Gian Singh Rarewala

Sardar Gian Singh Rarewala (16 December 1901 – 31 December 1979) was an Indian politician and the first Chief Minister (designated at the time as Prime Minister) of the former state of the Patiala and East Punjab States Union. He was also a Member of the Punjab Legislative Assembely multiple times. Rarewala studied in Patiala and graduated from Mahindra College in 1924. He joined the judicial service of the princely state of Patiala. Later, he became a High Court judge for Patiala State. He also served as a Revenue Commissioner and Revenue Minister for Patiala state and finally he was the Prime Minister of Patiala state from 1946 to 1947. His son, Gureshwarpreet Singh Rarewala, was a distinguished farmer who won many awards in the field of agriculture, including an award for his poplar plantation. He developed the first farm in the state which had an underground irrigation system. His wife belonged to the royal family of Bhadaur.

Contributions to Punjabi language Sardar Gian Singh Rarewala played a pivotal role in promoting and institutionalizing the Punjabi language during his administrative and political career. In 1944, while serving as Deputy Commissioner of Patiala and President of the Singh Sabha, he invited Maharaja Yadavindra Singh to a Singh Sabha gathering and urged him to adopt Punjabi as the official language of the state. The Maharaja agreed, and within ten months, Rarewala implemented Punjabi as the medium of instruction in schools, as well as the language of administration and the judiciary alongside English. The Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU) was formed later on 15 July 1948. A caretaker government was formed on 22 August 1948 with Rarewala as its Premier. On 13 January 1949 a broad-based ministry was constituted and Rarewala was sworn in as its Prime Minister. When this ministry was dissolved, Rarewala remained the premier of the caretaker ministry from 18 November 1949 to 23 May 1951.

In 1951, Rarewala was elected to the PEPSU Legislative Assembly from the constituency of Payal as an independent candidate. He became the Chief Minister of the PEPSU on 22 April 1952, heading a United Front ministry. Thus, he became the first non-Congress Chief Minister of any state in independent India. He was in office until 5 March 1953 when the President's rule was imposed and his government was dismissed. He became the president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee in 1955. Rarewala died in 1979.