Remembering Govind Ballabh Pant, The First CM Of Uttar Pradesh, On His Death Anniversary

Born on September 10 in 1887, Govind Ballabh Pant was a freedom fighter and the first Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. He was amongst the important leaders who fought for India’s freedom. In 1960 Govind Ballabh Pant suffered a heart attack and soon his health started deteriorating; he died on March 7 in 1961, at the age of 73. Today many hospitals, educational institutions and foundations in India bear his name. He received the Bharat Ratna in 1957.

After India’s Independence in 1947, Govind, along with Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, played a pivotal role in shaping the Indian Government. He was born in Uttarakhand’s Almora in a Brahmin family. He completed his education at Allahabad University and worked as a lawyer in Kashipur. In 1914, he began working against the British Raj and entered politics in 1921.

He was a capable lawyer and was thus appointed by the Congress party to fight for the Kakori Case in the 1920s. He soon got involved with revolutionaries and stood by them through thick and thin, fighting for the freedom of our nation. During his political career, he was the Premier of the United Provinces from 1937 – 1939, First Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh from 1946 -1954 and the Union Home Minister from 1955-1961.

During his tenure as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Pant worked for the upliftment of farmers and the removal of untouchability. He also tried to bring reforms in the Zamindari system, Permanent Land Revenue Settlement. He urged the Government to lower Agricultural taxes for Farmer’s benefits. While serving as the Union Home Minister, he achieved the re-organisation of States along linguistic lines. He was also responsible for the establishment of Hindi as an official language in a few states and the Central Government.