Jagmohan Malhotra (25 September 1927 – 3 May 2021), known by the mononym Jagmohan, was an Indian civil servant and politician. After working with the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...

, he joined the

Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; , ) is a political party in India and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. BJP emerged out from Syama Prasad Mukherjee's ...

in 1995. He served as

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

of Delhi and Goa, as the

5th Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five. Fifth or The Fifth may refer to: * Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth" * Fifth Avenue * Fifth column, a political term * Fifth disease, a cont ...

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory since 2019 * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered by India as a state from 1952 to 2019 * Jammu and Kashmir (prin ...

, and for three terms as Member of Parliament for New Delhi. In the cabinet, he served as Union Minister for

Urban Development Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of peop ...

and

Tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

Early life

Jagmohan Malhotra was born in a Punjabi Hindu

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 ...

family to Amir Chand and Dropadi Devi on 25 September 1927 in

Hafizabad Hafizabad ( Punjabi / ; ; ) is a city and capital of Hafizabad District located in Punjab, Pakistan. Hafizabad is an old settlement. In 327 BC, during Alexander's invasion of Punjab, the territory of the Sandal Bar was reported to be a well popu ...

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...

. He got married in 1957 to Uma, who came to be known as Uma Jagmohan.

Career

Jagmohan admired Georges-Eugene Haussmann. Jagmohan first gained notoriety during his stint as vice-chairman of the

Delhi Development Authority The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is a statutory body established under the Delhi Development Act, 1957, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India to "promote and secure the development of Del ...

in the mid-1970s. During this time he grew close to

Sanjay Gandhi Sanjay Gandhi (14 December 1946 – 23 June 1980) was an Indian politician. He was a member of the Lok Sabha and was the younger son of Indira Gandhi and Feroze Gandhi. During his lifetime, he was widely expected to succeed his mother as head ...

, who functioned as an informal advisor to his mother, Prime Minister

Indira Gandhi Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (Given name, ''née'' Nehru; 19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician and stateswoman who served as the Prime Minister of India, prime minister of India from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 un ...

. During the Emergency (1975–77), Sanjay Gandhi entrusted Jagmohan with the "beautification" of Delhi, a task that involved large-scale demolition of slums. Jagmohan was very effective with the task. Already a

Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...

since 1971, he was awarded the

Padma Bhushan The Padma Bhushan (IAST: ''Padma Bhūṣaṇa'', lit. 'Lotus Decoration') is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 Januar ...

in 1977. In 1982, as Delhi hosted the

Asian Games The Asian Games, also known as Asiad, is a continental multi-sport event held every four years for athletes of Asia. The Games were regulated by Asian Games Federation from the 1951 Asian Games, first Games in New Delhi, India in 1951, until ...

, Jagmohan was serving his second term as

of the city. The games were a success and Jagmohan's capable administration received credit. Later Delhi hosted the Non-Aligned Summit, which was also a success.

Governor of Jammu and Kashmir

During his tenure as

Governor of Jammu and Kashmir The governor of Jammu and Kashmir was the head of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. When India became independent, Hari Singh was the Maharaja of the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir. Technically he remained so until 17 November 195 ...

(1984–89), the 1986 Kashmir Riots had taken place, curfew was imposed, media was banned and state force was used relentlessly. Pakistan's prime minister

Benazir Bhutto Benazir Bhutto (21 June 1953 – 27 December 2007) was a Pakistani politician who served as the 11th prime minister of Pakistan from 1988 to 1990, and again from 1993 to 1996. She was also the first woman elected to head a democratic governmen ...

in a series of speeches notoriously threatened to make him "Bhagmohan" (''Bhag'' meaning "run", implying he would flee out of fear), and that "Ham us ko Jag-Jag Mo-Mo Han-Han bana denge" (transl.''"We will make him Jag-Jag Mo-Mo Han-Han"'', implying he would be cut/torn to pieces by militants). In Jammu and Kashmir, Jagmohan is credited with bringing order to one of the most revered shrines of Hindus, called Mata

Vaishno Devi Vaishno Devi (also known as Mata Rani, Trikuta, Ambe and Vaishnavi) is a manifestation of the Hindu mother goddess. She is worshipped as a combined avatar of the goddesses Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, and Mahasarasvati. Origin Purāṇa In t ...

. He created a board that continues to provide administration for the shrine. Infrastructure was developed and that continues to facilitate pilgrims. In 1990, when militancy re-exploded in Kashmir, Jagmohan was re-appointed its governor by Prime Minister

V. P. Singh Vishwanath Pratap Singh (25 June 1931 – 27 November 2008) was an Indian politician who served as the prime minister of India from 1989 to 1990 and the Raja Bahadur of Manda. He was educated at Allahabad University and Fergusson College in ...

's led Janta Dal government. The locals see him as the architect of

Gawkadal Massacre The Gawkadal massacre was named after the Gawkadal bridge in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India, where, on 21 January 1990, the Indian paramilitary troops of the Central Reserve Police Force opened fire on a group of Kashmiri protesters in ...

in which more than 60 civilians were killed by Indian paramilitary forces although he was not involved in it. He fell out of favour of the Union government, and joined the BJP few years later in around 1994. However, allegations persist that he was involved in extra-legal crackdowns in Kashmir engineered by

Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Mufti Mohammad Sayeed (12 January 19367 January 2016; Urdu: مفتی محمد سید) was an Indian politician who served as the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir twice from November 2002 to November 2005 and from March 2015 until his death ...

Electoral history

Jagmohan contested the seat for New Delhi in the Lok Sabha in 1996 for the

11th Lok Sabha The 11th Lok Sabha was constituted after April–May 1996 general elections. The result of the election was a hung parliament, which would see three Prime Ministers in two years and force the country back to the polls in 1998. Atal Bihari Vajpa ...

, where he defeated

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...

star

Rajesh Khanna Rajesh Khanna (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. Considered as one of the greatest and most successful actors in the history of Indian cinema, h ...

by 58,000 votes. In 1998 and 1999, Jagmohan won the seat again defeating R. K. Dhawan of the Indian National Congress twice.

In BJP Government

When the BJP's

Atal Bihari Vajpayee Atal Bihari Vajpayee (25 December 1924 – 16 August 2018) was an Indian poet, writer and statesman who served as the prime minister of India, first for a term of 13 days in 1996, then for a period of 13 months from 1998 ...

became Prime Minister in 1998, Jagmohan served in his cabinet in a variety of portfolios, including communications, urban development and tourism. During the 1990s, Jagmohan had served as a nominated MP in 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 ...

in 1990–96, and won three

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 ...

elections from

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 ...

in 1996, 1998 and 1999. In 2004, he lost to

Ajay Maken Ajay Maken (born 12 January 1964) is a politician from the Indian National Congress party. He is the treasurer of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC). A three time member of the Parliament ...

of the Indian National Congress by 12,784 votes. In 2019, Jagmohan participated in BJP's outreach campaign to increase awareness about the advantages of revoking Article 370 and 35A.

Awards and honours

On the basis of his service record and recommendations made by top civil servants, he was honoured, on 26 January 1971, with the award of

by the

President of India The president of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, and the commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the Indian Armed ...

, "for formulation and implementation of the Delhi Master Plan and for playing a pioneering role in planning and implementation of projects in Delhi". With a meager revolving fund of just Rs. Five crore, Jagmohan launched large number of land acquisition and development schemes, showcasing how development effort could be financed by creating facilities – thus increasing value of the state land resources. For a series of innovations of this genre, good management skills, and for "his meritorious services to the country" he was awarded

in 1977. In 2016,

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 ...

was awarded to him. As Implementation Commissioner, and later as vice-chairman,

, Jagmohan executed various Parliament approved schemes of Clearance-cum-Resettlement-cum-Redevelopment, which critics called demolition drives. Jagmohan was one of the founders of the Samkalp Foundation which provides civil services examination coaching to poor and marginal students along with accommodation and other facilities. He wrote " My Frozen Turbulence in Kashmir".

Death

Jagmohan Malhotra died in Delhi on 3 May 2021, at the age of 93.

Positions held

* 1980–81: Lt. Governor,

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

(two times) * 1981–82: Lt. Governor,

Goa Goa (; ; ) is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is bound by the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north, and Karnataka to the ...

Daman Daman may refer to: Places *Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, a union territory in India **Daman and Diu (Lok Sabha constituency) **Daman and Diu, former union territory of India, now part of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu **Goa ...

and Diu * 1984–89 and 1990 (Jan - May): Governor, Jammu and Kashmir (two times) * 1990–96: Member (nominated),

During the 1990s, Jagmohan had served as nominated MP in the

(the upper house of the Indian Parliament) from 1990 to 1996. Later, he was elected to the

(the lower house of the Indian Parliament) thrice from New Delhi. * 1996: Elected to

from New Delhi * 1998: Re-elected to

12th Lok Sabha The 12th Lok Sabha (23 March 1998 – 26 April 1999), was constituted after the 1998 Indian general election held during February–March 1998. This was the second consecutive Lok Sabha, like the 11th Lok Sabha elections that did not provide the ...

(2nd term) from New Delhi * 1998-December: Union Cabinet Minister, Communications * 1999-June–October: Union Cabinet Minister,

* 1999: Re-elected to

13th Lok Sabha The 13th Lok Sabha (20 October 1999 – 6 February 2004) is the thirteenth session of the Lok Sabha (House of the People, or lower house in the Parliament of India). It was convened after 1999 Indian general election held during September–Oct ...

(3rd term) from New Delhi * 1999-October–November: Union Cabinet Minister, Urban Development * 2001-September: Union Cabinet Minister, Tourism * 2001-November-2004-April: Union Cabinet Minister, Tourism and Culture

Books authored

* Rebuilding Shahjahanabad, the Walled City of Delhi (1975) * Island of Truth (1978) * My Frozen Turbulence in Kashmir (1993) * The Challenge of Our Cities (1984) * Soul and Structure of Governance in India (2005) * Reforming Vaishno Devi and a Case for Reformed, Reawakened and Enlightened Hinduism (2010) * Triumphs and Tragedies of Ninth Delhi (2015)

References

Bibliography

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jagmohan 1927 births 2021 deaths People from Hafizabad District India MPs 1996–1997 India MPs 1998–1999 India MPs 1999–2004 Governors of Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant governors of Delhi Lok Sabha members from Delhi Nominated members of the Rajya Sabha Recipients of the Padma Shri in civil service Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in civil service Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in public affairs Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Delhi Indian Administrative Service officers