muhammad Ahmad Said Khan Chhatari	Chief Minister of United Provinces 17 July 1937 – 2 November 1939	Succeeded by Governor's Rule Administered by the Governors of the United Provinces Sir Harry Graham Haig 2 November 1939 – 7 December 1939 Sir Maurice Garnier Hallett 7 December 1939 – 7 December 1945 Sir Francis Verner Wylie 7 December 1945 – 1 April 1946 title/post subsequently held by- Govind Ballabh Pant
Preceded by Governor's Rule Administered by the Governors of the United Provinces Sir Harry Graham Haig 2 November 1939 – 7 December 1939 Sir Maurice Garnier Hallett 7 December 1939 – 7 December 1945 Sir Francis Verner Wylie 7 December 1945 – 1 April 1946 title/post subsequently held by- Govind Ballabh Pant	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

See also

• Kumauni People
• Birla Vidya Mandir

External links

• View Profile/Photos and Videos of Govind Ballabh Pant
• Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, named in his honor
• Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Social Sciences, named in his honor
• Govind Ballabh Pant Engineering College, named in his honor
• Text of a 1922 book by Pant, Forest problems in Kumaun via archive.org