Mohan Lal Sukhadia | |
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5th Chief Minister of Rajasthan | |
In office 13 November 1954 -13 March 1967 |
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Preceded by | Jai Narayan Vyas |
Succeeded by | President's rule |
In office 26 April 1967 - 9 July 1971 |
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Preceded by | President's rule |
Succeeded by | Barkatullah Khan |
Personal details | |
Born | 31 July 1916 Jhalawar, Rajasthan |
Died | 2 February 1982 (aged 65) Bikaner, Rajasthan |
Political party | Indian National Congress |
Mohan Lal Sukhadia (31 July 1916 – 2 February 1982) was an Indian politician, who served as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan state for 17 years (1954–1971). He became chief minister at age 38 and was responsible for bringing major reforms and developments in Rajasthan. For this, he is still widely revered as the "founder of modern Rajasthan".
Later in his career, Sukhadia also served as the Governor of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Mohan Lal Sukhadia was born in a Jain family of Jhalawar, Rajasthan. His father, Purshottam Lal Sukhadia, was a well known cricketer of the Bombay and Saurashtra teams.
After completing primary education in Nathdwara and Udaipur, Sukhadia went to Mumbai for a diploma in electrical engineering from VJTI. There, he was elected General Secretary of the student body. Mr. Berley, the British principal of the college, wanted to invite governor of Bombay in a college ceremony. Sukhadia, along with other students, vehemently opposed the idea and asserted to invite then Chief Minister of Bombay B. G. Kher instead. Finally, college authorities had to bow down against the demands of students. Sukhadia had successfully led his first revolt against British Rule exemplifying his uncanny leadership abilities and managerial skills.
In college, he came in contact with prominent national leaders like Subhas Chandra Bose, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Yusuf Meherally and Ashok Mehta. Sukhadia regularly attended meetings of Congress workers and volunteers headed by Patel in Mumbai.
When he came back to Nathdwara, he started a small Electrical workshop. This shop was essentially a meeting place where Sukhadia and his friends would discuss about the ubiquitous autocracies of British rule and socio-economic reforms in the region. Various education and social awareness programs were schemed and executed in the region by Sukhadia and his fellow workers.