Gurnam Singh
{{Short description|Indian politician}}
{{Other people}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Gurnam Singh Grewal
|image = Gurnam Singh ex-CM Punjab India.jpg
|caption =
|office = 6th Chief Minister of Punjab
|term_start = 8 March 1967
|term_end = 25 November 1967
|predecessor = Giani Gurmukh Singh Mussafir
|successor = Lachhman Singh Gill
|term_start1 = 17 February 1969
|term_end1 = 27 March 1970
|predecessor1 = President's rule
|successor1 = Parkash Singh Badal
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1899|02|25|df=yes}}
|birth_place = Narangwal, Punjab, British India
|death_date = {{Death date and age|1973|05|31|1899|02|25|df=yes}}
|restingplace =
|restingplacecoordinates =
|birthname =
|nationality = Indian
|party = Shiromani Akali Dal
|otherparty =
|spouse =
|children =
|residence =
|profession = Politician
|Alma Mater =
|signature =
|signature_alt =
|footnotes =
| office3 = Leader of opposition in Punjab assembly
| term_start3 = 11 March 1962
| term_end3 = 5 July 1966
| predecessor3 = Gopal Singh Khalsa
| successor3 = President rule
| term_start4 = 1 November 1966
| term_end4 = 8 March 1967
| predecessor4 = President rule
| successor4 = Gian Singh Rarewala
| term_start5 = 24 November 1967
| term_end5 = 23 August 1968
| predecessor5 = Gian Singh Rarewala
| successor5 = Harinder Singh
| website = https://www.gurnamsingh.org/
}}
Gurnam Singh (25 February 1899 – 31 May 1973) was an Indian politician and the 6th Chief Minister of Punjab from 8 March 1967 to 25 November 1967, and again between 17 February 1969 to 27 March 1970.{{cite web |url=http://punjabassembly.nic.in/members/showcm.asp |title=Archived copy |access-date=2006-12-21 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070213075808/http://punjabassembly.nic.in/members/showcm.asp |archive-date=2007-02-13 }} He was the first Shiromani Akali Dal Chief minister of Punjab.{{cite web|title=Akali CMs|url=http://www.shiromaniakalidal.org.in/akali-cms/|access-date=10 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140624073436/http://www.shiromaniakalidal.org.in/akali-cms/|archive-date=24 June 2014|url-status=dead}} His ministry fell due to defection of Lachhman Singh Gill, who became the next Chief Minister with the support of the Indian National Congress. He died in an air crash in Delhi on 31 May 1973.
Early life
Singh was born in Narangwal, Ludhiana on 25 February 1899 in a Grewal Jatt family.{{cite web|last1=Grewal|first1=Dr Dalvinder Singh|url=http://grewalbrotherhood.com/pdfs/english/Origin%20of%20Grewals.htm|title=ORIGIN OF GREWALS|access-date=10 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141122134401/http://grewalbrotherhood.com/pdfs/english/Origin%20of%20Grewals.htm|archive-date=22 November 2014|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|title=While Badal shines, other ex-CMs' villages remain its poor cousins|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20140121/main7.htm|access-date=10 June 2014|newspaper=The Tribune|date=21 January 2014}} He graduated from the Forman Christian College, Lahore.{{cite news|title=Gurnam Singh's birth anniversary to be celebrated|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/1999/99feb11/punjab.htm#7|access-date=10 June 2014|newspaper=The Tribune|date=11 February 1999}} He captained the hockey team of Punjab University.{{cite news|last1=Dhanoa|first1=S. S.|title=The multi-faceted personality of Gurnam Singh|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/1999/99feb27/saturday/head2.htm|access-date=10 June 2014|newspaper=The Tribune|date=27 February 1999}}
Law career
Singh practiced Law in Lyallpur (Present day Faisalabad, Pakistan). Later he served as the president of the Bar Association, there. During the partition of Punjab, Singh moved to Punjab, India. He was made the judge of the PEPSU and Punjab High Courts in 1950. He retired from this post in 1959.{{cite web|title=Hon'ble Former Judges|url=http://highcourtchd.gov.in/?trs=former_judges|publisher=Punjab & Haryana High Court, Chandigarh|access-date=10 June 2014}}
Political career
In 1959, he joined Shiromani Akali Dal. In 1962, he became the member of Punjab Vidhan Sabha from Raikot. He defeated congress candidate Inder Mohan Singh.{{cite web|title=Statistical Report on General Election, 1962 to the Legislative Assembly of Punjab|url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1962/StatRep_Punjab_1962.pdf|publisher=Election Commission of India|access-date=10 June 2014}} Akali Dal president Sant Fateh Singh made Gurnam Singh the head of the legislative wing of the party. He served as the leader of opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha from 1962 to 1967. In 1967, he won from Qila Raipur constituency, which he defended in 1969 too.{{cite web|title=Statistical Report on General Election, 1967 to the Legislative Assembly of Punjab|url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1967/Statistical%20Report%20Punjab%201967.pdf|publisher=ECI|access-date=10 June 2014}}{{cite web|title=Statistical Report on General Election, 1969 to the Legislative Assembly of Punjab|url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1969/Statistical%20Report%20Punjab%201969.pdf|publisher=ECI|access-date=10 June 2014}} In 1967 he became the first non-Congress Chief Minister of Punjab of Punjab. He led a coalition government of Akali Dal, Jana Sangh and communists. However, his government could not complete the full term. He again became chief minister in 1969. Later he served as High Commissioner of India in Canberra, Australia.{{cite news|title=A gentleman-politician|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010304/ldh1.htm|access-date=10 June 2014|newspaper=The Tribune|date=4 March 2001}}
Death
Singh died in an air crash in Delhi on 31 May 1973.{{cite web|url=http://megassembly.gov.in/proceedings/1973/23-07-1973.htm |title=Proceedings, Meghalaya Legislative Assembly |publisher=Megassembly.gov.in |access-date=2013-11-10}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Chief Ministers of Punjab (India)}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Gurnam}}
Category:Punjab, India MLAs 1967–1972
Category:People from Ludhiana district
Category:Punjab, India MLAs 1962–1967
Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in India
Category:Chief ministers from Shiromani Akali Dal
Category:Shiromani Akali Dal politicians
Category:High commissioners of India to Australia