Dr. Gurdial Singh Dhillon (6 August 1915 – 23 March 1992) was an Indian politician from 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 ...

party. He served as the

Speaker of the Lok Sabha The speaker of the Lok Sabha (IAST: ) is the presiding officer and the highest official of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament of India. The speaker is elected generally in the first meeting of the Lok Sabha following general ...

twice, President of the

Inter-Parliamentary Union The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU; french: Union Interparlementaire, UIP) is an international organization of national parliaments. Its primary purpose is to promote democratic governance, accountability, and cooperation among its members; other ...

(1973–76) and Indian High Commissioner to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

(1980–82).

Early life

On 6 August 1915, Gurdial Singh Dhillon was born in the Panjwar , some 20 kilometres west of

Amritsar Amritsar (), historically also known as Rāmdāspur and colloquially as ''Ambarsar'', is the second largest city in the Indian state of Punjab, after Ludhiana. It is a major cultural, transportation and economic centre, located in the Majha ...

city in

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

into a

Dhillon Dhillon ( pronunciation: �i˨llõː is a tribe of Jats found in the Punjab region. Notable people who bear the name, who may or may not be affiliated with the tribe, include: * Amritpal Singh Dhillon, an Indian-born Canadian singer, rapper ...

Jat family, He was descendants of Bhangi misl rulers. He studied at

Khalsa College, Amritsar Khalsa College ( pa, ਖਾਲਸਾ ਕਾਲਜ ''khālsā kālaj'') is a historic educational institution in the northern Indian city of Amritsar in the state of Punjab, India. Founded in 1892, the sprawling campus is located about eight ...

and

Government College, Lahore The Government College University, Lahore (colloquially known as GCU), is a public research university located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Opened as Government College, Lahore, in 1864, it became a university in 2002. Overview In 1864, Go ...

before graduating in Law from

Punjab University Law College 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 ...

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second List of cities in Pakistan by population, most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th List of largest cities, most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is th ...

. He played an active role in the

Harse Chhina Mogha Morcha The Harsha Chhina Mogha Morcha was an agrarian revolt in Harsha Chhina, Punjab, India, that took place in 1946 under the leadership of the Communist Party of India. Harsha Chhina is a village near RajaSansi Airport, Amritsar.The Morcha started in ...

rebellion in 1947.

Political career

Dhillon was a member of the

Punjab Legislative Assembly The Punjab Legislative Assembly or the Punjab Vidhan Sabha is the unicameral legislature of the state of Punjab in India. The Sixteenth Punjab Legislative Assembly was constituted in March 2022. At present, it consists of 117 members, di ...

(1952–1967), where he was its Deputy Speaker (1952–54) and its Speaker (1954–62). In 1967 he was first elected to the

Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-p ...

, the lower House of the

Indian Parliament The Parliament of India (IAST: ) is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of India. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the president of India and two houses: the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (House of t ...

representing Tarn Taran parliamentary constituency. He was elected from

Firozpur Firozpur, also known as Ferozepur, is a city on the banks of the Sutlej River in Firozpur District, Punjab, India. After the partition of India in 1947, it became a border town on the India–Pakistan border with memorials to soldiers who die ...

in 1985. Dhillon served two terms as

Speaker of Lok Sabha The speaker of the Lok Sabha (IAST: ) is the presiding officer and the highest official of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament of India. The speaker is elected generally in the first meeting of the Lok Sabha following general ...

( 1969–71 and 1971–75) and was Minister of Agriculture in the

Indian Government The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...

(1986–1988). Regarding his time in Parliament, his biography on the Lok Sabha website expresses the following: With Kartar Singh, he co-authored a series of eight children's books in the early 1970s entitled 'Stories from Sikh History'. Having undergone heart bypass surgery, Dr. Dhillon died at the

All India Institute of Medical Sciences The All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is a group of autonomous government public medical universities of higher education under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare , Government of India. These institutes h ...

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Hous ...

on 23 March 1992 following a heart attack.

References

External links

Gurdial Singh Dhillon materials in the South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA)The woes of Lok Sabha Speaker: A graphic account of the Speaker’s woes was given by Mr. G.S. Dhillon
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dhillon, Gurdial Singh High Commissioners of India to Canada Indian Sikhs 1915 births 1992 deaths People from Amritsar district Punjabi people Speakers of the Lok Sabha India MPs 1967–1970 India MPs 1971–1977 Punjab University Law College alumni Government College University, Lahore alumni Lok Sabha members from Punjab, India India MPs 1984–1989 Speakers of the Punjab Legislative Assembly Agriculture Ministers of India Indian National Congress politicians People from Firozpur district People from Tarn Taran district Prisoners and detainees of British India

Early life

Political career

See also

References

External links