People’s Maharaja –Capt Amarinder Singh turns 77
KS Diwan/ royalpatiala.in/ Chandigarh
Capt. Amarinder Singh, Chief Minster of Punjab turns 77 years. Today is his 77 birthday. He has born on 11 March 1942 to erstwhile Maharaja of Patiala Yadvindra Singh and Maharani Mohinder Kaur. He is a scion of Phulkian dynasty and founder of Patiala,Ala Singh.
Two years back, on this date, he won the Punjab election with a thumping majority and became the 26th Chief Minister of Punjab. He has also served as the Chief Minister of Punjab from 2002-2007. Presently he is representing Patiala (Urban).
He attended famous Welham Boy’s School, Lawrance School, Sanawar, Doon School, Dehradun. He also served in the Indian Army from June 1963, after graduating from the prestigious National Defence Academy. He served in the elite Sikh Regiment.
1980 former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi inducted Capt Amarinder Singh into politics and he won the Lok Sabha Seat. But after 4 years, in 1984 he resigned from the Parliament and from the Congress party protesting against the Army action on Darbar Sahib during Operation Blue Star. After resigning from Congress he joined Shiromani Akali Dal and became member of state legislature assembly from Talwandi Saboo (Bathinda) and become minister for Agriculture, Forest, Panchayats.
He is married to Preneet Kaur and has a son Raninder Singh and a daughter Jai Inder
All India Jat Maha Sabha President
Capt Amarinder Singh is also a President of All India Jat Maha Sabha and associated with this Mahasabha for last 30 years.
Books written by Capt Amarinder Singh
- A Ridge Too Far
- Lest We Forget
- The Last Sunset: Rise and Fall of Lahore Durbar
- The Sikhs in Britain: 150 years of Photographs
- Honour and Fidelity: India’s Military Contribution to the Great War 1914 to 1918
- The Monsoon War: Young Officers Reminisce – 1965 India-Pakistan War
Khushwant Singh has also written a biography on Captain Amarinder Singh The People’s Maharaja.
