Banarsi Das Gupta

Banarsi Das Gupta was born on 5 November 1917 in Bhiwani & died on 29 August 2007, was a chief minister of Haryana state in India.

Born in Bhiwani he studied at Pilani in Rajasthan.

He was renowned freedom Fighter and went to jail many times during the British rule. He established Parja Mandal in erstwhile Jind State in pre-independence period and launched agitation for establishment of a responsible Government in Jind State and was imprisoned several times. He undertook several padyatras, collected thousands of acres of land and distributed it among the landless during the Bhoodan Movement. He fought against traditional social abuses such as the dowry system, untouchability, and child marriage. He stood for widow re-marriage rights and started the tradition of community-marriages without dowry.

He was founder of the All India Vaish Federation (Vais Maha Sammelan); Foounder and Patron of the Maharaj Agrasen Medical Education & Scientific Research Society, Haryana, Trustee of Vaish Mahavidyalaya Trust which runs (i) Vaish Senior Secondary School and (ii) Vaish Model School, Founder and Trustee and Member of Haryana Prakritik Chikitsalaya, President of Managing Committee of (i) Vaish P.G. Boy’s College, (ii) Adarsh Mahila Mahavidyalaya (also founder of this institute) and (iii) and Chief Patron of All India Agarwal Sammelan. He was president of All Indian Agarwal Sammelan for over 20 years and worked hard to unite the trading community.

He was thrice elected to the Haryana Legislative Assembly and served once as its speaker. He was a minister for several years and served once as Deputy Chief Minister and twice as Chief Minister of Haryana. His terms as chief minister were from 1975 to 1977, and for a few months in 1990. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in April 1996. During his tenure as Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) he was appreciated by parliament for best use of MPLAD (aid given through Members of Parliament for the benefit of the public).