Randeep Surjewala
Encyclopedia
Randeep Singh Surjewala (born 3 June 1967) is an Indian politician belonging to Congress party. He is a MLA in the Haryana State Legislature and the current Water Supply and Sanitation, Parliamentary Affairs, Electronics and Information Technology, Science and Technology and Public Works (Building and Roads).
minister in Haryana cabinet. In 2005, he was given the Transport and Parliamentary Affairs becoming the youngest Minister in Haryana. In 1996 and 2005 he defeated Om Prakash Chautala
Om Prakash Chautala
Om Prakash Chautala is an Indian politician from the state of Haryana and the leader of the Indian National Lok Dal political party. He is a former Chief Minister of Haryana. Presently, he is the Leader of Opposition in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha.Chautala is the son of Chaudhari Devi Lal, a former...

 on both occasions.

Early life

Randeep Singh Surjewala was born in Chandigarh
Chandigarh
Chandigarh is a union territory of India that serves as the capital of two states, Haryana and Punjab. The name Chandigarh translates as "The Fort of Chandi". The name is from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu goddess Chandi, in the city...

 the youngest and fourth child of Ch. Shamsher Singh Surjewala, and Vidya. His father was then Minister for Agriculture & Co-operatives in the First Ministry of State of Haryana. During the Partition of India in 1947, his mother along with her family and settled in Hisar in Haryana. He has three elder sisters – Madhu Dalal, Poonam Chaudhery and Neeru.

He went to Adarsh Bal Mandir and Arya Higher Secondary School, Narwana. He did his Bachelor of Commerce (Hons.) (1981–85) from DAV School and his Bachelor of Law degree (1985–88) from Faculty of Law, Panjab University, Chandigarh. During his years in Law Faculty, he remained Member of the Consultative Committee of the Faculty as also Chairman of the Lawyer’s Forum. He was also awarded his Master’s degree in Political Science by the same University in April, 1995.

His father role in India’s Freedom struggle started in 1940’s as President of Student Congress in District Sangrur (erstwhile Punjab). His father was expelled from Yadvindra State High School by the ruler of Sangrur for espousing the agenda of Indian National Congress. In September, 1957; his father started his law practice as an ace lawyer specializing in criminal law and jurisprudence but amiably graduated to grassroots politics getting elected first as Managing Director of Central Co-operative Bank, Sangur in 1959-60 and then as Chairman of Panchayat Samiti, Kalayat (now in District Kaithal) in the year 1961 and again in 1964. Randeep’s father is also a veteran Parliamentarian having been elected to Haryana Legislative Assembly in 1967, 1977, 1982, 1991 and 2005 and to Indian Parliament in the year 1993.p

As a lawyer

Randeep Surjewala started his practice as an advocate at 21 in 1988. He commenced his practice with the solicitors firm ‘Shroff & Company, New Delhi’ in the year 1988 and later in the High Court of Punjab & Haryana at Chandigarh in 1991. Besides corporate and commercial litigation, he took up issues relating to farmers for their land.

Political career

Randeep Singh Surjewala became popular with high profile litigation in the Supreme Court. During 1977-80, his father's lasting loyalty and commitment, then Leader of Congress Legislature Party, for the resurgence of Indira Gandhi and the Indian National Congress.

Organisational roles

At the age of 17, he was appointed as the youngest General Secretary of Haryana Pradesh Youth Congress. He was also appointed as the Youngest Senator of the Punjab University, Chandigarh in 1992. He also remained a Member of the Faculty Consultative Committee in the Law Faculty. He was again the youngest member to the syndicate of Punjab University, Chandigarh from 1995–96 and member of Academic Council, Member of Joint Consultative Committee and Youth Affairs Committee of the Punjab University Chandigarh. He also served as Chairman of the Haryana Lawyers’ Forum from 1990-95. From 1987-90, he was an active participant to rebuild the Congress in Haryana alongside his father, then PCC President.

He was in April, 1986 as youngest Joint Secretary of Haryana State Youth Congress and then as General Secretary. In March, 2000; Randeep became first ‘Haryanvi’ to be appointed as the National President of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC). He continued to be the President uptill February, 2005, thus making it the longest tenure in the history of IYC. In August, 2004, he was appointed as Secretary of All India Congress Committee, the youngest office bearer. In the run-up to the Assembly elections in Haryana, he was appointed as Working President of Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee in December, 2004 at the age of 37, the youngest President of PCC in the State.

On 20 August 2002; Youth Congress set up a world record of blood donation by organizing donation of 14,089 units of blood in a single day.

Elections

He contested four elections to the Haryana Legislative Assembly, 1993 bye election, 1996, 2000 and 2005. The party chose to field him against former Chief Minister, Om Prakash Chautala. He won in 1996 and 2005 defeating him on both occasions, a historical victory over, then sitting Chief Minister, a first in Northern India.

As a Minister

In March, 2005, Randeep was inducted as youngest Cabinet Minister in Haryana Cabinet headed by Chief Minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda
Bhupinder Singh Hooda
Bhupinder Singh Hooda is an Indian politician, a leader of the Indian National Congress and the current Chief Minister of Haryana. He became the chief minister of Haryana for the first time in March 2005. He created a history of sorts in the Haryana assembly elections of 2009, when Hooda led...

 with portfolios of Transport & Civil Aviation; PWD (Water Supply & Sanitation) and Parliamentary Affairs. Since September, 2007; Randeep was a Minister for Power; PWD (Water Supply & Sanitation) and Parliamentary Affairs and heads the Standing Policy Framing Committee on Civil Aviation. In November 2009, Randeep Singh Surjewala became Cabinet minister in Haryana Government, and holds the portfolios of Water Supply and Sanitation, Parliamentary Affairs, Electronics and Information Technology, Science and Technology and Public Works (Building and Roads) Department.

He was appointed as Secretary of All Indian Congress Committee and Office In- charge of Uttar Pradesh affairs in August 2004. He was appointed as working President of Haryana. Surjewala was appointed as working President of Haryana Congress Committee in December 2004. He was the youngest person in the country to hold this office.

Social causes

A successful attempt was made to channelize the energy of Youth Congress for social causes by organizing collection and dispatch of 121 fodder trucks to drought-affected areas of Rajasthan, particularly ‘GAUSHALAS’ (May 7, 2000); a ‘JAL VITRAN ABHIYAN’ by supplying over 50,00,000 litres of water for four drought-affected districts of Rajasthan over a period of 30 days through 10 huge tankers and volunteers (May 30, 2000); a similar ‘JAL VITRAN ABHIYAN’ for the drought-affected areas of Jamnagar, Porbandar and Surender Nagar in Gujarat by supplying over 15,00,000 litres of water (May 31, 2000); setting up camp at Bhuj, Gujarat (epic-centre) post-devastation by killer earthquake for 30 days and distributing material worth over Rs.100 lakhs (January 26, 2001); collecting and dispatching 50 truck loads carrying 500 tons of relief material for the earthquake victims of Gujarat (February 4, 2001); collecting and dispatching eight truck loads carrying 720 quintals of wheat for border displaced persons of Jammu region (May 26, 2002); collecting and dispatching 30 truck loads carrying 2,700 quintals of wheat as 2nd installment for displaced persons of Jammu region (May 27, 2002); Launching ‘EK MUTHI ANAJ’ scheme to collect ‘one million kilograms’ of wheat for drought-affected areas of Rajasthan and dispatching 100 truck loads carrying 9,00,000 kilograms of wheat (May 27, 2003); sending a 2nd installment comprising 50 truck loads carrying 4,50,000 kilograms for drought-affected areas of Rajasthan (July 18, 2003) and collected and sent 4,000 quintals of wheat for flood-affected districts of Sitamari, Madhubani, Sahasrsa and Darbhanga in Bihar (Sept., 2004). These small steps go a long way in resolution of a wider magnitude of humanitarian problems.

Personal life

Randeep Surjewala is married to Gayatri in December, 1991 and has two sons, Arjun and Aditya.

External links

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