Shri Krishna Singh | |
---|---|
Shri Babu | |
1st Chief Minister of Bihar | |
In office 15 August 1947 – 31 January 1961 | |
Preceded by | Office Established |
Succeeded by | Deep Narayan Singh |
2nd Finance Minister of Bihar | |
In office 5 July 1957 – 31 January 1961 | |
Preceded by | Anugrah Narayan Sinha |
Succeeded by | Deep Narayan Singh |
2nd Premier of Bihar Province | |
In office 20 July 1937 – 31 October 1939 | |
Preceded by | Mohammad Yunus |
Succeeded by | Governor's rule |
In office 2 April 1946 - 15 August 1947 | |
Member Of the Constituent Assembly | |
In office 9 December 1946 – 26 January 1950 | |
Preceded by | Post Created |
Succeeded by | Post Abolished |
Member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly | |
In office 1952–1961 | |
Preceded by | Position Established |
Succeeded by | Shiv Shankar Singh |
Personal details | |
Born | Sheikhpura, Bengal Presidency, British India | 21 October 1887
Died | 31 January 1961 Patna, Bihar, India | (aged 74)
Political party | Indian National Congress |
Children | 2 |
Alma mater | University of Calcutta, Patna University |
Occupation | Lawyer Nationalist Statesman Educationist Administrator |
Nickname(s) | Bihar Kesari, Shri Babu |
Shri Krishna Singh (Sinha) (21 October 1887 – 31 January 1961), also known as Shri Babu, was the first chief minister of the Indian state of Bihar (1946–61). Except for the period of World War II, Sinha was the chief minister of Bihar from the time of the first Congress Ministry in 1937 until his death in 1961.[1] Along with the Desh Ratna Rajendra Prasad[2] and Bihar Vibhuti Anugrah Narayan Sinha (A.N. Sinha), Sinha is regarded among the architects of modern Bihar.[by whom?] He also led the Dalit entry into the Baidyanath Dham temple (Vaidyanath Temple, Deoghar).[3] He was the first chief minister in the country to abolish the zamindari system.[4] He underwent terms of imprisonment for a total of about eight years in British India. Sinha's mass meetings brought many people to hear him.[5] He was known as Bihar Kesari for his "lionlike roars" in public speaking.[5] His close friend and Gandhian Bihar Vibhuti A.N. Sinha in his essay Mere Shri Babu wrote that, "Since 1921, the History of Bihar has been the history of the life of Shri Babu".[6] The 'Bihar Kesari' never visited his constituency to ask for votes as he believed that his work will speak for him.[7]
The former President of India, Pratibha Patil, released a book on the letters of exchange between Sinha and prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru titled Freedom and Beyond.[8][9] The correspondence between Nehru and Sinha touches on subjects such as Indian democracy in the making in the early years of Independence, Centre-State relations, role of governor, turbulence in Nepal, zamindari abolition, and education.[8][9] Sinha was known for his scholarship and for being a polymath. He gave his personal collection of 17,000 books to the public library in Munger in 1959 which is now named after him as Sri Krishna Seva Shadan[10] which is reportedly now in poor condition due to lack of funding.[11]