LACHHMAN SINGH GILL
Sirdar Lachhman Singh Gill (1917 – 26.4.1969), a contractor by profession, was one of the senior Akalis, in 1950s. In 1960, he was elected to the S.G.P.C. During the Punjabi Suba agitation (1960-61), he came close to Fateh Singh (of Ganganagar) and spearheaded the planning to remove Master Tara Singh from the leadership of the Akali Dal and the S.G.P.C. He joined Jeewan Singh Umranangal in making a petition to Akal Takht to summon Master Tara Singh for breaking his religious vows. The caretaker of Akal Takht punished Master Tara Singh, Fateh Singh and the other Akali leaders, through a verdict delivered on November 29, 1961. On November 30, 1961, Lachhman Singh Gill was elected as the general secretary of the S.G.P.C. He was elected member of the Punjab Assembly in 1962. The factional fighting in the Akali Dal, however, continued. Lachhman Singh Gill made some public statements against the Akali leadership. On July 5, 1962, Master Tara Singh suspended him from Akali Dal. Fateh Singh sided with Lachhman Singh. On July 22, 1962, the Akali Dal was split into two groups. Later, Fateh Singh became more acceptable to the Sikh masses because Master Tara Singh was a non-Jat (non-farmer); and moreover, the government, the Hindu organisations, the Communists and the Hindu press promoted and facilitated Fateh Singh. On October 2, 1962, Fateh Singh group wrested the S.G.P.C. The same year he was nominated as a member of the Nanakana Sahib Educational Trust. (This Trust runs the Guru Nanak Engineering College, Ludhiana). In 1967 elections, Lachhman Singh Gill was elected to the Punjab Assembly. After the elections, Akali Dal formed government in the Punjab. Though Lachhman Singh Gill was senior in the organisation, Gurnam Singh became the chief minister; and, Lachhman Singh became a cabinet minister. The both could not go together for a long time. Lachhman Singh took up the issue of the introduction of Punjabi as official language in the Punjab. Gurnam Singh and Fateh Singh wanted to delay it in order to please the Hindus. On November 22, 1967, Lachhman Singh and 16 other M.L.As formed Janta Party and became its president. With the support of the Congress party, he became the chief minister of the Punjab on November 25, 1967. Lachhman Singh Gill declared Punjabi as the official language in the State. He built link roads to all the villages of the Punjab. He used the support of the Congress Party for the benefit of the Sikhs and the Punjab. The Congress Party had always used the Akalis and the Sikhs, Sirdar Lachhman Singh Gill was the only person who used the Congress Party for his motives. On August 20, 1968, the Congress party withdrew its support of Gill and he resigned as the chief minister. In 1969, mid-term elections to the Punjab Assembly were held. Lachhman Singh was elected to the Assembly. Gurnam Singh again became chief minister. On March 13, 1969, Lachhman Singh Gill was gor arrested in a fake case. It was a revengeful act by the Fateh Singh group. Lachhman Singh could not brave the insult and died after a few days.
(Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer)