Ratubhai Mulshankar Adani (13 April, 1914-1977) is an

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

politician and social activist from

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

. He served as a member of legislative assemblies of Saurashtra, Bombay and Gujarat as well as minister in state cabinets of them.

Early life

Adani was born on 13 April 1914 in Jasdan or

Bhanvad Bhanvad is a city and a municipality in Devbhoomi Dwarka district in the state of Gujarat, India. History Bhanvad is named after Jethwa ruler Rana Bhanji Jetva of Ghumli, who founded this place, when the Ghumli was sacked in 1313 AD. It was m ...

(now in Devbhoomi Dwarka district, Gujarat, India). Influenced by

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

, he participated in

Indian independence movement The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947. The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged ...

. In 1930, he was imprisoned for two years for participating in the

Dholera Dholera is a village in Ahmedabad district of Gujarat state in India. History Dholera was also an ancient port-city in Gulf of Khambhat, 30 km. from Dhandhuka village of Ahmedabad district. Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Dholera is one of the ...

movement. In 1936, he was involved in social and economic activities in Taravada village near Amreli. He founded the Kathiawad Kranti Dal (Kathiawar Revolution Force) during the 1942

Quit India movement The Quit India Movement, also known as the August Kranti Movement, was a movement launched at the Bombay session of the All India Congress Committee by Mahatma Gandhi on 8th August 1942, during World War II, demanding an end to British rule in ...

. Following the independence of India, he served as the Commander-in-Chief of the People's Army of the Arzi Hakumat (provisional government) which was instrumental during the

annexation of Junagadh Junagarh State, Junagadh was a princely state of the British Raj, located in what is now Gujarat, outside but under the suzerainty of British India. In the independence and partition of British India of 1947, the 565 princely states were give ...

in 1947.

Political career

Adani was elected as a member of constitution assembly of Saurashtra in 1948. Later he was elected as a member of legislative assembly of

Saurashtra State Saurashtra, also known as United State of Kathiawar, was a State of India that existed between 1948 and 1956, on Saurashtra alias Kathiawar peninsula, with Rajkot as its capital, History Formation as United State of Kathiawar Saurashtra ...

in 1952 from Keshod constituency and served as a minister in state cabinet. Following merger of Saurashtra with

Bombay State Bombay State was a large Indian state created at the time of India's Independence, with other regions being added to it in the succeeding years. Bombay Presidency (roughly equating to the present-day Indian state of Maharashtra, excluding Sou ...

, he was a minister of Panchayat, prohibition and cottage industry department. Following establishment of Gujarat in 1960, he served as a minister of public works and labour department. Following 1962 election, he was a minister of road and public works department under

Jivraj Mehta Jivraj Narayan Mehta (29 August 1887 – 7 November 1978) was an Indian politician and the first Chief Minister of Gujarat. He also served as the first "Dewan" (Prime Minister) of the erstwhile Baroda state, and Indian high commissioner to the ...

government from 1962-63. During his tenure,

Panchayati Raj The Panchayat raj is a political system, originating from the Indian subcontinent, found mainly in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. It is the oldest system of local government in the Indian subcontinent, and historical menti ...

was established in Gujarat. He later served as a minister of agriculture, forest, cooperatives and Panchayat department under

Balwantrai Mehta Balwantrai Mehta ( – ) was an Indian politician who served as the second Chief Minister of Gujarat state, India. He participated in Indian independence movement and later held various public offices. He is considered as the 'Architect of ''Pa ...

government from 1963-65. He was also president of Gujarat state unit of

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 Em ...

from 1970 to 1972. He again served as the minister from 1972 to 1974. In 1977, he was responsible for Congress (I) in Gujarat. He voluntarily retired from politics and served in social organisations. He wrote ''Dithu Me Gamadu Aa'' and ''Satyagrahna Samaranganma'' Volume I-II. He died on 5 September 1997 in

Rajkot Rajkot () is the fourth-largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat after Ahmedabad, Vadodara, and Surat, and is in the centre of the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. Rajkot is the 35th-largest metropolitan area in India, with a population of ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adani, Ratubhai Indian National Congress politicians from Gujarat State cabinet ministers of Gujarat Place of birth missing 1914 births 1997 deaths Gujarat MLAs 1960–1962 Gujarat MLAs 1962–1967 Bombay State MLAs 1957–1960 Indian independence activists from Gujarat Saurashtra MLAs 1952–1956