Pandit Padam Dev was born on January 26, 1901 at Bamnoli, Tehsil Rohru, District Shimla to Bali Ram and Bam Devi. He was educated at Adhal School at Rohru and later matriculated from High School at Rampur, an institute school presently named after him. He went on to attend Brahm Maha Vidyalaya, where he got the degree of ‘Dharmendu’. He continued his studies in Ayurveda at DAV College, Lahore, earning the degree of ‘Kaviraj,’ a title he later would be known as, both affectionately and popularly.

Panditji was dedicated to helping people of his state. During an outbreak of Cholera in Kullu, Panditji served the people and provided them with medical care^[6]. Post his return to Shimla after completing his studies, he taught poor students at night.

Pt Padam Dev was a reformer, through and through. Along with his political career, from early on, he took up the cause of the downtrodden and made efforts to change oppressive social customs like child marriages and untouchability, among others.

Pt Padam Dev vehemently opposed the practise of reet, a custom which involved sale of women for marriage. Reforming unjust social practices is seldom easy, and one must walk through fire to change the world. His work drew the wrath of the administration, and even some of his compatriots. Arrest warrants were issued against him, some of his peers threatened social boycott, but Panditji was not one to be deterred. He knew what his beloved homeland needed, and he was prepared to lose everything for his state.

He also raised his voice against begar, a form of forced labour. In 1939, when people arose in agitation against begar, the Rana of Kumarsain, in a letter to the Political Resident of Punjab Hill States wrote, ‘…when the [protestors] reached Shimla, they stayed at Padam Dev’s house, who....made them present a petition to Political Agent…preaching that begar has been prohibited in the States under the orders of the government, so no one can force them to do any begar…’^[5] The Rana went on to complain that Padam Dev was telling the people to join the Congress party and was, ‘[inciting] the people with intent to create disaffection against the State.’ Resolution submitted by Padam Dev called for protection of fundamental rights of the people, and it brought into limelight the transgressions of the rulers of the Hill states.

Pt Padam Dev’s ideas were way ahead of his time, and initially, he did not receive support; but, with time, public opinion would shift. Many realised that this man was gunning for a better life for his compatriots, and eventually, Pt Padam dev found supporters and workers ready to fight with him.

Pt Padam Dev was an Arya Samaj preacher, and it is thought that his influence was one of the many factors that inspired Samuel Evans Stokes, the revolutionary man who introduced apple cultivation to Himachal, to take up Hinduism and become Satyananda Stokes.

So deep was Pandit Padam Dev’s love for independence for his nation that it is said that when he was in Lahore he wrote a letter in blood, proclaiming that he would not rest until India attained freedom from the British.

In 1922, he joined the freedom movement at a very young age of 21, and he also took an active part in the Salt Satyagraha movement in 1930^[7]. As an Arya Samaj preacher, he organised weekly meetings and instilled in people a desire for freedom. At Lahore, he became a member of Swaraj Sabha. After Bhagat Singh was hanged on March 23, 1931, Panditji campaigned against the British and inspired the youth to rebel against foreign yoke^[6].

Around 1934, he organised the ‘Bushahr Prem Sabha,’ and later organised the ‘Bushahr Praja Mandal’. He worked to rouse the public against the maladministration of the Raja and the British. He would attend meetings in different Hill states and collect information about the injustices that the people of the state were facing. He urged people not to pay unjust taxes that were being levied by the state and stressed on social and political reforms.

In Kunihar, another small state in the Shimla hills, Pt Padam Dev led a deputation of Kunihar Praja Mandal and presented a charter of demands to the Raja on July 08, 1939^{[2, 5]}. The charter raised multiple demands including release of political prisoners, reduction in land revenue, and the recognition of the Praja Mandal. It also called for political and social reforms. The helpless Raja of the state could not resist the Praja Mandalists, and a responsible government in Kunihar was established with relative ease.

In 1939, Panditji led a delegation of Praja Mandalists to Hyderabad and took an active part in Hyderabad State agitation against the Nizam^[7]. For his activities, he was arrested and sent to prison^{[4, 6]}.

On June 26, 1941, Padam Dev was arrested in Shimla during a satyagraha, for making an anti-war speech at a public meeting at Ganj. Just one day later he was sentenced to 18 months of rigorous imprisonment by DR Budhwar, the District Magistrate of Shimla. He was sent to Kainthu Jail and also spent time at a prison in Ludhiana, Punjab^[6].

The British Administration, obviously rattled by growing agitation, would issue warnings to the Hill states regarding these political developments, and the state of Bushahr was warned about the ‘propaganda’ of Pt Padam Dev. Panditji was also a founding member of the Revolutionary Party in 1942.

Post his release from prison, when Mahatma Gandhi gave the slogan of ‘Do or Die’ on August 08, 1942, Panditji, alongside Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, participated in an agitation, and he was detained, once again^[6]. Repeated arrests and detainment did not deter him, and his participation in the freedom movement led to another arrest in 1945^[4].

An interesting aspect of the freedom movement in Shimla Hill States was the political tussle between various leaders. Two different Praja Mandals with the name of ‘Bushahr Praja Mandal’ had sprung up – one led by Pt Padam Dev and the other by Satya Dev Bushahri, another prominent name in Himachal’s freedom struggle. These two leaders differed in many of their political opinions, and it set a stage for a battle of political wills. Pt Padam Dev would find an ally in Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar, and Bhagmal Sautha would end up throwing his weight behind Bushahri.

This rise of factionalism was taken note of by the central Congress command, and these leaders would often be advised to resolve their differences. To organise the activities of different Praja Mandals across Himachal, the Himalayan Hill States Regional Council was set up, and Pt Padam Dev was elected as its General Secretary.

When the Rajas of the Hill states, led by Raja Durga Singh of Baghat, decided to form a union of their states in January 1948, Pt Padam Dev and Dr Parmar opposed the idea, while Sautha-Bushahri faction supported it. Padam Dev believed that this union was just a ploy by the Rajas to keep hold of their power after independence. Instead, a Himachal Prant Provisional Government was set up, with Pt Padam Dev as one of its members^[3].

Suket, a state ruled by Raja Laxman Sen, was marred by corruption and inefficient administration. Begar was prevalent, and the oppression by the state’s Darbar was resented by the people. Dr Parmar, in a letter to the States Ministry, described its administration as ‘notoriously rotten.’ At a meeting of Praja Mandal workers of the state, it was decided that a notice would be given to the Raja of Suket on February 16, 1948 to merge into the new state of Himachal Pradesh within 48 hours. On February 18th, when no reply to the notice was received, the movement now known as ‘Suket Satyagraha’ began. Pt Padam Dev led satyagrahis towards Tattapani, with another contingent of a thousand protestors starting from Behnu village. Pt Padam Dev was also accompanied by Bhram Dev, his nephew who had served in the army, and Panditji and Bhram Dev are said to have made bombs out of coconut, to counter any military opposition by the Suket state^[6]. The police forces of the state tried to put up a resistance, but in vain. The state fell, and the Indian States Ministry took control of it. The Suket Satyagraha was an important milestone for the integration movement in the state, as it sent a crystal clear message to other Rajas that they had no other option but to merge into the young Indian Union.

Post formation of Himachal Pradesh as a Centrally Administered Province on April 15, 1948, Pt Padam Dev found a place in its Advisory Council. Like other Congress members of this council, Padam Dev was not happy with the lack of powers given to the council members. The members would often stage walkouts from the meetings of the Council.

Pt Padam Dev was opposed to the Rajas being appointed to the Council. Writing to Sardar Patel in March 1949, he highlighted the poor condition of farmers of the state, while denouncing the actions of the Rajas. With Dr Parmar and other members from Congress, he submitted his resignation from the Council in August 1949, but later rescinded it on the advice of Sardar Patel.

As Himachal became a Part C state after the Constitution came into force, the first elections took place at the end of 1951. Pt Padam Dev contested from Rohru on an Indian National Congress ticket, and he won the seat by securing 33.85% of the total votes^[1].

Pt Padam Dev and Dr Parmar both had substantial claim to the post of the first Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh. Pt Padam Dev had been active in the freedom struggle and political and social movements for much longer than Dr Parmar. Yet, he graciously agreed to let Dr Parmar take up the leadership.

Along with Dr Parmar, Pt Padam Dev and Gauri Prasad were going to be the two other members of the first cabinet. Panditji was allotted the portfolios of Home, Jail, Police, Education, Cooperation, Panchayat, Industries, and Civil supplies.

He worked alongside Dr Parmar for many years. This relationship would show signs of strain in later years, but that is a story for another time.

He went on to serve as a Member of the Lok Sabha in 1957, but would later return to Himachal’s Territorial Council in 1962. He held many portfolios in Himachal Pradesh’s government. He was a Home minister from 1952 to 1956, and held the portfolio of Forest Minister from 1967 to 1972. He also served as the Education minister, as well as the Industry Minister of Himachal. He was instrumental in helping Himachal Pradesh achieve statehood.

Panditji was a member of All India Congress Committee, Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee, Central Prohibition Board, Pradesh Harijan Sewak Sangh, Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes Board, Standing Committee on Cooperation, and Bharat Sewak Samaj. He served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors, State Land Mortgage Bank in 1962-64, and as a Chairman of Cooperative Marketing and Processing Committee, HP Government in 1964-65. He was also a member of the Estimate Committee of Parliament^[6].

He was awarded ‘Tamrapatra’ in 1972, for his contributions to the freedom movement.

Pandit Padam Dev remains one of the most important names in the history of our state and our country. His contributions during the freedom struggle and in post-independence Himachal, are unparalleled. This man dedicated his life, not only to the freedom of his nation, but also to the social upliftment of the poor and the downtrodden. More research needs to be done to bring to light the greatness of Panditji.