All India State People Conference

Background: By the early 20th century, hill state residents sought rapid progress and responsible government.
Congress Stance: Congress pursued complete independence, viewing princely states as inseparable fragments of India.
Formation: The “All India States Peoples Conference” was formed and held its first session in Bombay on December 17, 1927.
Ludhiana Session (Feb 15-16, 1939): Chaired by Jawaharlal Nehru.Nehru’s Vision: Advocated establishing Praja Mandals and merging small princely states to create powerful organizations.
Key Himachali Participants (Ludhiana):
- Shimla: Pt. Padamdev, Bhagmal Sohta.
- Mandi: Swami Purnanand.
- Sirmaur: Thakur Hitendra Singh.
- Bilaspur: Sadaram Chandel.
- Chamba: Vidya Sagar, Vidyadhar, Ghulam Rasul, Prithvi Singh.
Impact: Triggered rapid growth of political movements and formation of praja Mandal across these hill states.
Ultimately all praja mandal merged to form HHSRC at Udaipur Session 1945 presided by J L Nehru.

Himalayan Hill State Regional Council (HHSRC)

Formation: Established in January 1946 as an outcome of the All India States Peoples’ Conference (AISPC) Udaipur session held in December 1945 under the presidentship of J.L. Nehru.
Executive Committee Formed at Udaipur:
- President: Swami Purnanand (Mandi)
- Vice-President: Shyam Chand Negi (Tehri Garhwal)
- Secretary: Padam Dev (Bushahr)
- Joint Secretary: Shivanand Ramaul (Sirmaur)

Major Conferences and Organizational Evolution

Mandi Conference (March 8–10, 1946)

Convened representatives from 48 princely states.
Key leaders in attendance included Col. Dhillon(Prez), G.S. Dhillon, Prem Sahgal, Shah Nawaz Khan, Deshbandhu, and Pattabhi Sitaramayya.

Nahan Conference (August 31 – September 1)

Passed a proposal to conduct fresh elections for organizational office bearers.
The proposal received formal backing from AISPC President Pattabhi Sitaramayya and AISPC Secretary Jai Narayan Vyas.

Rise of YS parmar

Arrival in Shimla (Feb 1947): Leela Das Verma and Kanshi Ram Upadhyaya brought Dr. Y.S. Parmar from Delhi. He joined the National Liberties Movement at the request of Pt. Padamdev and others.
Headquarters: Dr. Parmar resided at Krishna Villa Lodge in Sanjauli, while Leela Das Verma simultaneously opened the People’s Party office nearby

Elections of March 1, 1947

Conducted under the direct supervision of H.L. Masurkar, the Office Secretary of the AISPC.
President: Dr. Y.S. Parmar
General Secretary: Pt. Padam Dev
Registered Delegates by Region
- Tehri: Shri Paripurna Nand, Ram Swarup, Guna Nand, Gaureela, and Daulat Ram.
- Shimla Small States: Padam Dev, Bhaskara Nand, and Surat Ram Prakash.
- Sirmaur: Y.S. Parmar and N.D. Rattra.
- Bushahr: Satya Dev.

Himalayan Hill States Sub-Regional Council (HHSSRC)

Formation: Established on June 10, 1947.
Nature of Body: Formed by six members (excluding Tehri-Garhwal); it operated not as a parallel body, but as a subordinate body to the Himalayan Hill State Regional Council.
Office Bearers & Key Members:
- President: Y.S. Parmar
- Secretary: Padam Dev
- Promotion Minister: Daulat Ram Gupta
- Treasurer: Surat Ram Prakash
- Office Minister: Senu Ram
- Vice Presidents: 1) Tej Singh Nidhadak (Mandi), 2) Leela Dhar Verma (Bhajji), 3) Sado Ram Chandel (Bilaspur)
- Key Executive Members: Shivanand Ramaul, Sadhuram, Nar Singh Dutt, Hira Singh Pal, Gauri Nand, Devi Ram, Chaman Lal, and Chiranji Lal Verma.

Key Conferences of the Sub-Regional Council

1. The Sangri Conference (July 31, 1947)

Organizer: Chiranji Lal Verma in the hill state of Sangri.
Key Attendees: Dr. Parmar, Pt. Padamdev, Satyadev Bushahri, Surat Ram Prakash, Thakur Haridas, and Radha Krishna.
Major Impact: The massive success and mobilization of this conference forced the King of Sangri to flee to Aani (Kullu) with his family, marking a huge victory for the people’s movement.

2. Nahan Conference & The National Flag (August 1947)

Event: A grand assembly organized by the Sirmaur Praja Mandal.
Rare Occurrence: Notably attended by Raja Rajendra Prakash of Sirmaur, marking a rare moment of direct interaction between the monarchy and Praja Mandal leaders.
Organizers: Pandit Rajendra Dutt, Dr. Devender Singh, Dharm Narayan Advocate, and Pt. Shivanand Ramaul.
Historic Symbolism: Presided over by Dr. Y.S. Parmar, who waved the Indian National Flag in a historic act of defiance and transition of power, signaling the shift of authority from the princely crown to the democratic will of the people.

Ideological Division Within the Council

Pro-Merger Group (No Role of Princes)

Y.S. Parmar
Padam Dev (Bushahr)
Shiva Nand Ramaul (Sirmaur)
Daulat Ram Sankhyan (Bilaspur)
Sadaram Chandel (Bilaspur)
Sant Ram (Kangra)
Swami Purnanand (Mandi)
Daulat Ram Gupta (Chamba)

Pro-Confederation Group (Advisory Board of Princes)

Pt. Satya Dev Bushahri (Bushahr)
Surat Ram Prakash (Theog)
Tej Singh Nidhadak (Mandi)
N.D. Rattra (Sirmaur)
Bhaskara Nand (Bhajji)
Bhagmal Sautha (Jubbal)
Kashmir Singh (Mandi)

Representative Government after independence

Theog
- Formed the first responsible government on August 15/17, 1947, after Rana Karam Chand ceded power to the people.
- Prime Minister: Surat Ram Prakash
- Advisor: Dr. Y.S. Parmar
- Secretary / Cabinet Secretary: Devi Das (Musafir)
- Council: A 13-member Council of Ministers was established.
Jubbal
- Initially formed an 8-member Enquiry Committee for people’s problems (consisting of 3 nominated and 5 elected members).
- The ruler, King Digvijay Chand, later appointed Bhag Mal Sautha as Chief Minister.
- Ministers: Jai Lal Sakhoti, Kanwar Raghubir Singh, Dula Ram Gejta, and Baser Chand Negi.
Bushahr
- Satyadev Bushahri’s People’s Party won the elections held in October 1947.
Kunihar
- Noted as an early pioneer in public administration reforms, being the first state to include common people in the administrative framework through the mobilization led by the Kunihar Praja Mandal and Babu Kanshi Ram.
Other States
- Beja: Established a responsible government in January 1948.
- Koti: Set up a Vidhan Parishad on November 25, 1947.

Efforts made by Pro-Confederation Group

Badgaon Session

Date: 21 December 1947.
Location: Badgaon, the capital of Shangri state.
Event: A session of the HHSRC presided over by Satyadev Bushahri.
Goal: To create a union of princes while preserving the distinct identity of the princely states.
Participants:
- Bhagmal Sautha
- Surat Ram Prakash
- Swami Purnanand
- Sadaram Chandel
- Haridas

Meeting with Gandhi

Durga Singh of bagaht and raja of Mandi met at Birla house , delhi

Solan Seminar

Date: 26–28 January 1948.
Leadership: Presided over by Raja Durga Singh of Baghat.
thakur sen negi was vice chairman.
Attendees: Exclusively attended by rulers of the Shimla Hill State.
mahaveer Singh the organising secretary denied entry to padam dev and ys parmar
Goal: To form a Principality Union along with the Punjab Hill States BY 15 MARCH 1948.
Naming HP: Kanwar Mohan Singh of Baghal / satyadev bushahri was the one who suggested the name “Himachal Pradesh”.
Negotiating Committee: An 8-member committee was formed to communicate with Chamba, Sirmour, Mandi, Suket, and Bilaspur.
Members:
- Durga Singh (Baghat)
- Kanwar Mohan Singh (Baghal)
- Bhagmal Sautha (Jubbal)
- Satya Dev Bushahri (Bushahr)
- Thakur Sen Negi (Kinnaur)
- Heera Singh Pal(baghal)
- Devi Ram Musafir

Efforts made by Pro-MERGER GROUP

Meeting with SARDAR PATEL

The Opposition: Y.S. Parmar and Padam Dev strongly opposed the union proposed by the kings.
Strategy: Their approach was to demand total power for the people and make a direct appeal to Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel.

Himalayan Prant Provisional Govt.

Alternative Government: They established the Himalayan Prant Provisional Govt. under the banner of AISPC.its hq in SHIMLA .PREZ was shivanand ramaul from sirmur . members were sadaram chandel from Bilaspur , padam dev from rohru and Mukund lal from suket
Counter-Move: In response, Durga Singh of Baghat and Joginder Sen of Mandi went to Mahatma Gandhi to advocate for their king-led union.

The Suket Satyagraha

Start (18 Feb 1948): The Satyagraha began when Padam Dev entered Tattapani and seized control of the Tehsil Headquarter.
Raja’s Appeal: The Raja of Suket requested intervention from the central government.
Central Response: The central government deployed Kanhaiya Lal (DC Kangra at Dharamshala) and Lt. General Nagesh Dutt (Chief Commissioner of Jalandhar).
Escalation (25 Feb 1948): The following members reached Suket:
- Padam Dev
- Shivanand Ramaul
- Swami Purnanand
- Sadaram Chandel
- Dr. Devender Singh
- Rattan Singh
Resolution: The Raja of Suket, Laxman Sen, departed for Delhi. Nagesh Dutt subsequently declared the central government’s authority over Suket.

Key Meetings and Agreements (1948)

1 March 1948 Memorandum: The 8-membered Negotiating Committee submitted a memorandum to Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel.
- Legislative Demand: It proposed the creation of an independent legislative committee empowered to make laws.
2 March 1948: CC Desai demanded an unconditional merger, but Committee Head Durga Singh refused.
3 March 1948: A pivotal meeting occurred with Vallabh Bhai Patel, who referred the issue to VP Menon.

Resolution on State Identity and Governance

Finalizing the Name: YS Parmar proposed “Himalayan Prant,” but the negotiating committee’s suggestion, “Himachal Pradesh,” was ultimately adopted.
The “Middle Path”: It was decided that HP would not merge with any other state, remaining a separate entity.
Governance Structure: HP was denied its own legislative committee; instead, it would be governed by a nominated Chief Commissioner guided by an advisory council.

Merger Agreements :

8 March 1948: 26 Shimla Hill States officially signed the merger agreement.
14 March 1948: Mandi and Suket merged
23 March 1948: Chamba and Sirmaur merged
5 May 1948: Nalagarh merged with PEPSU.
12 Oct 1948: Bilaspur signed its merger agreement and was designated as a separate Chief Commissioner Province.

26 Princely States Joining Mahasu

Baghal
Baghat
Kunihar
Kuthar
Mangal
Mahlog
Beja
Balson
Bhajji
Koti
Darkoti
Delath
Dhami
Dhadi
Jubbal
Keonthal
Kumarsain
Khaneti
Theog
Ghund
Madhan
Rampur
Rawingarh
Ratesh
Sangri
Tharoch

SO HP BECAME CHIEF COMMISIONER PROVINCE ON 15 APRIL 1948

Sirmaur Praja Mandal & Movements

First Public Body: Inspired by the proposals of the All India States Peoples Conference, the first public body institution in Himachal was formed in Sirmaur.
Founders & Base: It was founded by Pt. Rajendra Dutt, who established his office in Ponta instead of Nahan, alongside Chaudhary Sher Jung.
Active Participants: Key figures included Master Chatar Singh, Shaligram Sharma, Kundan Lal, and Ajaib Singh.
Ludhiana Conference (1930): On October 12, 1930, Sardar Bhagat Singh and two others from Ponta represented the Sirmaur Principality.
Parallel Efforts: Pt. Shivanand Ramaul joined the Delhi-based “Sirmauri Association” , while Rajendra Dutt continued operating within the state.
Formal Establishment (1934): The Sirmaur Praja Mandal was formally established by founding members Dr. Devender Singh, Ramnath, and Atma Ram.
False Accusations: The princely government falsely accused Dr. Devendra Singh, Hari Chand Padha, Atmaram, and Indra Narayan of murdering the Maharaja and throwing stones at his car.
Dr. Y.S. Parmar’s Role: Then serving as District and Sessions Judge, Yashwant Singh Parmar favored the activists in his decision and proved the murder allegations were false.
Parmar’s Exile: This ruling led to major political differences with King Rajendra Prakash. Parmar resigned in 1941, was expelled from the state , and subsequently organized Sirmauris in Delhi from 1943 to 1946 to fight for democratic rights.

Baghal Praja Mandal

Establishment: Formed in Shimla on August 11, 1938.
Key Figures: The founding meeting was chaired by Jeevan Ram Chauhan , and Mansha Ram Chauhan was officially appointed as the minister.

Theog, Jubbal & Bhajji Praja Mandals

Theog Praja Mandal: Formed by Surat Ram Prakash.
Jubbal Praja Mandal: Formed by Bhagmal Sohta
Bhajji Praja Mandal: Formed by Pt. Bhaskaranand.

Bushahr Praja Mandal

Reactivation (1945): Revived with the active support of the Bushahar Reform Conference, Bushahr Prem Sabha, and Sevak Mandal Delhi.
Leadership: Efforts were led by Pt. Padamdev in Shimla, and by Pt. Ghanshyam and Satyadev Busheri within the princely state.
Later Joiners: Negi Thakursain actively joined the movement in later years.

Other Relevant Regional Formations

Bilaspur: Daulat Ram Sankhyan enthusiastically participated in and stepped up political activities in the area.

Koti and Kumarsain: Similar Praja Mandals were successfully initiated in these princely states.

Chamba Praja Mandal

Establishment: Initially formed in 1936 as “Chamba Sevak Sangh”.
Relocation: Turned into a political organization and was banned, forcing activities to shift to Dalhousie.
Demands: Opposed the Diwan who had seized all rights, demanding a popular responsible government.
National Attention: Activists were arrested, leading Gandhiji to urge a non-violent movement. “The Tribune” newspaper highlighted the political awakening in Chamba.

Mandi Praja Mandal

Establishment: Formed in 1936, becoming the second Praja Mandal in the hill states after Sirmaur.
Leadership: Headed by President Swami Purnanand.
Key Members: Ram Chand Malhotra, Baldev Ram, Harsukh Rai, Sunderlal, and Moti Ram.
Resistance: The King of Mandi heavily restricted their activities.

Kunihar & Mahalog Praja Mandals

Kunihar Praja Mandal: Established on July 9, 1939, chaired by Rana Hardev Singh in the Darbar Bhawan. Babu Kanshi Ram was appointed guardian.
Mahalog Praja Mandal: Formed in early July 1939 by Bhagmal Sohta, Hira Singh Pal, and Dev Suman.

Shimla Hill State Riyasati Praja Mandal/Himalayan riyasati praja mandal

Establishment: Formed on 1938, as a joint body of various hill state institutions.
Leadership: Pt. Padamdev (Minister) and Bhagmal Sohta (Mahamantri) played special roles in its establishment.

DHAMI BULLET SCANDAL (1939)

The Firing at Halog | July 16, 1939

Formation of Dhami Praja Mandal

On 13 July 1939, at a meeting in Camli (near Kasumpti, Shimla) chaired by Bhagmal Sohta, the “Prem Pracharini Sabha” was converted into the Dhami Praja Mandal. Pt. Sita Ram was appointed as its head.

The Seven Demands from Rana Dalip Singh

Abolition of the Begar system.
50% reduction in land rent.
Recognition of Dhami State Councils.
Granting of Civil Rights and freedoms.
Removal of restrictions and barriers on the people.
Return of confiscated property of Prem Pracharini Sabha members.
Constitution of a Responsible Representative Government.

Rana Dhami ignored the demand letter, considering it an insult. Consequently, it was decided that a delegation of seven persons would march from Shimla to the capital, Halog, on July 16.

The Seven Representatives:

1. Bhagmal Sohta (Leader)

2. Hira Singh Pal

3. Mansa Ram Chauhan

4. Pt. Sita Ram

5. Babu Narayan Das

6. Bhagat Ram

7. Gauri Singh

The Firing at Dhami

On July 16, the group departed Shimla. Bhagat Ram and Devi Saran carried the Congress flag. Near Ghanahatti, the police took Bhagmal Sohta into custody.

As the crowd slogans against the Rana reached his residence, a frightened Rana Dalip Singh ordered fire.

The Outcome:

Two persons died (Uma Chand and Durga Das) on the spot.
Many were badly injured in the stir.
Bhagmal Sohta was arrested and sent to Ambala.

Key Local Movements & Leaders (1946)

Shangri: Chiranji Lal led a movement against forced labor.
Kohistan: Gyan Chand Tutu became head of the Kohistan Praja Mandal.
Bushahr: Satyadev Bushahri became head of the Bushahr Praja Mandal.
Jubbal: Bhagmal Sohta accelerated the local movement.
Balsan State: The people’s movement took a highly radical form.

Prajamandal movements