Gulzarilal Nanda

Gulzarilal Nanda
Nanda in 1965
Acting Prime Minister of India
In office 11 January 1966 – 24 January 1966
President	Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
Vice President	Zakir Husain
Preceded by	Lal Bahadur Shastri
Succeeded by	Indira Gandhi
In office 27 May 1964 – 9 June 1964
President	Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
Vice President	Zakir Hussain
Preceded by	Jawaharlal Nehru
Succeeded by	Lal Bahadur Shastri
Union Minister of Home Affairs
In office 29 August 1963 – 14 November 1966
Prime Minister	Jawaharlal Nehru Lal Bahadur Shastri Indira Gandhi
Preceded by	Lal Bahadur Shastri
Succeeded by	Yashwantrao Chavan
Union Minister of External Affairs
In office 27 May 1964 – 7 June 1964
Prime Minister	himself (Acting)
Preceded by	Jawaharlal Nehru
Succeeded by	Lal Bahadur Shastri
Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission
In office 17 February 1953 – 21 September 1963
Preceded by	position established
Succeeded by	V. T. Krishnamachari
2nd Leader of the House in Lok Sabha
In office 11 January 1966 – 24 January 1966
Preceded by	Jawaharlal Nehru
Succeeded by	Lal Bahadur Shastri
In office 27 May 1964 – 9 June 1964
Preceded by	Lal Bahadur Shastri
Succeeded by	Satya Narayan Sinha
Personal details
Born	(1898-07-04)4 July 1898 Sialkot, Punjab Province, British India (present-day Punjab, Pakistan)
Died	15 January 1998(1998-01-15) (aged 99) Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Political party	Indian National Congress
Spouse	Lakshmi Nanda (till 1916)
Children	3
Alma mater	Allahabad University

Gulzarilal Nanda (4 July 1898 – 15 January 1998) was an Indian politician and economist who specialised in labour issues. He was the Acting Prime Minister of India for two 13-day tenures following the deaths of Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964 and Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1966 respectively. Both his terms ended after the ruling Indian National Congress's parliamentary party elected a new prime minister. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, in 1997.

Early life

Birth

Nanda was born on 4 July 1898 in Sialkot in the Punjab, British India in a Punjabi Hindu Khatri family. Sialkot later became a part of the Punjab Province of Pakistan in 1947, after the partition of India. Nanda received his education in Lahore, Amritsar, Agra, and Allahabad.

He met Mahatma Gandhi in 1921, where he settled in Gujarat on his request.

Research worker

Nanda worked as a research scholar on labour problems at Allahabad University (1920–1921), and became a professor of economics at National College in Bombay (Mumbai) in 1921. The same year, he joined the Indian Non-Cooperation Movement against the British Raj. In 1922, he became secretary of the Ahmedabad Textile Labour Association where he worked until 1946. He was imprisoned for Satyagraha in 1932, and again from 1942 to 1944.. He was honoured with "Proud Past Alumni" in the list of 42 members, from "Allahabad University Alumni Association", NCR, Ghaziabad (Greater Noida) Chapter 2007–2008 registered under society act 1860 with registration no. 407/2000.

He married Lakshmi, with whom he had two sons and a daughter.

Later life

Later years, Nanda chose to live a modest life in a nondescript locality. Despite his significant contributions to the nation, he faced financial difficulties. At the age of 94, he was evicted from his one-room abode by the landlord for failing to pay rent. Neighbors and a passing journalist highlighted his plight, leading to public outcry.

Recognition and Legacy The news of his eviction brought attention to his humble living conditions. The then Prime Minister intervened, and Nanda was allowed to stay in his home. Despite offers of assistance, Nanda remained committed to a simple lifestyle, reflecting his Gandhian values. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, in 1997.

Nanda’s life is a testament to his belief in “Simple Living and High Thinking,” and he remains a respected figure in Indian history.

Lok Sabha member

Nanda was elected to the Lok Sabha in the 1957 elections, and was appointed Union Minister for Labour, Employment and Planning, and later, as Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission. He visited the Federal Republic of Germany, Yugoslavia, and Austria in 1959.

Nanda was re-elected to the Lok Sabha in the 1962 elections from the Sabarkantha constituency in Gujarat. He initiated the Congress Forum for Socialist Action in 1962. He was Union Minister for Labour and Employment in 1962–1963, and Minister for Home Affairs in 1963–1966.

Nanda was re-elected to the Lok Sabha in the 1967 and 1971 elections from the Kaithal Constituency in Haryana. He was a principled man. In 1971, he resigned from the Congress saying that he did not like the politics of that era.

Acting Prime Minister

Nanda was the Acting Prime Minister of India twice for thirteen days each: the first time after the death of first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964, and the second time after the death of Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1966. He was the Home Minister of India during both these periods, and this is the reason why he was chosen as Prime Minister. The Indian Constitution has no provision for an "acting" Prime Minister. Both his terms were uneventful, yet they came at sensitive times because of the potential danger to the country following Nehru's death soon after the Sino-Indian War in 1962 and Shastri's death after the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965.

Death

Nanda died on 15 January 1998 at the age of 99; from 25 November 1997 when former Malawian President Hastings Banda died; until his own death Nanda was the oldest living former state leader. At his death, Nanda was the last surviving member of the second and third Nehru cabinets and the last living state leader to have been born in the 19th century.

Gandhian life

He lived a very simple life, with no personal property at the time of his death. He never allowed politics to influence his family life. Yet he always had enough time for his family. He once engaged his government provided driver for a car that was used by his family. He never allowed his family to use his official vehicle. He once got angry with his staff when he learned that his grandson, Tejas used his office paper and drew a picture. He immediately purchased paper from market and gave his grandson to draw on it.

He was also concerned about rising corruption in the country and suggested to decrease wasteful consumption by officials and people in general. He had also opposed the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi, as he felt that the sacrifices to bring democracy to India became meaningless due to the tyranny.

State honours

Ribbon	Decoration	Country	Date	Note	Ref.
	Bharat Ratna	India	1997	The highest civilian honour of India.

In popular culture

A Dedicated Worker – Shri Gulzarilal Nanda is a 1999 short documentary film directed by A. K. Goorha and produced by the Films Division of India which covers Nanda's work towards labourers and others as the PM and otherwise.

External links

• Kalhan, Promilla (1997). Gulzarilal Nanda: A Life in the Service of the People. Allied Publishers. ISBN 9788170236931.