GIANI KARTAR SINGH (1902–1974): A FAKIR SHOWING MIRROR TO MODERN POLITICIANS
As Punjab votes on 20 February 2022, and politicians jostle to become MLAs and Ministers by means fair and foul, this Blog describes some actions of Giani Kartar Singh, a prominent Punjab politician, who lived and died a ‘Genuine Fakir.’ He was born at Chakk No 40 (Layallpur District) on 22 February 1902. His father Bhagat Singh Khehra had migrated from Nagoke (Amritsar District) around 1890.
In mid-1960s, a song “ਦੇ ਗਿਆ ਧੋਖਾ ਪੰਥ ਨੂੰ, ਗਿਆਨੀ ਕਰਤਾਰਾ”, “Giani Kartara (disrespectful slang for Kartar Singh) has deceived Sikh Panth” was widely played in rural Punjab. This reflected the widening differences between Giani and his parent party, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). He was the last (in 1966) among the Pioneer Generation of Punjab Politicians (like Kairon, Swaran Singh and Hukam Singh) who started as Akalis and subsequently joined Congress Party.
An epitome of selfless service, simplicity and single mindedness of purpose, Giani Kartar Singh dominated the Sikh politics in 1940s and 1950s. During his school days he led a Kirtan Jatha (group of hymn singers), earning the epithet Giani. The Jallianwala massacre impacted him. Leaving Khalsa College Amritsar without a degree, he was attracted to politics in early youth.
Giani was a member of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) from 1926 to 1960. In 1947, he became President of SAD. After Master Tara Singh, he was the most important ideologue of Akali politics and Punjabi Suba.
As Revenue and Development Minister of East Punjab (1948–1951), Giani rehabilitated the refugees from Pakistan, and started Government Agriculture College at Ludhiana. He was an MLC/MLA from 1952 to 1967. As Agriculture and Revenue Minister in the Congress-Akali Government (1957–1962), he implemented consolidation of land holdings, and piloted Agriculture Produce Market Committee and Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) Acts in Punjab Assembly under the guidance of Chief Minister (CM) Kairon. These actions laid the foundations for unprecedented growth of Punjab’s agrarian economy.
Giani was dedicated to the welfare of the Sikh Panth, and the offices that came his way were only the means to fulfil this aim. The following events reflect the values he espoused. Such selfless politicians are needed to pull Punjab out of the messy quagmire.
PASSING ON CABINET BERTH TO SWARAN SINGH (Source: Several Books)
In September 1946, a Sikh Minister was to be included in the Punjab Cabinet from the two factions of the Panthic Assembly Party. After hectic parleys, pulls and pressures, Giani Kartar Singh was selected. His supporters loaded him with garlands. He walked to Swaran Singh and put the garlands on him, stunning everyone by saying “Swaran Singh deserved to be the Minister.” Despite repeated pleadings, he refused to become a Minister. With this action he joined Sardar Kapur Singh who had preferred service of community over Governorship. Apart from forging unity, this action established that Giani was in politics only to serve the Sikh cause and not for any personal gain. He had the knack to read the pulse of the people and alter the course of events.
Despite decline of Punjab on all fronts, vast majority of the present politicians are engrossed in self-aggrandisement and accumulating personal/family wealth. Politics has become the most lucrative enterprise. They are least bothered about public welfare.
ANTICIPATING AND WARNING ABOUT KILLINGS AND MASS MIGRATION IN 1947 (Source: S. Tarlochan Singh)
After attacks on Hindu and Sikh traders at Rawalpindi in March 1947, Giani articulated the urgency for the non-Muslims to migrate to East Punjab as he anticipated mass migration and communal turmoil on declaration of independence. Heeding his advice, Sikh and Hindu traders started eastward migration and suffered less. With their misplaced confidence, Sikh farmers, remained anchored in the West Punjab. As a last resort, on the announcement of partition of India on 3 June 1947, Giani got a resolution passed by the SAD advocating smooth transfer of population and property as a prerequisite to partition. After 15 August 1947, at grave personal risk he coordinated the migration of non-Muslims, especially from Lyallpur and Sheikhupura districts, to India.
If the Government and the community had heeded Giani’s early warnings, the chaotic, heart-wrenching migration of 15 million people, loss of 1 million lives and the overwhelming refuge crises on both sides of the border could have been reduced.
DEFENDING BOLD DECISIONS BY OFFICERS (Source: Dr G S Kalkat)
Every time Dr Kalkat and I stopped at the popular Tea Stop short of canal after Karnal on Delhi-Amritsar Highway, he told this story. Around 1960 as Deputy Director Agriculture, he was touring South-Eastern Punjab. While he was at Kunjpura Farm, which is near this Stop, a Beldar came to him and started weeping. On repeated assurances, he said that the Agriculture Sub Inspector (ASI) locks the bullocks’ shed around 4 pm and does not open it till 8 am next morning. The bullocks are very weak due to hunger and thirst, and the farm operations have been impaired. If remedial action is not taken, bullocks will perish. After ascertaining it to be true, Kalkat suspended the ASI who was an active Communist. Assembly session was underway at Chandigarh. The Communist MLAs raised the issue of his suspension in the house. As Kalkat was on the move and telephone services were practically non-existent, he could not be contacted for 3–4 days. The Communists started disrupting the Assembly and Giani was furious.
On return to Chandigarh, Kalkat learned that Agriculture Director Deol was desperately trying to contact him. Kalkat explained the sequence of events to Deol and requested him to accompany him to Giani’s residence. Deol refused to accompany him. Kalkat alone went to Giani’s residence and explained why he had suspended the ASI. The next day the Minister told the house what had happened and concluded by saying “The young man did the right thing. But he made one mistake. Instead of suspending, he should have terminated the callous ASI.” It was a morale booster for Kalkat and acted as a catalyst for many of his subsequent actions which helped Punjab agriculture.
Forget about Deputy Director, can a Department Head today take stern action against a delinquent employee? In the absence deterrent penalty to the corrupt officials, Punjab is paying a heavy price for numerous lapses like whitefly and pink boll worm attacks on cotton, missing food grains, shoddy civil works, sand mining, cable, liquor and numerous other mafias plundering Punjab.
APPLAUDING SCIENTISTS AND VALUING THEIR TIME (Source: Dr D S Athwal)
Amid worsening food situation in mid-1960s, word spread that PAU has released miracle wheat and hybrid bajra. One forenoon Dr D S Athwal’s wife phoned him that Giani Kartar Singh had come to their house to meet him. Athwal asked her to tell Giani that he is busy, and he should come after 5 pm. As told, he returned to Athwal’s residence in Model Town in the evening, accompanied by two persons. Giani said “Dr Dilbagh Singh these two MLAs have been pestering me for the last two months as they want to have a glimpse of the person who has banished hunger from Punjab (ਦੋ MLA ਤੁਹਾਡੇ ਦਰਸ਼ਨ ਕਰਨਾ ਚਾਹੁੰਦੇ ਹਨ।).”
Is there any minister or MLA today who can wait for six hours for an accomplished scientist? Will they travel 200 km just to have a glimpse of a scientist? Will a scientist have the guts to tell a Minister or Ex-Minister that he is busy and will meet him when he is free? (Father of Wheat Revolution in Punjab, Athwal was Plant Breeding Head then).
RETAINING ANADPUR SAHIB AND PUNJABI SPEAKING AREAS IN PUNJAB (Source: S. Pritam Singh Kumedan)
When the Punjab Reorganisation Commission was set up in 1966, SAD Chief Sant Fateh went abroad. Despite ongoing vilification by the Akalis, Giani and Shiv Singh Bela mobilised public for impressing upon the Shah Commission to retain Anandpur Sahib, Ropar, Nangal, Kharar and other Punjabi speaking areas in Punjab by separating these from the Tehsils and Districts which were to become part of Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. Giani and Kumedan (SDM Ropar and Nalagarh) were the last persons to appear before the Commission.
With eyes filled with tears and putting a Parna (scarf) around his neck like for performing an Ardaas (prayer), Giani passionately pleaded before the Commission for inclusion of Punjabi speaking areas in Punjab. He concluded by saying “Three holy shrines of the Sikhs — Nankana Sahib, Panja Sahib and Kartarpur Sahib- are in Pakistan. If Anandpur Sahib goes to HP, the Sikhs will be deprived of Takhat Shri Kesgarh Sahib (Holy Seat). It will be a great injustice.” Justice J C Shah replied, “Gianiji we will find some solution.” Two blocks of the predominantly Hindi speaking (62%) Una Tehsil (Hoshiarpur District) — Anandpur Sahib and Nurpurbedi — including Nangal Headworks, access to Bhakra Dam, and some villages of Nalagarh were merged in Punjab. Similarly, Kharar and Ropar Tehsils of Ambala District were retained in Punjab, providing the contiguity, crucial for Punjab’s claim over Chandigarh.
VACATING MINISTERIAL BUNGLOW (Source: Mr. Raj Kumar Malhotra)
After Giani ceased to be a minister in 1962, PWD XEN accompanied by my friend R K Malhotra, Irrigation XEN, went to his ministerial bunglow, and hesitantly told him that he was required to vacate the house yesterday. Giani said “Kakaji (Youngman) you should have told me about this earlier. Kindly give me a few minutes to pack up and do me a favour by calling a rickshaw.” By the time they returned on their cycles with a Rickshaw, Giani had packed all his possessions in a worn-out iron trunk. As they were lifting the trunk, Giani rushed to the backyard to pick up his wet Kachhehra (large underwear borne by the baptised Sikhs).
Handing over the ministerial bungalow to PWD XEN, Giani left for the house of his friend in a rickshaw with all his assets in an old trunk (from 8 years as a minister, 15 years as MLA/MLC, 34 years as SGPC member, and an Ex-Akali Dal Chief) and a wet Kachhehra spread over his shoulders. Compare this with the rich politicians, including a former CM, continuing to occupy sprawling bunglows and costing Punjab lakhs of rupees, courtesy the ruling CMs.
Like any human, Giani was not infallible and was sometimes vindictive. After losing 1967 MLA election, he resigned from Congress party. He had a wry sense of humor.
Before partition, Giani owned large land holding in Layallpur District. After the standard cut, he was allotted 48 acres in Tanda Urmar. Due to unavailability of land, Government College Tanda Urmar was operating from Govt. School premises. He donated his entire land to the College which was named in his memory.
As his health deteriorated, Giani was admitted to Government Rajindra Hospital Patiala. His friends knew he did not have resources for treatment. While visiting him, some of them quietly left money under his hospital bed pillow. He did not touch it. It was handled by his PA. He died peacefully on 10 June 1974.
ELECTION 2022
Times have changed. The MLAs and Ministers are not expected to lead frugal, spartan lifestyles like Giani. By setting an example like Giani in terms of simplicity, hard work, honesty, fairness, truthfulness, and conforming to rules and regulations, they can put Punjab on the road to recovery. They are paid handsome salaries and perks and must contend with them. The ruling party Ministers and MLAs should join hands to run the Government like their own households — maximising state income from a fair share of uniformly applied taxes, plugging leakages, prioritising expenditures on high pay-off interventions, strengthening delivery of critical public services, appointing competent and upright officers to key positions, giving them operational freedom, and holding them accountable, etc., etc. They should show humility and build bridges across the aisle to get the opposition on board to slash wasteful freebies which are ruining Punjab. On its part, the opposition should not criticise everything for the sake of opposing it but must take the ruling and other MLAs to task for any wrong-doing. All MLAs should detest seeking personal benefits.
In a system of first-past-the-post, the electorate should vote intelligently. Although the choice is limited, they should vote for the best candidate in their constituency instead of being carried away by considerations of caste, religion, false claims of achievements, money power, and hyped propaganda. In a major divergence from the past, it is encouraging to watch the tormented voters asking probing questions to the candidates. They must grill the candidates, especially those elected in 2007, 2012 and 2017, about what they have done. Instead of being misled by freebies, they should ask pointed questions about how these will be funded after meeting the committed liabilities, including clearing of the declared and camouflaged debt of Rs 4 lakh crore. The traditional parties can not escape the blame for rapid decline of Punjab.
It is the responsibility of, and an opportunity for the voters to redeem Punjab. At the end of the day, in a democracy people get the Government they deserve.
