A FORGETTEN BHARAT RATHNA AWARDEE – NANGANALLUR J K SIVAN
He was born on 4.7.1898. A true freedom fighter, economist of great repute and labour leader. After acquiring his research degree in labour related subjects from Allahabad University he served as an Economics Professor at National College, Bombay in 1921. During freedom movement,he responded to Gandhiji’s call and gave up his career and joined freedom movement. He was Labour Minister (1946-50) of Govt of India and was connected with formation of Indian National Trade Union Congress. He represented India in many international Labour Conferences.
Do you know of any powerful political leader being only acting Prime Minister twice? Yes he was. The first time was after sudden demise of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The second occasion was when Lal Bahadur Sastri passed away. On both occasions he was the acting Prime Minister for a few weeks only in 1964 and 1966. He was a true Gandhian and led a simple life unknown to many away from public glare and publicity.
He lived in his old age in a rented house in Allahabad, paying a small rent to the houseowner. For a couple of months he was not able to pay the rent timely and the land lord came angrily to the one room house and threw out all his belongings and chased him out of the house. . He requested and pleaded to the land lord to grant him some time so that he could earn and pay the dues soonest, but the land lord cum houseowner was cruel and refused to permit his continuance in the one room house.
You know what happened? Some of the neighbours who knew the old man, as one of them only, came to his rescue and pressurised the land lord to permit the 94 year old man to continue to occupy the one room house for a few more months giving time for him to clear the rent dues. .
His wordily possessions comprised a cot, a plastic bucket and some necessary aluminum utensils plus Rs 500 per month as pension.
When the house owner -cum- land lord was shouting at the old man throwing his things on the street, a journalist passing by watched the incident. The scene of pandemonium made him to be curious and as a news man, he wrote an article about the incident in a new paper. ‘Cruel landlord kicks old man out for unpaid rent.’ He had also snapped a few photographs.
The news reporter went to his office and submitted the report with photos for the News paper Editor to see and approve for publication. The editor asked the journalist if he knew the old man and the scribe expressed ignorance.
The next day, the news appeared on the front page of the newspaper, headlined, ‘”Former Prime Minister of India Gulzarilal Nanda living pathetic life.’
The news mentioned how the former Prime Minister unable to pay houserent was thrown out of the house and added that Gulzarilal Nanda had intially rejeced a monthly allowance of Rs 500 insisting that he would not touch the money that was allocated for freedom fighters. However, after contentions of friends, he accepted the pension and that became his only source of income with which he paid house rent and led his life on the measly left over of the Rs 500.
After the news was flashed in print, the then Prime Minister sent ministers and high officials along with a carcade to the colony wnere Nanda lived and it was then that people knew who the man actually was the ex Prime Minister of India twice. The lanbdlord bowed at the former Prime Minister’s feet and prayed for pardon.
The ministers and officials’ urgings resulted in the former two-time Prime Minister and central cabinet minister through several terms, with Nanda saying “What is the use of such facilities for an old man?”
Gulzarilal Nanda, till his last breath, led a life of common citizens in true Gandhian manner. He was awarded the nation’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna in 1997. Can we find one politician now matching the characater and honest simple living of GULZARILAL NANDA?
