Lala Jagat Narain

Lala Jagat Narain was born on 31 May 1899 in Wazirabad, a town in Gujranwala district of Punjab province in British India. He belonged to a wealthy and influential family of Chopra Khatris and was an Arya Samaji by faith. His father, Gopalji Narain, was a prominent leader of the Indian National Congress and a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi. His mother, Maniben Narain, was a social worker and a freedom fighter. He received his early education from Alfred High School in Bhavnagar and later joined Gujarat College in Ahmedabad for his intermediate course. He then went to England for higher studies and obtained his degree in law from the University of London in 1923. He also became a barrister at the Inner Temple in London. He returned to India in 1924 and started practicing law in Bhavnagar. He joined politics as a member of the Indian National Congress and participated in various movements and campaigns against the British colonial rule. He was arrested several times for his involvement in civil disobedience and quit India movements. He also played an active role in the integration of princely states into the Indian Union after independence. He was elected to the Constituent Assembly of India in 1946 and was one of the signatories of the Constitution of India. He became the founder and editor of Akashvani, a weekly Hindi magazine, in 1924. He also established the Hind Samachar media group in 1948 with three newspapers: Hind Samachar (Urdu), Punjab Kesari (Hindi) and Jagbani (Punjabi). He later added Nai Duniya (Hindi) to his group. His newspapers were known for their fearless and outspoken views on various issues affecting the nation and the state. He also founded Balwant Rai Mehta Vidya Bhavan, a school named after his friend and colleague Balwant Rai Mehta, who was also killed in a plane crash. He became a member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly in 1952 and served as a minister in various portfolios such as education, health, local self-government and revenue. He also became a member of the Lok Sabha (lower house of parliament) in 1967 and 1971. He was a staunch opponent of Sikh separatism and extremism and advocated for Hindu-Sikh unity. He also supported the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi in 1975 and was detained under MISA (Maintenance of Internal Security Act). He was assassinated on 9 September 1981 by two Sikh gunmen near Ludhiana when he was travelling from Patiala to Jalandhar. His driver Som Nath was also killed in the attack. His death sparked widespread protests and violence in Punjab and other parts of India. He was cremated with full state honors in Jalandhar. He was posthumously awarded the Padma Shri, one of the highest civilian honors in India, in 1982. He is remembered as one of the greatest journalists and politicians of India who fought for the freedom and unity of the country. His life and achievements have been documented in several books and films. He is also honored by various institutions and organizations that bear his name or have statues and portraits of him.