Balram Jakhar | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 14th Governor of Madhya Pradesh | |
| In office 20 July 2004 – 19 July 2009 | |
| Chief Minister | Uma Bharti Babulal Gaur Shivraj Singh Chouhan |
| Preceded by | Lt. Gen. K. M. Seth (Acting) |
| Succeeded by | Rameshwar Thakur |
| Governor of Gujarat | |
Additional Charge | |
| In office 12 July 2004 – 24 July 2004 | |
| Chief Minister | Narendra Modi |
| Preceded by | Kailashpati Mishra |
| Succeeded by | Nawal Kishore Sharma |
| 19th Minister of Agriculture | |
| In office 21 June 1991 – 17 January 1996 | |
| Prime Minister | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| Preceded by | Devi Lal |
| Succeeded by | Jagannath Mishra |
| 8th Speaker of the Lok Sabha | |
| In office 22 January 1980 – 27 November 1989 | |
| Deputy | G. Lakshmanan M. Thambi Durai |
| Preceded by | K. S. Hegde |
| Succeeded by | Rabi Ray |
| Leader of Opposition of the Punjab Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 19 June 1977 – 17 February 1980 | |
| Preceded by | Prakash Singh Badal |
| Succeeded by | Prakash Singh Badal |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 23 August 1923 Panjkosi, Punjab, British India |
| Died | 3 February 2016 (aged 92)[1] Delhi, India |
| Political party | Indian National Congress |
| Children | Sunil Jakhar, Sajjan Jakhar, Surinder Jakhar |
| Profession | Farmer, Politician |
Balram Jakhar (23 August 1923 – 3 February 2016) was an Indian politician, who served as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and Governor of Madhya Pradesh. He was also the longest serving Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
Jakhar was born in a HinduJat family in Panjkosi village of Fazilka district in Punjab now in Fazilka on 23 August 1923. His father was Chaudhari Rajaram Jakhar and his mother was Pattodevi Jakhar migrated to Pankosi from Montgomery District of West Punjab in 1900.Jakhar earned a degree in Sanskrit from Forman Christian College, Lahore, in 1945. He had knowledge of English, Punjabi, Urdu, Sanskrit and Hindi languages.
A lifelong member of the Congress party, Jakhar founded the Bharatiya Krishak Samaj, a farmers' organization, in 1965. He was elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly in 1972 and was re-elected in 1977, becoming the Leader of the Opposition.
Jakhar then moved to national politics. He was elected in 1980 to the seventh Lok Sabha from Ferozepur and in 1984 to the eighth Lok Sabha from Sikar. He had the distinction of being elected Speaker of the Lok Sabha during his very first term in the house. Furthermore, served twice as Speaker of Lok Sabha, a rare achievement in Indian parliament history, holding office from 1980 to 1989, thus became the longest serving speaker in history. As Speaker of Lok Sabha, he promoted automation and computerization of Parliamentary works. He promoted Parliament library, reference, research, documentation and information services for the knowledge and use of members of Parliament. The establishment of Parliament Museum was his contribution. He was the first Asian to be elected Chairman of the Commonwealth Parliamentarian Executive Forum.
He was an attendee of the second Provisional World Parliament held in New Delhi on March 17, 1985.[2]
The Sikar parliamentary seat was won by Devi Lal in the elections of 1989. In 1991, Jakhar was again elected to parliament from the Sikar constituency and his party returned to power in India. Jakhar was made Union Agriculture minister under Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao in 1991.
After the Congress party returned to power in 2004, he was appointed Governor of Madhya Pradesh and served from 30 June 2004 to 30 May 2009.[3]
Jakhar was born into an affluent land-owning Hindu Jat family. His father was Chaudhari Rajaram Jakhar and his mother was Pattodevi Jakhar. Balram Jakhar was the father of three sons: