SHRI SHYAM NANDAN MISHRA / श्री श्यामनंदन मिश्र

MISHRA, SHRI SHYAM NANDAN, M.A., B.L., Janata, (Bihar—Begusarai—1977) :  s. of Shri Murlidhar Mishra; b. at Gonawan, Patna, October 20, 1920; ed. at R.H.E. School, Sursand, G.B.B. College, Muzaffarpur; Patna College and Patna "Law College; m. Smt. Dhrubswamini Devi, 1 d.; Lecturer, T.N.J. College, Bhagalpur, Previously associated with Congress and Congress (O); imprisoned in connection with the 'Quit India, Movement, 1942-43; was detained for 19 months during emergency in 1975; Secretary, Election Sub-Committee of the All-India Congress Committee, I952; Member, All-India Congress Committee (O), Working Committee and Parliamentary Board till January, 1977; was convener of Congress Socialist Forum and Centre of Socialist Studies; Member, National Committee of Janata Party; Member, (i) Provisional Parliament, 1950-52, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, June 1951—May, 1952, (ii) First Lok Sabha, 1952—57, and (iii) Second Lok Sabha, 1957—62; Deputy Minister for Planning, September, 1954—April, 1962; Member, Rajya Sabha 1962 —71; Member, Executive Committee, Congress Party in Parliament, 1963—67; Deputy Leader, Congress Party in Parliament, 1967-69; Leader, Congress (O) and Leader of Opposition, in Rajya Sabha, 1969-71; Member, National Executive of Janata Party in Parliament; Member, (i) Indian Delegation to the 10th Session of Economic Commission for Asia and Far East, Ceylon, 1954, (ii) Indian Delegation to the 17th  Session of United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation, New York, 1954, (iii) Delegation, to Inter-Parliamentary Council, Dublin, 1965, and (iv) Parliamentary Delegation to U.S.S.R., 1965; Leader, Congress Party Delegation to German Democratic Republic, 1967; Member of the Delegation to the Nineteenth Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, London, September, 1973; Chairman, Joint Committee on Lokpal Bill, 1977.

Favourite pastime and recreation:  Reading of poetry, Ancient Indian Philosophy and gardening.

Travels abroad:  Visited Sri Lanka, U.S.A., Ireland, U.S.S.R., German Democratic Republic, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, France and U.K.

Permanent address:  Punaura House, Rasoolpur, Zilani, Kalmbagh Road, Muzaffurpur.


Former Union minister Shyam Nandan Mishra passed away on Monday at his daughter Purnima Singh's residence near Ayurvedic College in Kadamkuan following cardiac arrest. He was 85. His son-in-law, Sri Prakash Narain Singh, said that the cremation will take place at Gulbi Ghat on Tuesday. 

Mishra was a member of the Constituent Assembly and was the parliamentary secretary to Pt Jawaharlal Nehru. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Madhubani in 1952 and 1957. After a split in the Congress, he joined Congress (O) and was leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha. He came close to Jaya Prakash Narayan (JP) and during the emergency in 1975, was lodged in Bangalore jail. He was minister for external affairs in the Charan Singh government in 1979. 

In his condolence message, governor Justice M Rama Jois said that the nation has lost a great partiot, a freedom fighter, a true Gandhian and a Congressman. Mishra was an expert in planning and economy, Jois said, "I had the unique opportunity of challenging his detention in the high court of Karnataka when he was arrested on June 26, 1975. He was keenly interested in installing Mahatma Gandhi's statue wearing a Kathiawar turban at Motihari and had invited me to install it. This year's floods delayed his plan unfortunately."