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| Balram Jakhar | |
|---|---|
| Name | Balram Jakhar |
| Birth date | 23 August 1923 |
| Death date | 3 February 2016 |
| Birth place | Panjhera, Punjab, British India (present-day Punjab) |
| Death place | Delhi |
| Office | 8th Speaker of the Lok Sabha |
| Term start | 22 January 1980 |
| Term end | 27 November 1989 |
| Party | Indian National Congress |
| Spouse | Gurpriya Jakhar |
Balram Jakhar was an Indian politician and parliamentarian who served as the 8th Speaker of the Lok Sabha and later as a state Governor and leader in agricultural and cooperative institutions. A veteran leader of the Indian National Congress, he represented Punjab and Himachal Pradesh constituencies in the Parliament and played influential roles in legislative procedure, rural development, and cooperative federations. His career intersected with prominent figures and institutions across post-independence India and international forums.
Born in Panjhera in British India during the period of the British Raj, Jakhar received education influenced by regional and national networks including schools linked to Punjab University and later exposure to institutions connected with leaders of the Indian independence movement such as associates of Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and contemporaries from the Indian National Congress. His formative years coincided with events like the Partition of India and the organizational expansion of parties like the Communist Party of India and the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. Early mentors and peers included figures active in peasant movements, cooperative initiatives resembling those championed by V. V. Giri and C. Rajagopalachari.
Jakhar entered electoral politics through grassroots networks in Punjab and allied rural constituencies, contesting elections to the Lok Sabha and engaging with institutions such as the All India Congress Committee, Indian National Trade Union Congress, and state units of the Indian National Congress. He served terms as a Member of Parliament interacting with contemporaries including Indira Gandhi, Morarji Desai, Rajiv Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and leaders from parties like the Janata Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party. Legislative initiatives during his tenure intersected with national legislation such as the Constitution of India amendments debated in the Parliament of India and policy discussions involving ministries headed by figures like P. V. Narasimha Rao and Charan Singh. Jakhar's parliamentary work connected him to committees linked with rural development programs aligned with schemes promoted by Union Cabinet ministers and state chief ministers including Gulzarilal Nanda and Haribhai Patel.
Elected as Speaker of the Lok Sabha in 1980, Jakhar presided over the lower house during sessions that saw debates involving prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, opposition leaders such as Jagjivan Ram and L. K. Advani, and complex proceedings tied to events like the Assam Movement and discussions related to the Emergency aftermath. As Speaker he worked within parliamentary procedure frameworks influenced by precedents from Speakers like N. Sanjiva Reddy and G. V. Mavalankar, and coordinated with authorities in the President of India's office including interactions with presidents such as Zail Singh and Ramaswamy Venkataraman. His tenure involved high-profile parliamentary rulings, liaison with the Supreme Court of India on privilege matters, and engagements with international parliamentary bodies including delegations to the Inter-Parliamentary Union and exchanges with legislatures such as the Parliament of the United Kingdom, United States Congress, and assemblies in Japan and France.
After parliamentary service, Jakhar was appointed Governor, a viceregal office linked to the President of India; his gubernatorial duties placed him among constitutional figures like Governors of India who have included Bihar and Punjab appointees. He later assumed leadership positions in national institutions, collaborating with agricultural and cooperative entities such as the National Cooperative Union of India and liaising with ministries and officials including those in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and leaders like Sharad Pawar. His post-gubernatorial roles involved membership in commissions and advisory boards that interfaced with policymakers from state cabinets and central ministries, and with international agencies including the Food and Agriculture Organization.
A prominent advocate for rural development, Jakhar chaired cooperative organizations and agricultural boards tied to large federations, working with leaders from institutions like the National Dairy Development Board, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, and state cooperatives in Punjab and Haryana. He collaborated with policymakers and technocrats such as Verghese Kurien and M. S. Swaminathan in promoting livestock, dairy, and crop initiatives and engaged in programs resonant with the objectives of entities like the World Bank, International Fund for Agricultural Development, and NABARD. His stewardship of cooperative federations connected him to economic planning bodies including the Planning Commission (India) and provincial development agencies.
Jakhar's family included his spouse Gurpriya and children who have been active in public life, reflecting political continuities with other dynastic and grassroots families in Indian politics such as those of Nehru–Gandhi family, Scindia family, and Yadav family. His death in 2016 prompted responses from national leaders including Prime Minister of India officeholders and tributes from parliamentary colleagues across the spectrum such as members of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Indian National Congress. His legacy endures in parliamentary procedure, cooperative movements, and rural policy discourse, and he is remembered alongside other eminent Indian parliamentarians and administrators like Gurdial Singh Dhillon, Somnath Chatterjee, and Meira Kumar.
Category:Speakers of the Lok Sabha Category:Indian National Congress politicians Category:1923 births Category:2016 deaths