NEW DELHI: Former governor of Nagaland and Goa and eminent Sikh Scholar, Dr Gopal Singh died here on Wednesday following a massive heart attack, family sources said.
He had resigned the Nagaland governorship when the National Front government replaced several state governors in December last year.
Singh, 82, won wide acclaim for the first English translation of the Granth Sahib. He also authored book on Jesus Christ entitled The Man Who Never died.” A Sikh historian and academic, Singh also served as India’s ambassador to Bulgaria, Guyana and Surinam. He was nominated to the upper House in 1962 as a distinguished literary figure.
Born on November 29, 1917, he became active in politics when he was a student of the Khalsa College, Amnitsar in 193839. Later he came into contact with Jawaharlal Nehru and participated in the freedom movement.
Singh was chairman of the commission for minorities, backward classes and scheduled castes from 1982-84. He served as Lieutenant Governor of the union territories Goa, Daman and Diu from September 23, 1984 till last year. He was elevated as the governor of Goa and early last year took over as governor of Nagaland.
Describing him as one of most respected authority on Sikh history, former president Zail Singh said that he was shocked at the scholar’s death.
The void left by the death of such a reputed and learned scholar will not be filled in the long time to come, Zail Singh said.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 17, 1990
