Dr. Sardara Singh Johl
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A brief biography
Anju Agnihotri Chaba, Aug 15, 2024: The Indian Express
Dr. Johl served on the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council from 1987 to 1992 under four prime ministers: Rajiv Gandhi, VP Singh, Chandra Shekhar, and P.V. Narasimha Rao. His distinguished career includes roles as Vice-Chancellor of three universities, Director on the Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India, Chairman of the Commission for Agriculture, Cost, and Prices, and Vice Chairman of the Punjab State Planning Board. He also held visiting professor position at Ohio State University Columbus, USA, for two years and visited the London School of Economics, several other universities in UK, Japan, and the US to deliver lectures.
Reflecting on his early years, Dr. Johl recalled the lack of educational opportunities in his village in Pakistan. “There was no tradition of sending children to school in my village. No boy had studied up to matric in my village,” he said. His journey to school involved a 7-mile bicycle ride to Jadhanwali.
“In primary classes, all students were promoted, but in higher classes, I failed class 7th due to a lack of interest. A Sikh teacher’s strictness and corporal punishment only made us more indifferent. He offered me a deal—50 ruler slaps a day in exchange for early dismissal. I agreed and, after my daily punishment, spent the rest of the day playing with friends,” he recounted. Eventually, Dr. Johl failed class 7th, and his father transferred him to another school in the opposite direction.
It was at this new school that a Muslim teacher, Sufi Muhammad Din, transformed his life. “When I was asked to read from a Persian language ‘Kayda’ (alphabetic and basic sentence book), I extended my hand for the expected punishment. Instead, he placed his hands gently on my shoulders, making me feel deeply ashamed. That day, I bought a Persian ‘Kayda’ with an Urdu translation and studied it diligently at home,” Dr. Johl remembered. The next day, he impressed the teacher by reciting the entire text from memory. The teacher predicted he would receive a scholarship, which he did—a Rs. 10 monthly stipend that covered his expenses for an entire month.
Despite his scholarship, Dr. Johl’s family withdrew him from school to work in agriculture, considering education a luxury they could not afford. He spent two years working in the fields, starting his day at 2 a.m. alongside his father. “My father was strict. We would start early to avoid the scorching heat. While we never lacked good food, there was no compromise on work. After two years, my family decided I should return to school.”
Upon returning to school, he resumed his studies with renewed determination. In 1946, as tensions around Partition grew, students would carry swords in their school bags for protection. One of Dr. Johl’s friends even prepared a pipe bomb, anticipating attacks on their village by Muslim rioters. Despite the tense atmosphere, his village was never attacked, though the fear of violence loomed large.
Dr. Johl’s education was disrupted again in 1947 when his family migrated to Punjab due to the Partition. Originally from Jandiala in Jalandhar district, his family had relocated to Chak 104 GB for better land opportunities.
The Partition
Dr Johl has vivid memories of 1947. He recounted, “As violence intensified, our entire village embarked on the arduous journey to safety. We traveled with essential belongings, including ration and cattle, heading towards Lahore, which was 90 miles away. Tragically, we learned about a massacre at the grain market in Jadhanwali, where a train from the Baloch Army had killed around 10,000 people who were camping there. I was herding our cattle along with an elderly villager and a young married woman who was like a sister to me when we were attacked and became separated from our caravan.
“During this journey, we had to halt at a place for 28 days and all our ration and fodder for cattle were getting finished. Some Muslim attackers approached and started firing to intimidate us. Then my friend who had made a pipe bomb threw it into a deep well where it exploded with a powerful sound that scared the attackers.
“As we continued towards Lahore, we encountered a convoy of 5-6 buses protected by Gorkha Armymen. The buses were overloaded, and the Gorkhas did not allow us to board. However, my father insisted that I, along with a four more boys, climb aboard as he wanted at least one family member to survive. Some women hid me under a cloth to keep me from being seen by the Gorkhas. They were unknown to me but I can never forget their motherly treatment.
“From Lahore, we proceeded to Amritsar, where rioters eyed us suspiciously. From Amritsar, we managed to cling onto a train to Jalandhar. Upon reaching Jalandhar railway station, we continued on foot to our village in Jandiala.
“There was a Muslim camp along the way, but we managed to reach our village, where one of my uncles had already arrived. Our family also arrived safely in Jandiala a month later along with two oxen and one buffalo..
Life in Independent India
Back in Jalandhar, Dr. Johl’s family had very little land, but they persevered. They cultivated poppy and sugarcane, making a modest living. Despite these hardships, Dr. Johl remained determined to complete his education. He resumed his studies at Doaba Arya School in Nurmahal and secured the first position in Class 10 in the Jalandhar district in 1948. This achievement earned him a scholarship and paved the way for further studies.
He enrolled in Government Agriculture College, initially housed at Khalsa College, Amritsar, after selling his wife’s ornaments to pay for his education. He completed his BSc with the help of a scholarship and a ‘Takavi’ loan, never asking his family for financial support. Dr. Johl went on to earn an MSc in Agriculture and an MA in Economics—a rare combination that would greatly benefit his career. He was the best NCC cadet of India and lead the NCC contingent during the first Republic Day parade of the country. Additionally, he was the first senior under officer of NCC in Punjab and commanded a battalion.
After completing his PhD, Dr. Johl worked in various agricultural, marketing, and research roles for eight years. And was the one along with the then market officer, Gurmail Singh, who produced Potato seed for the first time in Punjab while posted as assistant market officer at Dhogrhi in Jalandhar before joining Punjab Agricultural University as an Assistant Professor, where he eventually became Vice Chancellor. Now Punjab’s potato seed is considered one of the best and it supplies to the entire country.
In 1978, while stationed in Iran with the UN, Dr. Johl revisited his village Jai in Pakistan. He drove back to Punjab with his wife and daughter and stopped in Pakistan to reunite with an old Muslim friend. “The partition led both Muslims and Hindus-Sikhs to commit atrocities against each other, leaving a grievous blot on the face of humanity,” he reflected. “The Partition was a driving force behind my academic pursuits. The violence instilled in me a sense of resilience and fearlessness—qualities that have defined my life ever since.”
Dr. Johl attributes his remarkable achievements to his formative years in Pakistan, the guidance of a Muslim teacher, and the challenges of rural life. “Whatever I have achieved, I attribute to the Almighty and my good fortune, considering the conditions of my childhood,” he concluded.
