Former chief election commissioner and Congress leader MS Gill passes away

After his retirement, Gill joined the Indian National Congress and represented Punjab in the Rajya Sabha from 2004 to 2016, marking two successful terms as a member of Parliament. During this period, he held portfolios of Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports and Minister of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

Gill was known for his sharp intellect and plain speaking. He was a prolific writer and scholar, delving into topics close to his heart, particularly those related to Punjab. His book ‘Agriculture Cooperatives: A Case Study of Punjab’, which originated during his study leave in Cambridge in 1974-75, showcased his deep understanding of agricultural issues. He was an advocate of a consensus-based resolution to river water disputes that have long plagued the region. He believed that dialogue and not the Supreme Court held the key to the resolution of the contentious Satluj Yamuna Link Canal issue.

Born in undivided Punjab on June 14, 1936, Gill never stopped lamenting what he called the “second division” of the state in 1966. Linking the water dispute with the trifurcation of Punjab (Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana), he once told The Indian Express, “The division was unfair with many Punjabi-speaking areas going to Haryana; our riparian state was given a raw deal and forced to share its river water.” He would also bemoan the “loss” of Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, which was made a Union Territory. “Punjab’s capital is under the control of the Centre. A station house officer in Chandigarh can charge the Punjab chief minister legally, as he is only a tenant there. So is the Haryana chief minister,” he said.

Gill also felt very strongly about the degradation of Punjab’s soil and water due to chemical intensive agriculture. “We have overused our soil to fill the granaries of the country, and look at the fallout ,” he would often say. His views against capital punishment were well known and he openly defied the Congress while opposing the death penalty awarded to Balwant Singh Rajoana for the assassination of Chief Minister Beant Singh in 1995. “It is a barbarian concept that should be abolished immediately through legislation,” he said.

He also served as the president emeritus of the Himalayan Club. His stint as Deputy Commissioner of Lahaul and Spiti and his mountaineering training at Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling, underscored his abiding passion for the mountains. His books — Himalayan Wonder: Travels in Lahaul and Spiti and Tales from the Hills: Lahaul’s Enduring Myths and Legends — offered insights into his experiences in the remote and captivating landscapes of Himachal Pradesh. Gill was awarded the Padma Vibhushan for his contribution as the chief election commissioner and the ‘Nishan-e-Khalsa’ on the 300th anniversary of the Khalsa Panth.