Deep Chand Bandhu

Bandhu was born in 1931 in Kondal village of the present-day Faridabad district of Haryana. Many of his ancestors were Freedom Fighters, including Raja Nahar Singh who fought against the British in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Bandhu had a post-graduate degree and was fascinated by the culture and history of India. He began his career as a teacher in Delhi after completing a teacher training course in 1949 from D.A.V. College, Jalandhar. Starting from 1952, he served as General Secretary and President of the Delhi Teachers Association until 1971. For five years, he also served as the President of All India Teachers Association.[2]

Bandhu's political career started with his election as a municipal councillor in 1971, following which he was designated as the Chairman of the Rural Areas Committee of the Delhi Municipal Corporation. Over the next two decades, he held several roles within the corporation, including Deputy Mayor in 1984. In 1985, he became the Chairman of the Standing Committee, which is considered the most significant committee of the corporation. He served as Chairman of the Appointments, Promotions, Disciplinary, and Allied Matters Committee while holding the role of Leader of the House within the corporation from 1985 and 1990.[2]

After his tenure in the Municipal Corporation, he entered the Legislative Assembly in 1993, winning the election as a Member of the Legislative Assembly from Wazirpur Constituency. He was then chosen to serve as the Congress Legislature Party's chief whip, a position he held up until 1998.[2] Following the 1998 elections, he was again elected as an MLA from the same constituency, obtaining the public's approval once more.[3] Later, he received a nomination for the position of Deputy Leader of the Congress Legislature Party.[2]

In 1972, Bandhu was put forward to join the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee. He received a nomination for General Secretary two years later. He then joined the All India Congress Committee as a member in 1975. He was elected vice president of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee in 1987 and served in that capacity till 1994. He then went on to become the President of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee from 1994 to 1996. He also served on the Central Parliamentary Election Committee in the year 1996 as one of its members.[2]

In 2001, The Government of Delhi assigned Bandhu the Minister of Industry, Environment, Forest & Wild Life, Labour, Employment, and Election.[4]

Bandhu died on September 17, 2003, at the age of 72, due to an infection in his intestine, coupled with multi-organ failure. Bandhu had been admitted to Apollo Hospital earlier that day as a result of the infection he had acquired. Immediately upon his admission to the ICU, he was placed on a ventilator to treat his rapidly worsening condition. He was cremated at Nigambodh crematorium the next day with all due state honors. Several senior members of the Congress and the Opposition attended the burial and offered their condolences, as did Sheila Dikshit, the chief minister. Dikshit praised Bandhu for his life-long service to people and the Congress party, and stated that his demise was a loss to both the government and the party.[7][8][9][10]

The Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital in Ashok Vihar, Delhi was inaugurated by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit as a tribute to Bandhu's hard work and service towards the welfare of the people.[13]