Student leader to guv: How Meerut College shaped Satyapal Malik's political journey
Before Malik's tenure, student leadership positions at the college were filled through indirect elections, with the 'premier' being nominated rather than elected by student votes. That changed in 1965-66, when Malik was chosen as the first 'premier'.
When the student union elections were discontinued in 1967, Malik led a fierce student protest, culminating in a gherao of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly in Lucknow and voluntary arrest by hundreds of students. This movement resulted in the reinstatement of direct elections in 1969 when Malik made history again by becoming the first student union president elected directly by students.
Malik pursued his B.Sc. and LLB at Meerut College, which became his political nursery. His close associate and former MLC Jagat Singh recalls that during the Emergency, he, Malik, and Vedpal Singh were jailed together for their activism and later sent to separate jails on the basis of intelligence reports.
He served as the governor of four states -- Bihar (2017), Jammu and Kashmir (2018), Goa (2019) and Meghalaya (2020). But his most impactful assignment commenced in August 2018, when he was named the governor of J&K.
The tenure saw two significant events -- the 2019 Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives, and the August 5, 2019 revocation of Article 370 and the division of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories— J&K and Ladakh. Malik was the last governor of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Malik's political roots run even deeper — he first gained prominence during the 1965–66 'Remove English, Promote Hindi' movement. Injured during a police lathicharge, Malik's leadership inspired a fiery student backlash that saw the local post office set ablaze. His rising popularity caught the eye of former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, who inducted him into the Bharatiya Lok Dal along with Jagat Singh.
According to Arun Vashishtha, who served as the student union general secretary in 1973–74, Malik was a widely respected student leader. 'Even I used to seek political advice from him,' he recalled. Malik's popularity translated into electoral success when he was elected MLA from Baghpat in 1974. He went on to serve two terms in the Rajya Sabha and was elected to the Lok Sabha from Aligarh, and became a minister in the Union government.
After joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Malik was appointed governor of several states. He also played a vocal role during the 1973 Lata Gupta student abduction case in Meerut, where his leadership of a powerful student agitation led to police-imposed curfew across the city.
Charan Singh, deeply impressed by Malik, once referred to him as his political heir. Malik remained close to Singh for years, until a fallout led to his expulsion from the party.
In 2017, decades after his college days, Malik returned to Meerut College as the Governor of Bihar to attend its 125th anniversary celebrations. There, he inaugurated the new History Department and museum building, calling the institution his 'political nursery' and fondly reminiscing about the days that shaped his ideology and career.
Ancestral village remembers him as humble, simple leader
A wave of grief swept through Hisawda village after the news of Satyapal Malik's passing reached here. The village, where Malik was born and raised, still houses his 300-year-old ancestral haveli- a structure that has witnessed his journey from a shy village boy to a prominent national leader. Locals fondly recalled him as a 'grounded and humble leader' and how he spent hours chatting on the haveli's stairs during his childhood and teenage years.
Though his immediate family no longer resides in the village, several members of his extended family stay here. According to relatives, Malik had last visited the village in 2023, after his retirement from gubernatorial duties. During that emotional trip, he reconnected with childhood friends, acquaintances and local residents.
Walking down the familiar bylanes, he had reportedly said with deep emotion, 'Yeh mitti meri taqat hai' (this soil is my strength).
Elderly villager Virender Singh Malik, recalling his bond with the late leader, said: 'He was about six years younger than me, but always showed immense respect. Whenever there was any event in the village, he would ensure I was invited and honoured.' Reflecting on Malik's early years, he added: 'He was quite shy as a child. If someone said something to him, he would come to me with complaints. He also loved playing volleyball.'
A senior family member, Satypal's uncle Bijendra Singh Malik, shared: 'He was extremely soft-spoken and had deep respect for his family members. His demise is an irreparable loss to our family.'
According to his nephew Amit Malik, Satyapal received his early education at the local primary school in the village. He later cycled several kilometres daily to attend MGM Inter College in Dhikouli and eventually graduated from Meerut College.
'He was always disciplined and passionate about education. That left a lasting impression on the children in the village,' said Amit.
Family member Manish Malik recalled that Satyapal Malik was the only child of his parents and had a deeply emotional and family-oriented nature.
'No matter how high a position he held, he never turned away a villager who came to meet him,' he said.
Satyapal Malik's cousin Gyanendra Malik shared memories of his last visit to the village in February 2023. The village held a special 'chaupal' (community gathering) in his honour, where Malik had addressed the villagers, saying: 'I have always spoken up for farmers and labourers, and I will continue to do so.'
For the residents of Hisawda, Malik's passing marks the end of an era. 'He was one of those rare leaders who, even while occupying high constitutional offices, spoke fearlessly for the common people. And he never distanced himself from his roots,' said villager Rajesh Singh.
Satyapal Malik died at 1.12 pm on Tuesday at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi after a prolonged illness, his personal staff said. He was in the ICU of the hospital for a long time, getting treatment for various ailments, the staff said.
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