Govind Ballabh Pant facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Govind Ballabh Pant
Postage stamp, 1965
5th Minister of Home Affairs
In office 10 January 1955 – 7 March 1961
Prime Minister	Jawaharlal Nehru
Preceded by	Kailash Nath Katju
Succeeded by	Lal Bahadur Shastri
1st Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
In office 26 January 1950 – 27 December 1954
Preceded by	Office Established
Succeeded by	Sampurnanand
2nd Chief Minister of United Provinces
In office 1 April 1946 – 25 January 1950
Preceded by	Vacant
Succeeded by	Office Abolished
In office 17 July 1937 – 2 November 1939
Preceded by	Muhammad Ahmad Said Khan Chhatari
Succeeded by	Vacant
Personal details
Born	(1887-09-10)10 September 1887 Khoont, North-Western Provinces, British India (Present-day Uttarakhand, India)
Died	7 March 1961(1961-03-07) (aged 73) New Delhi, India
Political party	Indian National Congress
Children	3, including Krishna Chandra Pant
Relatives	Ila Pant (daughter-in-law)
Residences	No. 6, Maulana Azad Road, New Delhi
Alma mater	Allahabad University
Profession	Lawyer Independence Activist
Awards	Bharat Ratna (1957)

Govind Ballabh Pant (born September 10, 1887 – died March 7, 1961) was an important leader in India's fight for freedom. He later became the first Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, a large state in India.

Pant worked closely with famous leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. He played a big part in helping India gain its independence from British rule. After independence, he continued to be a key figure in the Indian Government. He was also very important in making Hindi the official language of India.

Many hospitals, schools, and foundations in India are named after him today. In 1957, Pant received the Bharat Ratna, which is India's highest award for civilians.

Early Life and Education

Govind Ballabh Pant was born on September 10, 1887, in a village called Khoont, near Almora. His family was from the Marathi community.

His mother's name was Govindi Bai. Govind was mostly raised by his maternal grandfather, Badri Dutt Joshi. His grandfather was an important local government official and helped shape Pant's ideas and personality. Pant's father, Manorath Pant, was also a government official who traveled a lot for work.

Pant studied at Allahabad University. After finishing his studies, he became a lawyer in Kashipur.

Fighting for Freedom

Pant started working against the British Raj in 1914. He helped a local village council successfully challenge a law called coolie begar. This law forced local people to carry the luggage of British officials for free.

In 1921, he officially entered politics. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh.

Pant was known as a very skilled lawyer. The Congress party chose him to represent revolutionaries in the Kakori case in the mid-1920s.

He also joined protests against the Simon Commission in 1928. Jawaharlal Nehru wrote in his autobiography that Pant stood by him during these protests. Pant was a tall man, which made him an easy target for the police. He was badly injured during these protests and could not straighten his back for the rest of his life.

In 1930, Pant was arrested and put in jail for several weeks. He had organized a Salt March inspired by Gandhi's famous protest. In 1933, he was arrested again for attending a meeting of the Congress party, which was banned at the time. He spent seven months in prison.

The ban on the Congress party was lifted in 1935. Pant then joined the new Legislative Council. In 1934, the Congress party decided to participate in elections again. Pant was elected to the Central Legislative Assembly and became a deputy leader of the Congress party there.

During the Second World War, Pant played a role in deciding the Congress party's stance. Some leaders, like Gandhi, wanted to support the British in the war. Others, like Subhas Chandra Bose, wanted to use the war as a chance to remove the British from India. Pant helped bridge the gap between these two groups.

In 1940, Pant was arrested and imprisoned for helping to organize the Satyagraha movement. He was arrested again in 1942 for supporting the Quit India resolution. He spent three years in Ahmednagar Fort with other Congress leaders. He was released in March 1945 after Jawaharlal Nehru asked for his release due to his poor health.

Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh

Pant became the Chief Minister of the United Provinces from 1937 to 1939.

In 1945, the British government called for new elections. The Congress party won most of the seats in the United Provinces in the 1946 elections. Pant became the Premier (Chief Minister) again. He continued in this role even after India gained independence in 1947, serving until 1954.

His wise decisions and stable leadership helped improve the economy of Uttar Pradesh, which is India's most populated state. He also played a big role in setting up the panchayat system (local self-governance) in the state. He encouraged farmers to be self-reliant, educate their children, and work together to improve their lives and farming methods.

Union Home Minister of India

Pant became the Union Home Minister for India on January 10, 1955. He served in this important position until 1961.

As Home Minister, one of his biggest achievements was the re-organization of states. This law redrew the borders of Indian states based on the languages spoken by the people. He also worked to establish Hindi as an official language for the central government and some states.

While he was the Home Minister, Pant received the Bharat Ratna award on January 26, 1957.

Death

In 1960, Govind Ballabh Pant suffered a heart attack. He was treated by top doctors, including his friend Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy. His health got worse, and he passed away on March 7, 1961, at the age of 73, due to a cerebral stroke. He was still serving as the Home Minister of India at the time of his death.

The then President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, expressed his sadness. He said that he had known Pant since 1922 and had always felt affection for him. He added that it was not the time to list Pant's achievements, as the grief was too strong for words.

Institutions and Monuments

Images for kids

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  Pant on a 1965 stamp of India

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  Pant on a 1988 stamp of India

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  Statue of Pant at Mall Road, Nainital

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  Statue of Pant near Sansad Bhavan, New Delhi

Family

Govind Ballabh Pant's son, Krishna Chandra Pant, also became a politician.

See also

• K. C. Pant
• Ila Pant