Lala Avtar Narain Gujral (also, Lala Avatar Narayan Gujral; died 1976) was an Indian politician from

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...

and the father of I. K. Gujral, the 12th prime minister of India (hence also the father-in-law of noted Hindi poet

Sheila Gujral Sheila Gujral was a poet, writer and social worker who was the wife of Inder Kumar Gujral, the 12th Prime Minister of India. Personal life Sheila Gujral was born in 24 January 1924 in Lahore and was married to Inder Kumar Gujral on 26 May 1945. ...

), and artist

Satish Gujral Satish Gujral (25 December 1925 – 26 March 2020) was an Indian painter, sculptor, muralist and writer of the post-independent era. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, in 1999. His el ...

. He represented the non-Muslim population of

West Punjab West Punjab ( pnb, ; ur, ) was a province in the Dominion of Pakistan from 1947 to 1955. The province covered an area of 159,344 km2 (61523 sq mi), including much of the current Punjab province and the Islamabad Capital Territory, but exclu ...

in the

Constituent Assembly of Pakistan The Constituent Assembly of Pakistan ( bn, পাকিস্তান গণপরিষদ, Pākistān Goṇoporishod; ur, , Aāin Sāz Asimblī) was established in August 1947 to frame a constitution for Pakistan. It also served as its first ...

for a few months. His grandson

Naresh Gujral Naresh Gujral (born 19 May 1948) is a Chartered Accountant, Shiromani Akali Dal party politician and former a member of the Parliament of India representing Punjab in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament. Early life and ...

is also a politician in India.

Personal life

Gujral was born in Pari Darwaza, a hamlet about twenty five miles away from Jhelum; he lost his father Duni Chand at an age of sixteen to bubonic plague. Gujral was an alumnus of D.A.V. Lahore, and finished his higher secondary schooling from Jammu; he was a lawyer, by profession. He was married to Pushpa. Gujral's son described him as a Hindu reformist who drew inspiration from the Arya Samaj movement and especially,

Lala Lajpat Rai Lala Lajpat Rai (28 January 1865 - 17 November 1928) was an Indian author, freedom fighter, and politician. He played a vital role in the Indian Independence movement. He was popularly known as Punjab Kesari. He was one of the three members of ...

Political career

British India

Gujral served as the district-president for the Jhelum unit of the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British E ...

. He was jailed multiple times by the British Government for engaging in subversive activities.

Pakistan

As the

1946 Cabinet Mission to India A Cabinet Mission came to India in 1946 in order to discuss the transfer of power from the British government to the Indian political leadership, with the aim of preserving India's unity and granting its independence. Formed at the initiative of ...

decided on partitioning India, Gujral chose to stay in Pakistan; he was ensured of a harmonious environment by

Ghazanfar Ali Khan Raja Ghazanfar Ali Khan Khokhar (16 August 1895 – 17 April 1963) was an Indian politician and monarch. He was born in Pind Dadan Khan, a town in Jhelum district, British India. He was a leading member of the All India Muslim League and a tr ...

, a lawyer from Jhelum and a leading League politician. On 4 July 1947, Gujral was elected by the non-Muslim members of the (yet-undivided) Punjab Assembly to the

; he attended the inaugural session on 10 August. Three days later, the non-Muslim members of the Constituent Assembly met in Gujral's home at Karachi, and formed the "Pakistan Congress"; he was elected as the Chief Whip. Soon,

Liaquat Ali Khan Liaquat Ali Khan ( ur, ; 1 October 1895 – 16 October 1951), also referred to in Pakistan as ''Quaid-e-Millat'' () or ''Shaheed-e-Millat'' ( ur, lit=Martyr of the Nation, label=none, ), was a Pakistani statesman, lawyer, political theoris ...

, the first prime minister of Pakistan, sent him to Delhi to ensure the safety of Muslims who wished to migrate to Pakistan; while in Delhi, Gujral arranged for the migration of his extended family and esp. the women. He stayed with his son in Karachi for a while, before following suit. A year later, in January 1949, the "Committee on Addition and/or Redistribution of Seats" recommended the dissolution of his seat in the Constituent Assembly.

India

Gujral settled in

Jalandhar Jalandhar is the third most-populous city in the Indian state of Punjab and the largest city in Doaba region. Jalandhar lies alongside the Grand Trunk Road and is a well-connected rail and road junction. Jalandhar is northwest of the state ...

; at Nehru's behest, he was appointed as a Judge in the Punjab Industrial Tribunal. He died on 30 May 1976 of

cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and poss ...

Notes

References

{{reflist Indian National Congress politicians Gujral administration Members of the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan Politicians from Punjab, Pakistan People from Jhelum District People from Jalandhar 1976 deaths Pakistani emigrants to India People with acquired Indian citizenship Members of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab