Political
Career
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Took
leading part in the student activities during his student days; his
public life began with Labour and Harijan Welfare activities; he had
participated in Ranpur and Viramgam satyagrahas; he had taken part
in the native states’ Rajkot Limbdi agitation and the Junagadh
Arzi Hakumat struggle; got elected to the Saurashtra Legislative
Assembly in 1948; From 1951 to 1956 he was the Minister for
Education, Industries, Revenue and Local self Government
institutions; in the Saurashtra Government, played important part in the abolition of
Girasdari and improvement of Barkhali lands in Saurashtra State;
Member of Lok Sabha from 1957 to 1967; Chairman, Gujarat Industrial
Development Corporation in 1970-71; got elected to
Lok Sabha again in 1971 and was appointed the Minister of
State for Industrial Development in the Central Government; attended
the ECAFE Conference held at New Delhi as representative of India;
Has taken active interest in educational and social activities of
Surendranagar District; has been a member of the Gujarat and
Saurashtra University Senate and Syndicate. Has served for a number
of years the Executive Committee of the Congress Parliamentary Party
at Delhi, Employees’ State Insurance Committee and various other
Committees.
He
was the Chief Minister of Gujarat State in charge of General
Administration, Home and Planning from dt.17-3-1972 to
dt.17-7-1973.
Travels
abroad:
Was a member of the Indian delegation to the International Labour
Conference in 1955. At this time he visited Italy, Switzerland, West
Germany, England, France, Holland etc. While on tour of the African
countries as the special representative of Prime Minister Smt.
Indira Gandhi to explain the Indian point of view on Bangladesh in
1971, he visited Kenya, Congo, Nigeria, Sierra Leon, Senagal, Ghana
and Guinea.
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