On the death anniversary of one of the most prominent leaders of India, we lay below before the chronology of Giani Zail Singh’s life.
1916: Born in a poor family in Sandhwan village, Faridkot state
He was named Jarnail Singh meaning General but after being jailed several times, in order to show opposition to the ruler of Maharajah of Faridkot, Singh changed his name to Giani Zail Singh. He Joined Congress party after Faridkot merged with Punjab.
1956-62 Became Rajya Sabha MP
1962-72 He Dived into state politics and became an MLA in Punjab(state opposition leader)
1972-77 Singh became the Chief Minister of Punjab
1980-82 He was entrusted with the responsibility of Home Minister by Indira Gandhi
1982-87 He went on to become India’s only Sikh President
1984 Singh named Rajiv Gandhi as the Prime Minister of the country after Indira, following her assassination
1987 In his final year in the office, Zail Singh refused to sign on a law permitting official censorship of private mail
25 December 1994 India lost the great Sikh leader in a car accident
