Dr. Baldev Prakash
A fearless nationalist

On October 26, 1922, Dr. Baldev Prakash was born at Bilgha village in Jallandhar in Punjab. His family was an affluent Punjabi family deeply ingrained in religious and cultural values. Having finished his elementary education in Rajasthan,he got admission at FSC (Medical) in Jallandhar. After finishing his FSC in first division he went to Amritsar Medical College in Amritsar. In College he was recognised as a meritorious scholar good in co-curricular activities.

After college he devoted five years in service to the nation and it gave him a new outlook towards life and the society. Later he started working as a medical practitioner and soon he earned the reputation of a large-hearted and knowledgeable doctor in the whole of Amritsar. For the poor, he was a 'messiah' of sorts. Money was never on his mind when he treated his patients. Those who were financially weak were also given proper medication and care. He was a successful doctor but it did not stop him from being politically active and vigilant.

In his college days,he came into contact with the RSS. Deeply inspired and influenced by the Sangh philosophy, he decided to become an RSS Pracharak He was the founder-member of Jana Sangh unit in Punjab and he had been its President for nine years. From 1952 to 1977 he worked in the Jana Sangh and when it was merged into Janata Party he became the head of its Punjab unit.

In 1957 Dr. Baldev got elected for the first time in Punjab Legislative Assembly and remained an MLA till 1969. An important turn in his political career came in 1967 when Congress was disgraced by the Opposition parties in many States including Punjab. Bharatiya Jana Sangh joined the SVD (Samyukta Vidhayak Dal) Government led by Shiromani Akali Dal. Dr. Baldev Prakash was given Finance portfolio and it was during his tenure that the State moved ahead on the road to progress as he introduced innovative measures and policies to boost the economic condition of all sections of the society.

For three decades, he worked for Hindu-Sikh unity. Even in turbulent days of terrorism he never gave up and continued working for restoring mutual trust between the two communities. He became a Member of Parliament in 1977. It gave him an opportunity to raise the issues related to Punjab and other issues of national interest from this august forum. As an MP he went to the United Nations Organisation (UNO) on an Indian Mission. He used this opportunity to present a larger view on Human Rights. "Exploitation is unabated even today in many countries of the world, especially in Africa and Latin America. Millions of people are deprived of their basic human rights. The raw material from these countries still forms the economic backbone of the countries exploiting them. Such nations unabashedly make a mockery of the UN Charter and nobody cares…." His words found many admirers around the world. He did remarkable work during his tenure as an elected Member of Parliament.

His term came to an end with untimely dissolution of sixth Lok Sabha. The ‘Janata experience’ disappointed the Aam Janata of this country. On April 6, 1980 a new party named Bharatiya Janata Party came into existence comprising of the members of erstwhile BJS. Dr. Baldev Prakash was made in- charge of Punjab unit of this newly formed party. At that time Punjab was passing through terror instigated by the Congress party. It stoked the flames of communal violence in Punjab vitiating the atmosphere of trust between Hindus and Sikhs. Dr. Prakash did his best in taking the nationalist ideology to the grassroots level and soon the BJP was able to regain the lost ground in Punjab.

Dr. Prakash was elected to Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh in 1992. His untimely death on July 11, 1992, a mere 6 days after his election left a void difficult to fill. Dr. Baldev was a fearless nationalist who never succumbed to any pressure or temptation. His spirited struggle in Punjab will continue to be a guiding force for coming generations.