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J. H. Patel

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J. H. Patel
9thChief Minister of Karnataka
In office
31 May 1996 – 7 October 1999
Preceded byH. D. Deve Gowda
Succeeded byS. M. Krishna
2ndDeputy Chief Minister of Karnataka
In office
11 December 1994 – 31 May 1996
Chief MinisterH. D. Deve Gowda
Preceded byS. M. Krishna
Succeeded bySiddaramaiah
ConstituencyChannagiri
Member of Parliament,Lok Sabha
In office
1967–1971
Preceded byS. V. Krishnamoorthy Rao
Succeeded byT. V. Chandrashekarappa
ConstituencyShimoga
Personal details
Born(1930-10-01)1 October 1930
Kariganur,Kingdom of Mysore,British India
Died12 December 2000(2000-12-12)(aged 70)
Bangalore,Karnataka,India
Political partyJanata Dal,
Other political
affiliations		Janata Dal (United),Samyukta Socialist Party
SpouseSarvamangala Patel

Jayadevappa Halappa Patel(Kannada:ಜಯದೇವಪ್ಪ ಹಾಲಪ್ಪ ಪಟೇಲ್; 1 October 1930 – 12 December 2000) was the 9thChief Minister of the Indian state of Karnatakafrom 31 May 1996 to 7 October 1999.

Biography[edit]

J.H. Patel was born on 1 October 1930 in Kariganur, now inDavanagere district,Karnataka,India. A Graduate in Law, he married Sarvamangala and had three sons Trishul, Satish and Mahima.[1][2] J.H. Patel participated in the freedom struggle in 1942 and was imprisoned. A staunch socialist and an ardent follower ofRam Manohar Lohia,as a youth, he was inspired byShantaveri Gopala Gowda.[3]Patel's oratory skills left his mark on many. He remained a non-Congress leader throughout his life and was one of the pillars ofJanata Dalin Karnataka. He belonged to banajiga sub-sect of Lingayat community.[4][5]

Political career[edit]

He was elected toLok SabhafromShimogaconstituency in 1967, and was the first Kannadiga to table his debates inKannada.Patel created history in Lok Sabha in 1967 when he spoke in his mother tongueKannadain the house. The then Speaker of the Lok Sabha,Neelam Sanjiva Reddyallowed and encouraged Patel to go ahead with his speech. The house heard him with rapt attention. The Indian parliament had been active for 17 years and Patel became the first member to speak in a regional Indian language.[6]He did so in vindication of the eighth schedule of the Indian constitution in which all the great languages of India have been given a pride of Place. This prompted the Speaker of Lok Sabha, Sanjiva Reddy to decree in his famous ruling that henceforth any member of the Lok Sabha who is inclined to exercise his/her inherent right to speak in his/her mother tongue would do so without any hindrance.

Patel was imprisoned during theEmergencyfrom 1975 to 1977. Later, he was elected to theKarnataka Legislative AssemblyfromChannagiriconstituency in 1978. He was elected for the second term in 1983, and served as a cabinet minister in theJanata Partygovernment headed byRamakrishna Hegde.Patel also served as a minister inS R Bommai's government, and became the Deputy Chief Minister in 1994 when theJanata Dalreturned to power under the leadership ofH. D. Deve Gowda.He succeeded Gowda in 1996 following the latter's elevation to the post ofPrime minister.He was the first Chief minister of Karnataka who was never a member of theIndian National Congress.[7]

The most significant achievement of Patel's government was the formation of seven new districts in the State which was a long-delayed decision. His administration also gave impetus to Information Technology and attracted foreign investment. His government was also known for investing Rs. 4,800 crores on irrigation projects such as Ghataprabha, Malaprabha, modernisation of Visvesvaraya Canal, work on Varuna Canal and near completion of the Alamatti Dam across theKrishna River.[8]

Patel witnessed turbulent days as Chief minister following the expulsion of his mentorRamakrishna Hegdefrom the party and the split in the Janata Dal into theJanata Dal (United)in which he remained; and theJanata Dal (Secular),led by Deve Gowda. His political acumen came to fore when he deftly handled stiff dissidence from fellow partymen throughout his tenure.[9][10][11]When party affairs took a turn for the worse, Patel stunned every one including his detractors by recommending dissolution of the state assembly, six months ahead of the assembly polls in 1999.[12]He merged his faction with Hegde'sLok Shaktiand entered into an alliance with theBharatiya Janata Party.[13]In his last election, a young candidate Vadnal Rajanna defeated him and his party also suffered a massive defeat.[14]

Patel died at the Manipal Hospital, Bangalore on 12 December 2000.[15]He was buried with State honours at his native village, Kariganur.[16]During his last days, Patel had been making efforts for the merger of the two Janata Dal factions.[17]

He was a great orator, a witty leader, an astute politician and an acclaimed parliamentarian. A nonchalant leader, Patel endeared himself to his political adversaries by his affectionate and friendly attitude. A deft handler of any situation, Patel had the capability to withstand criticism and was endowed with abundant patience to dismiss them cheerfully.[18][19][20]

References[edit]

  1. ^"J.H Patel, a witty thinker".OurKarnataka.com. 1 October 1930.Retrieved4 August2012.
  2. ^"The Hindu: Leaders shower praises on J.H. Patel".Hinduonnet.com. 28 February 2001. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013.Retrieved4 August2012.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ^"Patel was a flamboyant politician known for sharp wit".The Indian Express.Mumbai. 13 December 2000.Retrieved7 April2013.
  4. ^Alessandro Monti; Marina Goglio; Esterino Adami, eds. (2005).Feeding the Self, Feeling the Way in Ancient and Contemporary South Asian Cultures.p. 91.ISBN9788878920064.
  5. ^Sameeksha Trust, ed. (1997).Economic and Political Weekly, Volume 32.p. 2348.
  6. ^"J.H.Patel- profile".Veethi.com.
  7. ^"Hard Won Victory".Outlook.
  8. ^"J.H. Patel: A Socialist who drifted away from its ideals".The Hindu.Archived fromthe originalon 24 May 2005.
  9. ^"Baptism By Lre".Outlook.
  10. ^"The Line up- Karnataka".Frontline.
  11. ^"J H Patel breathes easy again, wins trust vote".Rediff.com.
  12. ^"The fallout in Karnataka".Frontline.
  13. ^"The split and the wait".Frontline.
  14. ^"J H Patel, Yediyurappa defeated as Congress wins majority in Karnataka".Rediff.com.
  15. ^"J.H. Patel passes away".The Hindu.Archived fromthe originalon 13 November 2002.
  16. ^"Patel buried with State honours".The Hindu.Archived fromthe originalon 25 January 2013.
  17. ^"Leaders shower praises on J.H. Patel".The Hindu.Archived fromthe originalon 31 March 2002.
  18. ^"A Witty Thinker and a Flamboyant Leader is no more".OurKarnataka.com.
  19. ^"A charming, witty personality".The Hindu.Archived fromthe originalon 24 May 2005.
  20. ^"Ramakrishna Hegde pays tribute to J.H.Patel".Rediff.com.

External links[edit]

Political offices
Preceded by Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka
11 December 1994 – 31 May 1996 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief Minister of Karnataka
31 May 1996 – 7 October 1999 		Succeeded by
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