Gopal Singh Khalsa

Gopal Singh Khalsa OBE (1903-1979) was an Indian independence activist and politician.^[3]

Gopal Singh Khalsa
Leader of opposition in Punjab assembly
In office 17 April 1952 – 1 November 1956
Preceded by	First holder
Succeeded by	Gurnam Singh
Constituency	Jagraon
Member of Punjab Legislative Assembly[1]
In office 1952–1957
Preceded by	Post Established
Succeeded by	Har Prakash Kaur
Constituency	Jagraon
Member of Punjab Provincial Assembly[2]
In office 1937–1946
Constituency	Ludhiana
Personal details
Born	1903
Died	1979
Political party	Scheduled Castes Federation (1947-1952), Shiromani Akali Dal (1952-1956), Indian National Congress (1956-till his death)
Spouse	Basant Kaur
Children	Harinder Singh Khalsa
Alma mater	Panjab University

Life

Khalsa was born in 1903 into Ramdasia Sikh family at a village around Sidhwan Bet area.^[4]

He did his schooling from Malwa Khalsa High School in Ludhiana and B.A from Panjab University. Khalsa went to the United States in 1923 and spent three years there and did LLB from the San Joaquin Delta College, Stockton (California).^{[citation needed]}

He also received Order of the British Empire.^[5]

Political career

Before Independence

Later, joined the Hindustan National Party and finally returned to India in 1931. After his return, he took keen interest in the welfare of the Dalits and joined the All India Scheduled Castes Federation of B. R. Ambedkar.

He was a member of the S. C. F. Working Committee and a close associate of Dr Ambedkar from 1937 to 1946. In 1937, he was elected as an independent candidate for the Punjab Provincial Assembly. He was then appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Punjab Premier, Sikandar Hayat Khan.

From 1937 to 1946 he was also a nominated member of the District Board of Ludhiana, After the second world war in 1946, he was appointed as an officer in the Labour Department of the Government of India.

After Independence

In 1952 he joined the Akali Dal, ran on its ticket for the 1952,^[6] and became the Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Legislative Assembly.

He had during his political career edited a couple of magazines and papers, and from 1952 to 1954 was Chief Editor of the Daily Prabhat, the Urdu spokesman of the Akali Dal.

In 1956 as a result of the merger of the Akali Dal with the Indian National Congress, he joined the latter organization. He played a prominent role in the organization of the Malwa Akali Dal to oppose Master Tara Singh and his Akali Dal in the 1959 elections to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.