Brief Bio-data
Member of Rajya Sabha

 

FOTEDAR, SHRI MAKHAN LAL:

M.A., LL.B; Congress (I) (UttarPradesh); son of late Shri Narainjee Fotedar and Smt. LaxmiDevi; born : at Mattan (Kashmir), March 5, 1932; educated at (i)Christian Missionary School , Anantnag (Kashmir), (ii) Amar

Singh College, Srinagar and (iii) Allahabad University; married to : Shrimati Rattan Rani.

Advocate; during student days joined politics as a

member of the Youth Wing of the Congress Party in early

fifties; worked in the first General Elections (1951-52) in

Pandit Nehru's Parliamentary Constituency, Phulpur;

Director, J&K Apex Cooperative Bank and various other

cooperative institutions; one of the Founder Members of the

Democratic National Conference under the leadership of late

Shri G.M. Sadiq and Shri D.P. Dhar whose progressive

policies brought the people's movement in Kashmir to

identify itself closely with the national mainstream;

championed the principle of conscience vote and was Polling

Agent for Shri V.V. Giri in the historic presidential

election in 1969; in 1963-64 actively participated for

recovery/restoration of Holy Relic of Prophet Mohammad at

Hazratbal; co-sponsor of Policy of Liberalisation initiated

in 1964 culminating in the dissolution of Plebiscite Front

and return of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and Mirza Mohammad

Afzal Beg to the national mainstream in 1975; worked as

Election Agent of Shrimati Indira Gandhi in 1977 in Rae

Bareli Parliamentary Constituency; in 1979, overall charge

was given by Shrimati Indira Gandhi of her Rae Bareli

Parliamentary Constituency; Political aide to Shrimati

Indira Gandhi in 198(}84; Political Secretary to Congress

President Shri Rajiv Gandhi in 1984--87; as a Union Minister

visited erstwhile U.S.S.R. in 1988 and China in 1989 on the

invitation of the host Governments; was leader of the

delegation of the Government of India to the World Health

Assembly held at Geneva in 1992; Member, J&K Legislative

Assembly from 1967 to 1977 and Chairman of Public Accounts

Committee and various other Legislative Bodies of the Jammu

& Kashmir Legislative Assembly; Minister of State of

Revenue, Irrigation, Law and Housing in Jammu and Kashmir

Government; Chairman, Management Board of the Daily Khidmat,

Official Publication of the Indian National Congress in

Kashmir Member, (i) Central Election Co-ordination Committee

of Congress (I) in 1991, (ii) Committee on Home Affairs and

(iii) Joint Committee on Offices of Profit; Union Minister

of Steel and Mines, July, 1987 to December, 1989, with

additional charge of the Ministries of Energy, Coal and

Labour during this period; Union Minister of Health and

Family Welfare from June, 1991 to 17th January, 1993;

elected to A.I.C.C. (I) from U.P. in 1992; elected to the

Rajya Sabha in May, 1985 and re-elected in April, 1990.

Travels abroad: U.S.S.R., China and Switzerland.

Publications: Edited 'Vision of Kashmir', a monthly

Journal published from Allahabad University.

Special interest: History.

Favourite pastime and recreation: Gardening and study

of History.

Permanent address: House No. 4/9, Sector 5, Rajinder

Nagar, Sahibabad, Ghaziabad,