Gurmukh Singh Musafir (15 January 1899 – 18 January 1976) was an

Indian politician The Politics and Government of India works within the framework of the country's Constitution, which was adopted in 1950. India is a parliamentary secular democratic republic, described as a “sovereign, socialist, secular democratic republ ...

and

Punjabi language Punjabi, sometimes spelled Panjabi, is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language native to the Punjab region of Pakistan and India. It is one of the most widely spoken native languages in the world, with approximately 150 million native sp ...

writer. He was the 5th Chief Minister of

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

from 1 November 1966 to 8 March 1967. He was awarded the

Sahitya Akademi Award The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the ...

in Punjabi, given by

Sahitya Akademi The Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India. Founded on 12 March 1954, it is supported by, though independent of the Indian government. Its off ...

, India's National Academy of Letters in 1978 for his short story collection, ''Urvar Par'' and was posthumously decorated with

Padma Vibhushan The Padma Vibhushan ( , lit. "Lotus Grandeur") is the second-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "exceptional and distinguished service". All persons w ...

, the second highest Indian civilian award given by

Government of India The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...

Early life

Musafir was born on 15 January 1899 at Adhwal, in

Campbellpore Attock ( Punjabi, ), formerly known as Campbellpur (Punjabi, ), is a city in Punjab, Pakistan, not far from the country's capital Islamabad. It is the headquarters of the Attock District and is 36th largest city in the Punjab and 61st largest ci ...

(now called

Attock Attock ( Punjabi, ), formerly known as Campbellpur (Punjabi, ), is a city in Punjab, Pakistan, not far from the country's capital Islamabad. It is the headquarters of the Attock District and is 36th largest city in the Punjab and 61st largest c ...

district of Punjab province in British India (presently

Rawalpindi District Rawalpindi District (Punjabi language, Punjabi and ) is a Districts of Pakistan, district located in the northernmost part of the Punjab (Pakistan), Punjab province of Pakistan. Parts of the district form part of the Islamabad Rawalpindi metropo ...

of Punjab Province in Pakistan) - in a small land-holding farming family of

Khatri Khatri () is a caste system in India, caste originating from the Malwa (Punjab), Malwa and Majha areas of Punjab region of South Asia that is predominantly found in India, but also in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Khatris claim they are war ...

of Chadha clan. He completed primary education from the village primary school and then went to

Rawalpindi Rawalpindi is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, third-largest city in the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is a commercial and industrial hub, being the list of cities in P ...

to pass the middle school examination. In 1918, he became a teacher at Khalsa High School, Kallar. His four years there as a teacher earned him the epithet

Giani A gyani or giani ( Punjabi: ਗਿਆਨੀ ) is an honorific Sikh title used by someone learned in Sikhism and who often leads the congregation in prayers, such as Ardas, or in singing (kirtan). The word means "knowledge" in Punjabi, being ...

, Musafir being the pseudonym he had adopted. In 1922, he gave up teaching and joined the Akali agitation for Gurudwara reform. For taking part in the Guru ka Bagh agitation in 1922, he underwent imprisonment. He was appointed to the highest religious office of Sikhism

Jathedar A jathedar () is a leader of high regard chosen to head and ensure discipline within a jatha, a troop of Sikhs. In modern-times, the term is used to in-reference to leaders of Sikh spiritual organizations, such as any of the Panj Takhts. Hist ...

of the

Akal Takht The Akal Takht (; ), also spelt as Akal Takhat and historically known as Akal Bunga, is the most prominent of the Takht (Sikhism), five takhts (Seat (legal entity), seats of authority) of the Sikhs. Located within the Golden Temple, Darbar Sah ...

from 12 March 1930 to 5 March 1931.

Political career

Musafir joined the freedom movement in the early 1920s and courted arrest several times till 1947. He courted arrest in the

Civil disobedience Civil disobedience is the active and professed refusal of a citizenship, citizen to obey certain laws, demands, orders, or commands of a government (or any other authority). By some definitions, civil disobedience has to be nonviolent to be cal ...

movement in 1930. He became the head of

, central seat of religious authority for the

Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...

s. He held this office from 12 March 1930 to 5 March 1931. He also served for a time as secretary of the

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee ( SGPC; Supreme Gurdwara Management Committee) is an organization in India responsible for the management of ''gurdwaras'', Sikh places of worship, in the states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and ...

as well as general secretary of the

Shiromani Akali Dal The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) (translation: ''Supreme Eternal Party'') is a centre-right Sikh-centric state political party in Punjab, India. The party is the second-oldest in India, after Congress, being founded in 1920. Although there are ma ...

. He also courted arrest as part of

Satyagraha Satyāgraha (from ; ''satya'': "truth", ''āgraha'': "insistence" or "holding firmly to"), or "holding firmly to truth",' or "truth force", is a particular form of nonviolent resistance or civil resistance. Someone who practises satyagraha is ...

and Quit India movements. In 1949, he became the President of the

Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (or Punjab PCC), formerly known as the Punjab Provincial Congress Committee in colonial India, is the affiliate of the Indian National Congress in the state of Punjab. It is responsible for organizing and coord ...

. He held the office of the President for 12 years and was also an elected member of the

Congress Working Committee The Congress Working Committee (CWC) is the executive committee of the Indian National Congress. It was formed in December 1920 at Nagpur session of INC which was headed by C. Vijayaraghavachariar. It is composed of senior party leaders and is r ...

. He was elected to the

Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, also known as the House of the People, is the lower house of Parliament of India which is Bicameralism, bicameral, where the upper house is Rajya Sabha. Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by a ...

in 1952, 1957 and 1962, representing Amritsar constituency. In 1966, he resigned from the Lok Sabha and became the Chief Minister of Punjab state after its re-organization. In 1967, he contested the

Vidhan Sabha The State Legislative Assembly, also known as the Vidhan Sabha or the Saasana Sabha, is a legislative body in each of the states and certain union territories of India. Members of the legislative assembly are often directly elected to serve fiv ...

election from Amritsar constituency, but he was defeated by Satyapal Dang of the

Communist Party of India The Communist Party of India (CPI) is a political party in India. The CPI considers the Foundation of the Communist Party of India, December 26, 1925 Cawnpore (Kanpur) conference as its foundation date. Between 1946 and 1951, the CPI led m ...

. He was the member of the

Rajya Sabha Rajya Sabha (Council of States) is the upper house of the Parliament of India and functions as the institutional representation of India’s federal units — the states and union territories.https://rajyasabha.nic.in/ It is a key component o ...

from 1968 to 1974. Musafir died in Delhi on 18 January 1976. He was posthumously awarded

in 1976. Musafir was a member of the Indian delegations to the

International Peace Conference The International Peace Conference was an anti-war conference held on December 10, 2005. It was organised by the Stop the War Coalition (StWC), and included speakers from Iraq, the United States, and Italy. The conference sold out a week before ...

in Stockholm in 1954, World Peace Conference in Helsinki in 1965, and the World Peace Conference in Berlin in 1969. He also led the Indian delegations to the World Progressive Writers Conference in Japan in 1961 and the Indian Writers Afro-Asian Conference in

Baku Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...

in 1965.

Role in Constituent Assembly of India

Source: Musafir was elected to the Constituent Assembly from Congress Party. In the Constituent Assembly he spoke on the issues of citizenship and separate electorates.

Offices held

*Member of A.I.C.C, since 1930 *Member of Constituent Assembly – 1946–52 *Member of Lok Sabha – 1952–57, 1957–62, 1962–66 *President, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee- 1947–59 *Member, Working Committee A.I.C.C – 1952–57 *Member, Executive Committee of the Congress Party in Parliament – 1952–1966 *Member

Jallianwala Bagh Jallianwala Bagh () is a historic garden and memorial of national importance close to the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar, Punjab, India, preserved in the memory of those wounded and killed in the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre that took place on t ...

Memorial Committee since its inception *Chairman Reception Committee, Sixty- first session of the Indian National Congress held at Amritsar in 1956 *Member, Legislative Council Punjab – 1966–68 *Chief Minister, Punjab – 1966–67 *

member in April 1968 and April 1974

Writer and poet

Musafir was also a poet and writer. His writings became profile following the massacre of

when he wrote about the Indian National struggle. While he is more famous for being a politician, noted Punjabi critics like Kartar Singh Duggal, Raghbir Singh Sirjana and Gurbhajan Gill have all spoken about Musafir's contribution to Punjabi literature, particularly his work during the freedom struggle. His published works include nine collections of poems (Sabar De Bann, Prem Ban, Jivan Pandh, Musdfaridn, Tutte Khambh, Kadve Sunehe, Sahaj Sumel, Vakkhrd Vakkhrd Katrd Katrd and Duur Nerhe); eight of short stories (Vakkhn Duma, Ahlane de Bot, Kandhdn Bol Paidn; Satdl Janvari; Allah Vale, Gutdr, Sabh Achchhd, and Sastd Tamdshd); and four biographical works (Vekhya Sunya Gandhi, Vekhya Sunya Nehru, BaghlJamail and Vehvin Sadi de Shahid). He represented Indian writers at international conferences at Stockholm in 1954, and at Tokyo in 1961. He recorded the reminiscences of his association with

Mohandas Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British ...

and

Jawaharlal Nehru Jawaharlal Nehru (14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat, and statesman who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20th century. Nehru was a pr ...

in two separate volumes – ''Vekhya Sunya Gandhi'' (Gandhi as I knew him), "Vekhya Sunya Nehru" (Nehru as I knew him). His book ''Martyrs of 20th Century'' is the result of 30 years of research. Most of his poetry and short stories were written while in jail. He also translated ''Gandhi Gita'' and James Allen's ''Byways of Blessedness'' titled ''Anand Marg''.

Death

On 17 January 1976, Giani Gurmukh Singh experienced a massive heart-attack after dining with his friends in the house of

Sir Sobha Singh Magistrate, Honorary Magistrate, Sardar Bahadur, Sir Sobha Singh , Member of the Legislative Assembly, M.L.C., Member of parliament, M.P. (March 5, 1888 – 18 April 1978) was an Indian civil contractor, prominent builder and real estate develo ...

New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...

References

External links

Website about Giani Gurmukh Singh Musafir

Giani Gurmukh Singh Musafir
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mussafir, Giani Gurmukh Singh Mussafir Chief ministers of Punjab, India Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in literature & education 1899 births 1976 deaths India MPs 1952–1957 India MPs 1957–1962 India MPs 1962–1967 Shiromani Akali Dal politicians Punjab, India MLAs 1962–1967 Punjabi-language writers Indian male short story writers Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Punjabi Members of the Constituent Assembly of India Rajya Sabha members from Punjab, India Lok Sabha members from Punjab, India Chief ministers from Indian National Congress 20th-century Indian short story writers Writers from Punjab, India Jathedars of Akal Takht People from Attock District Politicians from Punjab, Pakistan Politicians from Amritsar district Indian National Congress politicians from Punjab, India