ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>JOGENDRA SI&#7748GH SIR (1877-1946)</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="JOGENDRA,SIDGH,SIR,Person,Person"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279JOGENDRA SI&#7748GH, SIR (1877-1946), scholar and statesman of old Sikh lineage, and counted among the politest and most accomplished men of his day, was born the second son of Jav&#257l&#257 Si&#7749gh on 25 May 1877 at Air&#257 Estate, in Khe&#7771&#299 district of what then used to be the United Provinces. His ancestors belonged to the village of Ras&#363lpur in Amritsar district of the Punjab. In old family records he was usually referred to as Jogendra Si&#7749gh Ras&#363lpur&#299&#257. His grandfather, Pañj&#257b Si&#7749gh was a soldier in Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Ra&#7751j&#299t Si&#7749gh's <i>gho&#7771cha&#7771h&#257s</i>, irregular cavalry. He was awarded a <i>j&#257g&#299r</i> in Oudh in recognition of military service rendered by him after the annexation of the Punjab to the British dominions. Jogendra Si&#7749gh inherited in 1898 an area of over 12,000 acres of land known as Air&#257 Estate.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Self-educated, he was a man of high intellectual calibre and culture. From the very beginning, he had a flair for language and acquired especially mastery of the English language which he used with a rare finesse. His introduction to public life was through journalism. Besides publishing articles on farming and allied subjects in papers in India and abroad, he edited for some time his own journal <i>East & West</i> which he had taken over from Behr&#257mj&#299 M&#257l&#257b&#257r&#299, a noted P&#257rs&#299 journalist.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Two of his books directly on Sikh themes were late in coming. <i>Thus Spake Guru Nanak</i> was published in 1934 and <i>Sikh Ceremonies</i> in 1940. Prior to that he had published two of his works of fiction, <i>N&#363r Jah&#257n and Nasr&#299n</i>, both in London. His life of B.M. M&#257l&#257b&#257r&#299 was published in London by G. Bell and Sons in 1914. Another novel, <i>Kaml&#257</i>, was published in Lahore in 1931 with a Punjabi translation from the pen of Gurmukh Si&#7749gh Jeet. A novel, <i>Ras&#299l&#299</i>, was serialized in <i>East & West</i> (in 1911-12). After the death of M&#257l&#257b&#257r&#299, he took over the magazine <i>East & West</i>, of which he became the editor. In the thirties he launched his monthly, <i>The Khalsa Review</i>. His <i>The Persian Mystics</i> is a rendering into English of the sayings of the mystic 'Abdull&#257h Ans&#257r&#299 (1005-1090) of Herat. The first edition of the book carrying a Foreword, by M.K. G&#257ndh&#299, dated 14 April 1938, was published by John Murray, London, in October 1939. It was reprinted posthumously in March 1951 and again in June 1959.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Jogendra Si&#7749gh's interest in letters gradually waned as other claims arose. In 1911 he had to go to the princely state of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 as Home Minister. In 1926, he was nominated to the Punjab Legislative Council and appointed minister for Agriculture and Public Works. This nomination was repeated three times and for three terms successively he became a minister in the Punjab Government. A pioneer in tractor cultivation, he laid the foundation of mechanized farming in the Punjab. He helped establish hosiery industry in Ludhi&#257&#7751&#257. The Ma&#7751&#7693&#299 Hydro-electric Project was completed during his tenure. The adjoining town of Jogendra Nagar was named after him.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Jogendra Si&#7749gh was knighted in 1929. In 1936, in collaboration with Sundar Si&#7749gh Maj&#299&#7789h&#299&#257, he founded the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 National Party which won majority of the Sikh seats at polls in the 1937 elections under the Government of India Act of 1935. Sir Jogendra Si&#7749gh then chose to retire from politics, though he continued his single-man campaign through his writings in the Press, especially in <i>The Statesman</i> and <i>The Tribune</i>, in favour of acceptance by political parties of the second part (Federation) of the Government of India Act of 1935. Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 called him again, this time as prime minister.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In 1941, the British Viceroy of India expanded his executive council to give representation to popular elements in the political life of India. At the time of the expansion the Sikhs were not given any representation which was resented by them and they held a protest meeting in Amritsar which was presided over by Sir Jogendra Si&#7749gh. At that time his friend and fellow scholar, Umr&#257o Si&#7749gh Maj&#299&#7789h&#299&#257, father of Amrita Sher-gil, wrote to him a letter consoling him and quoting to him one of Akbar All&#257h&#257b&#257d&#299's couplets :</p> <blockquote class="C1"><p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>Council mein agar pursish na hu&#299,</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;M&#257<u>gh</u>m&#363m na tum ai y&#257r raho.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Allah bul&#257ne v&#257l&#257 hai,</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Marne ke liye taiy&#257r raho</i>.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This will translate :</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Though to the council you have not been asked,</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;You need not be dismayed, dear friend.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Almighty Allah's summons are close at hand,</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;You must remain prepared for the call.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</blockquote></p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As it transpired, when the Council was next expanded in July 1942, Sir Jogendra Si&#7749gh was nominated a member. He was thus the first Sikh to be a member of the Viceroy's executive council and his portfolio included the departments of Health, Lands and Education.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sir Jogendra Si&#7749gh was Pro-Chancellor of Delhi University. He served on several committees and commissions such as the Indian Sugar Committee, the Indian Taxation Enquiry Commission, and the Indian Sandhurst Committee. He was also a Fellow of the Pañj&#257b University.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Throughout, Sir Jogendra Si&#7749gh had been a leading figure in Sikh affairs. He had worked for the Chief <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 D&#299w&#257n, <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 College Managing Council and the Sikh Educational Conference, presiding over four of its annual sessions, at the 2nd (1909 Lahore), 5th (1912 Si&#257lko&#7789), 18th (1927 R&#257walpi&#7751&#7693&#299) and 23rd (1933 Pesh&#257war). He was also one of the founders of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 Defence of India League and a member of the Sikh delegation meeting the Cripps Mission (31 March 1942) on behalf of the Sikhs.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As a liberal elder statesman, Sir Jogendra Si&#7749gh enjoyed wide esteem in the country. He attracted equal notice for his scholarship and literary accomplishment as well as for his personal qualities of courtesy and humility.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sir Jogendra Si&#7749gh died of a paralytic stroke at Iqb&#257l Nagar, district Montgomery, now in Pakistan, on 3 December 1946.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Griffin, Lepel, and C.F. Massy, <i>Chiefs and Families of Note in the Punjab</i>. Lahore, 1940<BR> <li class="C1"><i>Silvar Jubilee Book</i>. Amritsar, 1935<BR> <li class="C1"> Tuteja, K.L., <i>Sikh Politics (1920-40)</i>. Kurukshetra, 1984<BR> <li class="C1"> Ganda Singh, ed., <i>Bhagat Lakshman Singh Autobiography</i>. Calcutta, 1965<BR> <li class="C1"> Khushwant Singh, <i>A History of the Sikhs</i>, vol. II. Princeton, 1966<BR> <li class="C1"><i>The Tribune</i>. Chandigarh, 12 June 1983<BR> <li class="C1"><i>Pr&#299tam</i> (Punjabi) . Lahore, May 1942<BR> <li class="C1"><i>The Civil and Military Gazette</i>, Lahore, 22 December 1946<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Amr&#299k Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>