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Revision as of 12:51, 22 January 2013 by 109.149.22.131 (talk) (→Controversy)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) For the Indian field hockey player, see Jaswant Singh (field hockey). For the Indian Army commander, see Joginder Jaswant Singh. For the Indian author, see Jaswant Singh Marwah. | This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous. Find sources: "Jaswant Singh" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (October 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Jaswant Singh | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister of Finance of India | |
| In office 2002–2004 | |
| Prime Minister | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Preceded by | Yashwant Sinha |
| Succeeded by | P Chidambaram |
| Minister of Defence of India | |
| In office 2000–2001 | |
| Prime Minister | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Preceded by | George Fernandes |
| Succeeded by | George Fernandes |
| Minister of External Affairs | |
| In office 1998–2002 | |
| Prime Minister | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Preceded by | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Succeeded by | Yashwant Sinha |
| Finance Minister of India | |
| In office 1996–1996 | |
| Prime Minister | Atal Bihari Vajpayee |
| Preceded by | Manmohan Singh |
| Succeeded by | P Chidambaram |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1938-01-03) January 3, 1938 (age 86) Rajputana, British India |
| Political party | Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Alma mater | Mayo College Indian Military Academy |
| Website | http://www.jaswantsingh.com |
Jaswant Singh (born January 3, 1938) is an Indian politician. He belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party and has held many portfolios in the national cabinet including Finance, External Affairs and Defence during the NDA regime (1998 to 2004). He was also the Leader of Opposition from 2004 to 2009 in the Rajya Sabha and the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of India(1998–99). Known for his moderate political views, he is a self-described liberal democrat even though the Bharatiya Janata Party is often described as a right-wing nationalist organization. Currently he represents Darjeeling parliamentary constituency in the 15th Lok Sabha.
Early life
Singh was born on January 3, 1938 at village Jasol (Barmer District) in Rajasthan (India). His father was Late Mr Thakur Sardara Singh and mother was Late Mrs Kunwar Baisa. Singh is married to Mrs Sheetal Kumari. They have two sons. He was an officer in the Indian Army in the 1960s and is an alumnus of Mayo College and the National Defence Academy (India), Khadakwasla.
Political life
Though Singh entered politics in the late 60s, the first few years of his political life lacked success and recognition, till he was initiated in the Jan Sangh, by BJP stalwart Bhairon Singh Shekhawat who is considered to be Jaswant's political mentor. He tasted success in his political career in 1980 when he was first selected for the Rajyasabha, the upper house of Indian parliament. He served as Finance minister in the short-lived government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, which lasted just from May 16, 1996, to June 1, 1996. After Vajpayee became Prime Minister again two years later, he became Minister for External Affairs of India, serving from December 5, 1998 until July 1, 2002. Responsible for foreign policy, he dealt with high tensions between India and Pakistan. In July 2002 he became Finance Minister again, switching posts with Yashwant Sinha. He served as Finance Minister until the defeat of the Vajpayee government in May 2004 and was instrumental in defining and pushing through the market-friendly reforms of the government. He was conferred the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award for the year 2001. On 19 August 2009, he was expelled from BJP after criticism over his remarks in his book which allegedly praised the founder of Pakistan in his book Jinnah - India, Partition, Independence. His last major position was as Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha from 2004 to 2009.
Vice President Nominee
He was the candidate for the Vice president post by the NDA for the year 2012 which he lost . He contested against Hamid Ansari who was the UPA's Vice presidential candidate. On 6 August 2012, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa extended AIADMK’s support to NDA's vice-presidential nominee Jaswant Singh saying that there has to be an opposition in a true democracy.
Career
In the government of Vajpayee, Singh was External Affairs Minister. Later he became Minister of Finance with Yashwant Sinha. He was also the Defence Minister when George Fernandes was forced to resign after the Tehelka exposure.
Singh is widely regarded for his handling of relations with the United States which were strained after the 1998 Indian nuclear tests but which ameliorated soon after culminating in the visit of U.S. President Bill Clinton to India. His skill as a negotiator and diplomat during talks with the United States has been well acknowledged by his U.S. counterpart Strobe Talbott.
Singh has been frequently criticized by political parties for escorting terrorists to Kandhar, Afghanistan. They were released by the Government of India in exchange for passengers from a hijacked Indian Airlines plane.
Controversy
A controversy erupted immediately after the release of his book, in which Singh insinuated that a mole had existed in the Prime Ministerial Office during the tenure of P. V. Narasimha Rao, who had leaked information to U.S. sources. Soon after, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh challenged him to name the mole. In response, Singh sent a letter to him. The letter, Manmohan Singh said later, had no signature, and no name of any mole. Jaswant Singh then backed off, saying his views on the subject were based on a "hunch".
Controversy hovered around him again when on 17 August 2009 another book authored by him, entitled Jinnah: India-Partition-Independence, was released. In this he claimed that the centralised polity of Jawaharlal Nehru was responsible for Partition. He was later expelled from the primary membership of BJP as a result of the ensuing controversy. In interviews with media he quoted BJP as narrow-minded and to have limited thought. His book was later banned in Gujarat. Singh said of the ban "The day we start banning books, we are banning thinking". In 2010, he was readmitted to BJP.
Jaswant Singh is a Member of the Global Leadership Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that offers, discreetly and confidentially, a range of experienced advisors to political leaders facing difficult situations. It is composed of former heads of government, senior governmental and international organization officials who work closely with Heads of Government on governance-related issues of concern to them. The Foundation supports democratic leadership and works to prevent and resolve conflict through mediation and promote good governance in the form of democratic institutions, open markets, human rights and the rule of law.
As of July 16, 2012 he has been announced as the candidate for the vice presidency by the NDA.
Positions held
- 1980 Elected to Rajya Sabha
- 1986 Re-elected to Rajya Sabha (2nd term)
- 1986-1989 – Member, Public Accounts Committee, Rajya Sabha
- Member, Committee on Privileges, Rajya Sabha
- Member, Committee on Public Undertakings, Rajya Sabha
- 1987 Member, Consultative Committee constituted under the Punjab State
- 1989-1991 Legislature (Delegation of Powers) Act, 1987
- 1990 Elected to 9th Lok Sabha
- 1991-1996 Chairman, Estimate Committee
- 1991 Re-elected to 10th Lok Sabha (2nd term)
- 1991 Chairman, Committee on Environment and Forests
- 1992 Member, Joint Parliamentary Committee to enquire into Irregularities in Securities and Banking Transactions
- 1993 – Chairman, Committee on Energy
- 1996-97 – Re-elected to 11th Lok Sabha (3rd term)
- May 1996 – Union Cabinet Minister, Finance
- 25 March 1998 – 4 Feb. – Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission
- July 1998 – Re-elected to Rajya Sabha (3rd term)
- Dec. 1998-1 Jul. 2000 Union Cabinet Minister, External Affairs
- Feb-Oct. 1999 Union Cabinet Minister, Electronics (Simultaneous charge)
- 6 Aug.-13 Oct. 1999 Union Cabinet Minister, Surface Transport (Simultaneous charge)
- 15 Oct. 1999 Re-elected to Rajya Sabha (4th term)
- 18 March-15 Oct. 2001 Union Cabinet Minister, Defence (Simultaneous charges)
- 1 Jul. 2002-9 Apr. 2 Minister of Finance & Company Affairs, Govt. of India
- 10 April 2002-21 May Union Cabinet Minister, Finance
- 2004 Re-elected to Rajya Sabha (5th term)
- 2004 Leader of Opposition, Rajya Sabha
- August 2004 – August 2006 – Member, Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forests
- August 2004 – May 2009 – Member, Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Installation of Portraits/Statues of National Leaders and Parliamentarians in Parliament House Complex
- August 2005 – Member, General Purposes Committee
- 2009 Re-elected to 15th Lok Sabha (4th term)
- 6 Aug. 2009 - 31 December – Chairman, Committee on Public Accounts
- 10 Sep. 2009 Member, Committee on Budget
- 1 Jan. 2010 Member, Committee on Public Accounts
| Preceded byManmohan Singh | Minister of Finance of India 1996–1996 |
Succeeded byP. Chidambaram |
| Preceded byYashwant Sinha | Minister of Finance of India 2002–2004 |
Succeeded byP. Chidambaram |
| Preceded byAtal Bihari Vajpayee | Minister for External Affairs of India 1998–2002 |
Succeeded byYashwant Sinha |
| Preceded byGeorge Fernandes | Minister for Defence of India 2000–2001 |
Succeeded byGeorge Fernandes |
References
- Jaswant Singh Biography
- "Jaswant Singh to challenge Hamid Ansari for Vice-President's post". 16July 2012.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - "Jayalalithaa extends support to Jaswant Singh". 6 August 2012.
- "I am bewildered: Jaswant". Chennai: The Hindu. 2006-07-28. Retrieved 2006-07-29.
- "I know no 'mole', Jaswant tells RSS". Yahoo.com. Retrieved 2006-07-31.
- "Nehru not Jinnah's polity led to partition". Jai Bihar. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
- "Jaswant Singh expelled over Jinnah remarks". Jai Bihar. 2009-08-19. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
- "Walk The Talk with Jaswant Singh". Retrieved 2009-08-23.
- "Book ban: timing calculated, says Congress". Indian Express. 2009-08-21. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
- India state bans book on Jinnah
- "Jaswant returns to BJP".
External links
- Official website
- Nehru not Jinnah’s polity led to partition
- Modi govt bans book, says it’s a bid to tarnish Sardar image
- Book ban: timing calculated, says Congress
- "In Service of Emergent India"
- "Jinnah book sales soar after author Jaswant's expulsion"
- "Against Nuclear Apartheid"
- "Jaswant Singh Darjeeling LS Candidate"
- Financialexpress.com
- Video: Jaswant Singh discusses his book 'Jinnah: India-Partition-Independence' at the Asia Society, New York, Mar. 25, 2010
- Jaswant Singh's monthly syndicated commentary series, "The New Power Game", from Project Syndicate
 External affairs ministers of India | ||
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Template:Fifteenth Lok Sabha, West Bengal
Categories:- 1938 births
- Living people
- Finance Ministers of India
- Rajasthani politicians
- Rajasthani people
- Bharatiya Janata Party politicians
- Recipients of the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award
- Members of the Rajya Sabha
- Defence Ministers of India
- 15th Lok Sabha members
- Ministers for External Affairs of India
- People from Barmer district
- Indian military personnel from Rajasthan
- Mayo College alumni
- Indian vice-presidential candidates