Baldev Singh was an Indian Sikh political leader, a leader of the Indian independence movement, and India's first minister of defence. In addition, he represented the Punjabi Sikh community in the negotiating processes that led to India's independence, as well as India's 1947 Partition.
After independence, Baldev Singh was chosen to become the first defense minister, thereby becoming the "first Sikh defense minister" of any country in the world, serving in that post during India-Pakistan 's first Kashmir war. He is also addressed with the title Sardar, which means leader or chief in Punjabi and Hindi.
When the Cripps Mission arrived in India in 1942 to give some form of self-government to Indians, Baldev Singh was chosen to represent the Sikh community in the talks, which also included the leading Indian political party, the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League party. The Mission made no progress.
While the Congress Party had initiated the Quit India Movement, it was not endorsed by Baldev Singh and other Sikh leaders. In the summer of 1942, Singh negotiated an agreement with Sir Sikandar Hyat Khan, the leader of the Unionist Muslim League to form a government in Punjab, and for a short time became the provincial minister of development.
On 15 August 1947, India became an independent country and under India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, Baldev Singh became India's first minister of defence. Singh also served on India's Constituent Assembly.Along with Home Minister Vallabhbhai Patel, Singh was responsible for leading the efforts of the Indian Army to provide protection, relief, and refuge to over 10 million Hindus and Sikhs who left the newly formed Pakistan. Terrible violence broke loose on both sides of the Punjab and Bengal border, and to date it is estimated that more than 1 million people have been killed, with millions more suffering from habitual acts of cruelty and great physical and personal migration trauma.
The Army was caught unaware, and the war was ripped apart. Hundreds of Muslim officers fled to Pakistan. Riots in Calcutta, Delhi and Bombay had broken out. Patel and Singh led from the front, and the Army finally reaffirmed peace and rule of law throughout India and the borders of Punjab and Bengal, despite a heavy toll. They coordinated major relief and assistance operations for the millions coming to India.
Minister of Defense Singh also led the preparations and planning for war in Kashmir that had broken out with Pakistani tribesmen and some military officers had incursed the state with the aim of annexing it to Pakistan. The Indian Army will fight combat at the highest altitudes in the world against the militants and the Pakistan Army for nearly two years. The army succeeded in pushing back the raiders from Srinagar and beyond the Baramulla Pass, but with Nehru 's statement of a cease-fire under the supervision of the United Nations, a considerable portion of the territory now lay under the firm control of the Pakistani army, and the conflict in Kashmir was born.In September 1948, under Home Minister Vallabhbhai Patel 's instructions, Baldev Singh and his commanders prepared plans for Operation Polo, a week-long operation which annexed Hyderabad's princely state into the Indian Union. Singh remained Patel 's close advisor on managing the conflict in Kashmir and India's problems of political integration.
Baldev Singh has been suspended from the post of Minister of Defense "As Nehru lost trust in Baldev Singh 's political integrity."Singh died in Delhi in 1961, following a prolonged illness. His two sons, Sarjit Singh (1927–1993 AD) and Gurdip Singh survived. Sarjit Singh was the Minister for Co-operatives in Parkash Singh Badal 's government. He married Raj Mohinder Kaur, and his son Tejbal Singh and his daughter Jaspreet Kaur survive. Gurdip Singh married Baljit Kaur, and he had four children. Baldev Singh had six great grandkids. His nephew Ravi Inder Singh was the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker.