Former President Late. The 26th birth anniversary of Giani Zail Singh is being celebrated today i.e. on Friday in his native village. Giani Zail Singh died on 25 December 1994. Last year his 25th anniversary was celebrated with his students and colleagues at Baba Farid Public School.
Surendra Gupta, who was the PA of Giani Zail Singh, told that Giani ji’s real name was Jarnail Singh. He was born on May 5, 1916 in Sandhwa village located on the Faridkot-Kotkapura highway. His father Bhai Kishan Singh was a devout Sikh. He worked as a carpenter in the village. Jarnail Singh’s mother died at an early age. He was brought up by his mother’s elder sister. At the age of 15, he joined the Akali Dal, which was working against the British government.
He received the title of Gyani after memorizing the Guru Granth from Shaheed Sikh Missionary College, Amritsar. In 1938, Jarnail Singh formed a political party named Praja Mandal, which was associated with the Indian Congress and agitated against the British. The British and the Faridkot state did not like this, Jarnail Singh was sent to jail, he was sentenced to five years.
Meanwhile, he changed his name to Zail Singh. He knew about India’s independence since childhood. He was also a devout Sikh. After independence, Giani Zail Singh was made the Union Revenue Minister of Patiala and East Punjab states. In 1951, when the Congress government was formed, Zail Singh was made the Agriculture Minister. He was also a member of the Rajya Sabha from 1956 to 1962. ,
With the support of Congress, Giani Zail Singh became the Chief Minister of Punjab. After being elected as a Lok Sabha member in the 1980 elections, Giani Jail Singh became the Home Minister of the country while serving in the cabinet of Indira Gandhi government. In 1982, when the tenure of President Neelam Sanjiva Reddy ended, Congress representative Giani Jail Singh became the seventh President of the country.
His tenure as President was surrounded by controversies from beginning to end. Giani Jail Singh was the President during Operation Blue Star. Additionally, Giani Zail Singh came into conflict with Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi over his failure to pass a draconian bill, such as the Indian Postal Bill, which imposed official censorship on the communication and exchange of private letters.
Giani Zail Singh was a very religious person. Even after becoming the President, whenever he was around Punjab, he did not forget to visit Anandpur Sahib. Similarly, he continued to undertake pilgrimages. In 1994, his car met with an accident while going to Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib, he was taken to PGI Chandigarh for treatment, where he died.
The place in Delhi where Giani Jail Singh was cremated is known as Ekta Sthal. He was the first Sikh President of the country. He was a person dedicated to the country and his religion and protected the interests of the people. During his tenure, he proved that the development of the people and the country is his priority.