HARCHARAN SINGH HUDIARA

Bhai Harcharan Singh Hudiara (? – 11.9.1993) was born at village Hudiara (tehsil Barki, district Lahore, Pakistan). When he grew up, he joined Shiromani Akali Dal. In 1955, he was elected to the S.G.P.C. He came into prominence in 1956, when some Akali workers supported Akali-Congress merger; he opposed the merger.

In 1960, when Punjabi Suba agitation began; when several Akali leader were arrested he escaped arrest and went to Darbar Sahib. He was appointed a member of the Punjabi Suba Morcha Committee. In 1961, he opposed Master Tara Singh’s election as president of the S.G.P.C. On November 30, 1961, when the election of the president ship of the S.G.P.C. was being held, he walked out of the meeting with his 70 supporters but returned after the election was over. The same day he was elected vice president of the S.G.P.C.

In 1962, when Fateh Singh parted with Master Tara Singh, he joined hands with Fateh Singh. In 1967, he was elected member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly. He was a senior leader of the Fateh Singh group, but he could not get a good position in the Akali-led government. As a result, on May 24th of 1967, he resigned the Akali Dal (led by Fateh Singh) and formed his own Akali Dal. Sometimes, later, he rejoined the Akali Dal (led by Fateh Singh). In 1968, all the Akali factions were united.

By this time several new faces joined the Akali Dal. This made him a secondary figure. Gradually he too withdrew from very active political life. He died in 1993, at a ripe age.

(Dr. Harjinder Singh Dilgeer)