U N Dhebar
(1905-1977)
President - Avadi (Madras), 1955; Amritsar, 1956; Indore, 1957; Gauhati, 1958; Nagpur, 1959.

Uchharangray Navalshankar Dhebar was born on September 21, 1905 in the hamlet of Gangajala, eleven miles from Jamnagar. He belonged to the Nagar community. The family had to struggle hard against poverty. After his education, he started legal practice and from the very beginning gained a name as a lawyer; under the influence of Mahatma Gandhi he left his promising legal career in 1936 and devoted himself to national service.

In 1941 Dhebar was selected by Gandhiji to offer Individual Satyagraha at Viramgam. He was arrested and sentenced to six months' imprisonment. In 1942 he was again arrested during the Quit India Movement. On the attainment of independence, Dhebar played a prominent role in the merger of the States of Kathiawad in the Indian Union and then in the formation of the Kathiawad Union known as 'Saurashtra'. He was elected as Chief Minister of Saurashtra in 1948. During his administration several reform were introduced in Saurashtra for the uplift of Villages.

In 1955 he was elected President of the Indian National Congress. He continued in that position for five years, till 1959. His first act as the President was to assemble the top leaders of the Congress for a week in a conference to decide how best the Congress could serve the nation. In 1962 he was elected to the Lok Sabha.

Dhebar was connected with several institutions rendering social and educational services to the country.

- R. K. Dharaiya

Friends, great tasks confront us. First there is the biggest question mark of human history. What shall happen to the world we live in? There are some amongst us who think of World Peace from a subjective angle. They argue that India is interested in World Peace because without it her dreams of development will remain mere dreams. Not that this approach is unreasonable or wrong. But the Congress is not thinking of international peace only from that limited angle. Humanity today stands at cros--roads. Granted a period of peace and goodwill there is nothing that can stand in the way of universal progress and prosperity. On the other hand in the wake of war there is nothing but complete destruction of human civilisation. Never has humanity been faced with a situation so full of potentialities of unprecedented prosperity and utter annihilation. World leadership is on test and every country, big or small, has to contribute to the world pool of tolerance, understanding, wisdom and statesmanship. How can India escape the responsibility.

From the Presidential Address - U. N. Dhebar
I.N.C. Session, 1957, Indore.