| In this, however, he did not compromise
on the basic issues of decentral- isation and state autonomy, which are
the Akali political plank. He had a stint as the Chief Minister of Punjab
and then went on to become the Governor of Tamilnadu, where he resisted
the efforts of the Government to impose President's rule and eventually
resigned.
Barnala was born in 1925 in Village
Atteli Beghpur, a village near Rewari. His father was a SDM in the erstwhile
Nabha State. He did his law from Lucknow University and began practicing
in Barnala, which is part of Sangrur District.
He is married to Mrs. Surjit Kaur
and their children are well settled.
He was elected to the state assembly
on the Akali ticket in1967. This was the first election to be held after
the Punjabi Suba agitation by the Akalis in the late 60s.
This rising political star was made
Education Minister of Punjab in the Akali Ministry in ’70.
During the Emergency, Barnala was
arrested in December 1975 and kept in Jalandhar jail and Patiala jails.
Once the Emergency was over, the
Akalis became part of the Janata Dal led nationwide alliance that swept
the polls that followed. Barnala took the place of Prakash Singh Badal
in the Union Cabinet, once Badal became Chief Minister of Punjab. He was
given the portfolio of Union Food and Agriculture Minister.
Soon, however, the Janata Government
fell and Barnala returned to the politics of Punjab, which was becoming
increasingly turbulent. The Akali ‘Dharam Yudh’ - their agitation for implementation
of the Anandpur Sahib Resolution, was overtaken by extremist elements,
resulting in a breakdown of law and order in the state.
Following Operation Bluestar, Barnala
was jailed again, this time in more comfortable surroundings – Panchamarhi
in Madhya Pradesh. After his release in March 1985, he helped chalk out
the Rajiv-Longowal Accord that reinstated the moderates to power in Sikh
politics and thus paved the way for the eventual return of peace in that
state.
After the Akali Dal won the Punjab
elections of September ’85, Barnala was asked to take on the onerous responsibility
of Chief Ministership.
The Akalis were let down by the Central
Government, however, and relations deteriorated to the point that Barnala’s
government was dismissed in1987.
Later, Barnala went on to become
the Governor of Tamilnadu and was confronted, once again, by the notorious
penchant of the Centre to dismiss state governments under Article 356.
He resisted all pressures in this regard and as the Governor’s role is
crucial in imposition of President’s rule, he was posted out. He chose,
however, to resign, setting a principled example that few, since then,
have chosen to follow.
With the rout of the Congress and
the rise of the BJP in alliance with regional parties like the Akali Dal,
Barnala took over as Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers in Vajpayee’s
short-lived government of 1998. His defeat in the last General Elections,
denied him a return to the Centre when Vajpayee returned to power at the
head of the National Democratic Alliance. The high regard in which he is
held, however, ensured that, at the first opportunity, he was given a responsibility
commensurate with his experience and stature.
As Governor of Uttaranchal, Barnala
will have an important role to play, both, in guiding the new state’s relatively
inexperienced leadership and in coordinating with the Centre. His appointment
has also helped dissipate the misgivings of the Sikhs settled in the Terai
region of Uttaranchal. |
