HT This Day: April 23, 1952 -- First non-Congress government: Rarewala cabinet sworn in
Pepsu assembly to meet on May 5; first non-Congress Ministry in India was installed in Patiala and the East Punjab States Union
Patiala: The first non-Congress Ministry in India was installed in Patiala and the East Punjab States Union today when a four-man Ministry headed by Sardar Gian Singh Rarewala, leader of the United Front, was sworn in by the Rajpramukh at Motibagh Palace this afternoon.
Besides Mr. Rarewala, the other Ministers sworn in were Sardar Bhupinder Singh Mann, a former member of Parliament, and two Jat members of the Hindi-speaking area of P.E.P.S.U.- Chaudhri Ram Singh and Chaudhri Attar Singh.
The Legislative Assembly has been adjourned till May 5 to enable the new Ministry to frame its policy.
The swearing-in ceremony, which was originally scheduled to be held at 8-30 a.m., could not materialize till 1-15 p.m. as some changes in the personnel of the Ministry had to be made at the eleventh hour.
Sardar Rarewala arrived at the Palace at about 11-30 a.m. followed by some other members of his party. They were closeted with the Rajpramukh for about two hours when the leader of the party is reported to have made some changes.
Sardar Rarewala was elected as an independent but later joined the Akali party. Sardar Bhupinder Singh Mann, ex-M.P., was elected on Akali party ticket and Ch. Ram Singh on KM.P.P. ticket. Ch. Attar Singh contested the election as an independent. The latter two joined the United Front after the formation of the Congress Ministry.
Party strength
The United Front which formed the Ministry today has a strength of 30 in the 60-member House while the main opposition party the Congress---consists of 26 members. Besides there are three Communists.
Among those present at the ceremony were Mr V. K. V. Pillai, Counsellor, and Mr V. Isvaran, chief Secretary.
After the ceremony the Ministers were entertained to tea by the Rajpramukh. Sardar Rarewala and his colleagues were profusely garlanded when they came out of the Palace by a large number of persons who had gathered there. After the ceremony the Ministers drove to the Secretariat.
Assembly meets
When the Assembly met at 10 a.m. the outgoing Chief Minister, Col. Raghbir Singh, moved that the Rouse be adjourned till tomorrow as the new Ministry was not yet sworn in.
Sardar Gurdial Singh Basi, a member of the Opposition, sought to move an amendment to the effect that the House be adjourned for more than one day.
After a short discussion the Speaker adjourned the House till May 5, without transacting any business on the agenda.
Speaker’s statement
Earlier the Speaker read out a statement clarifying his position about admitting two no-confidence motions on April 18. He said: “ I am surprised to see statements in ‘ the Press charging me with partiality in admitting two motions of no-confidence in the list of business on April 18.”
“ Such comments.” he said, “ are a breach of privilege of this House and show lack of knowledge of the rules of procedure applicable to this House.”
He said the motions of no-confidence received on April 17 were found to be in order by him and he, therefore, allowed their inclusion in the list of business. Before this question could be taken up of him the leader of the Congress Party made a statement to the effect that he was going to tender his resignation. The members of his party repeatedly demanded adjournment of the House and he acceded to their request.
Consequently, the Speaker said he could not explain the rules of procedure and read out the motions to the Assembly and asked the members to rise in their seats who were in favour of leave being granted for discussion. If 13 members had risen, he would have granted leave for discussion of those motions within ten days. Thus the House was not in possession of the motion. The deduction that the motions were to be discussed on April 18 were based on ignorance of the rules of procedure.
The Speaker assured the House that as long as he was the Speaker he would be above party politics and would exercise his powers impartially. “The House should not expect anything but unbiased ruling from me on every point,” he added
Last-minute change
The United Front, today’s ruling party, was evidently not so united in Ministry making as it was in opposition to the Congress Ministry, adds U.P.I. Apparently lack of unity in the ranks over the question of selection of Ministers delayed the swearing in ceremony at least by five hours, and was the main reason for the failure of Sardar Rarewala to form a Ministry of desired strength.
The original time scheduled for the swearing in ceremony of 8-30 a.m. was first postponed to 11-30 a.m. Sardar Rarewala arrived in time closely followed by three prospective Ministers and a few other M.L.A.’s. From their attire it was presumed Sardar Bhupinder Singh Mann, Ch. Attar Singh and Ch. Inder Singh, a Congress deserter-would be sworn in.
But 11-30 a.m. passed off quietly and no swearing-in took place. Later at 1-30 p.m. when the Pressmen were called in it was found he turban that was on the head of Ch. Inder Singh had changed place and was on the head of Ch. Ram Singh, one of his close relations.
It was understood Ch. Inder Singh insisted on the allocation of portfolios before the swearing-in ceremony. He was expecting to have the Home portfolio. Sardar Rarewala’s hesitancy resulted in the refusal of Ch. Inder Singh to take oath. Consequently Ch. Ram Singh was taken in his place but Ch. Inder Singh sportingly offered his turban to Ch. Ram Singh.
Thus a Ministry of four - short of the desired strength - came into being.
New ministers
The 51-year-old Sardar Rarewata was Chief Minister of P.E.P.S.U. from January 1949 to May 1951. He gained administrative experience as the Revenue Commissioner, Sessions Judge and District Magistrate. For some time he was a judge of the High Court and later Revenue Minister of the erstwhile Patiala State in 1947. He was also nominated by the Maharaja of Patiala as a member of the Constituent Assembly from Patiala State.
Sardar Bhupinder Singh Mann was President of the District Congress Committee. Sheikhupura (Punjab) till 1947 when he resigned as a protest against the conceding of the demand of Pakistan. He joined the Akali Party and was appointed general secretary of the Shiromani Akali Dal. After partition he was elected member of the Constituent Assembly.
Choudhri Attar Singh, 26-yearold Jat of Jind, who is believed to be the youngest Minister of India, was a member of the working committee of the erstwhile Jind State Congress.
He was also a member of the council of action during the satyagraha movement of 1947 in Jind on the merger issue. He was elected to the P.E.P.S.U. Assembly as an Independent candidate.
Choudhri Ram Singh, an advocate, was a member of the council of action during the satyagraha movement organized by the Praja Mandal on the merger issue in I 1947. He was elected to the Assembly as a K.M.P.P. candidate from Julana constituency.
