Thakur Devi Singh

Thakur Devi Singh (born c. 1922 - died 1989) ^{[1] [2]} was a politician from Himachal Pradesh, India. He was among the early major political figures from the Scheduled Tribes of Himachal Pradesh.

Personal life

Singh belonged to the Lahaul valley in the present-day Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh. He was born in Lahaul while Lahaul was still a part of the Kangra district of the Punjab Province of British India. His father was Seth Tenzin, who owned 500 goats and sheep. ^[1] He went to Government School Katrain (in the Kullu valley) for his schooling, where in 1935, he first met Shiv Chand Thakur, also from Lahaul. Thereafter, both went to the Government High School in Kullu.

In 1944, Thakur Devi Singh and Thakur Shiv Chand became the first two graduates ever from Lahaul, when they completed their BA degrees from the DAV College, Lahore. Singh was active in the Indian Independence movement. The two closely collaborated over their careers in helping bring development to Lahaul and Spiti district - the former as a politician and the latter as an officer of the Himachal Administrative Service (H.A.S.). ^{[1] [3] [4]}

Career

The 'Thakur Devi Singh Bridge' at Tandi, Lahaul.

In 1948, during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1947-48, Thakur Devi Singh, Thakur Nihal Chand, and Shiv Chand Thakur from Lahaul were instrumental in persuading and facilitating the Indian army to route its supplies to Ladakh - then under attack from Pakistani forces - through Lahaul, via the Rohtang and Baralacha passes. ^{[5] [6]} Thakur Devi Singh and Thakur Shiv Chand Thakur played key roles in the struggle that led to the Lahaul and Spiti district the status of a tribal area in 1952. ^{[3] [7]} In the 1960s, Singh served as the Block Development Officer of Lahaul. In this period, he worked with the IAS officer K.S. Bains in introducing disease-free seed potatoes to Lahaul. ^{[3] [8]}

Politics

In the 1967 Vidhan Sabha elections, Singh had contested and won the MLA seat for the Lahaul and Spiti assembly constituency as an independent candidate. In 1972, he contested this seat on a Lok Raj Party ticket, and lost to Lata Thakur. He won this seat in the 1977 elections on a Janata Party ticket, and in 1982 and 1985 on Indian National Congress tickets. ^{[9] [10]}

During the first term of the Janata Party leader Shanta Kumar as the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh (1977-1980), Singh was appointed as a cabinet minister, and came to hold the post of forest minister. ^{[11] [12]}

Electoral performance

1985 Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly election: Lahaul and Spiti ^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	INC	Thakur Devi Singh	8,646	96.31%	42.92
	Independent	Shiv Chand Thakur	331	3.69%	New
Margin of victory			8,315	92.63%	71.88
Turnout			8,977	61.17%	11.85
Registered electors			15,175		2.09
	INC hold		Swing

1982 Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly election: Lahaul and Spiti ^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	INC	Thakur Devi Singh	5,636	53.40%	New
	BJP	Surinder Chand	3,446	32.65%	New
	Independent	Bir Singh	768	7.28%	New
	CPI	Khushal Chand	705	6.68%	New
Margin of victory			2,190	20.75%	34.61
Turnout			10,555	72.63%	17.17
Registered electors			14,864		8.03
	INC gain from JP		Swing	22.86

1977 Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly election: Lahaul and Spiti ^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	JP	Thakur Devi Singh	5,649	76.26%	New
	Independent	Shiv Chand Thakur	1,548	20.90%	New
	Independent	Phunchog Rai	211	2.85%	New
Margin of victory			4,101	55.36%	44.16
Turnout			7,408	55.53%	24.37
Registered electors			13,759		11.82
	JP gain from INC		Swing	20.65

1972 Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly election: Lahaul and Spiti ^[16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	INC	Lata Thakur	5,351	55.60%	12.04
	Independent	Thakur Devi Singh	4,273	44.40%	New
Margin of victory			1,078	11.20%	3.35
Turnout			9,624	78.21%	14.44
Registered electors			12,305		42.91
	INC gain from Independent		Swing	4.19

1967 Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly election: Lahaul and Spiti ^[17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Thakur Devi Singh	7,066	51.41%	New
	INC	N. Chand	5,987	43.56%	New
	Independent	D. Datt	691	5.03%	New
Margin of victory			1,079	7.85%
Turnout			13,744	63.78%
Registered electors			21,553
	Independent win (new seat)

Memorials

• The district library of the Lahaul and Spiti district in the district headquarters at Keylong is named 'Thakur Devi Singh Memorial District Library'. ^[18]
• The bridge over the Chandra River at Tandi in Lahaul is named 'Thakur Devi Singh Bridge'.^{[ citation needed ]}

References

1. Thakur, Shiv Chand (2020). Kullu, Lahul-Spiti evam Leh-Ladakh - atmakatha, yatra sansmaran, itihaas, evam vikas (in Hindi). Kullu: Gurukul Bahumukhi Shiksha Sansthan.
2. Lal, Shiv (1990). Non-Congressism is Reborn: 1989-90 Polls and Parties. Election Archives. ISBN   978-81-7051-075-8.
3. Kumar, Ajai (2004). "Development and Social Mobility among the Lahulis of Himachal Pradesh" . Sociological Bulletin. 53 (2): 222–237. doi:10.1177/0038022920040204. ISSN   0038-0229. JSTOR   23620403. S2CID   157512165.
4. Tribune News Service (8 September 2022). "Tribal heroes' contribution to freedom struggle laudable: Himachal Pradesh CM". The Tribune.
5. Rana, J. P. Singh (1997). Himalayan Heritage. M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd. ISBN   978-81-7533-026-9.
6. Shabab, Dilaram (26 February 2019). Kullu: The Valley of Gods. Hay House, Inc. p. 64. ISBN   978-93-86832-92-4.
7. "Rohtang Tunnel – Remember the Workers who Built it". NewsClick. 30 September 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
8. Chauhan, Kuldeep (22 August 2005). "Lahaulis remember the 'potato man'". The Tribune.
9. Socialist India. Indian National Congress. All India Congress Committee. 1972.
10. "IndiaVotes AC: Winner summary over elections for Lahaul". IndiaVotes. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
11. Sharma, T. R. (1987). "Observations on Himachal Politics". The Indian Journal of Political Science. 48 (4): 494–505. ISSN   0019-5510. JSTOR   41855333.
12. Link: Indian Newsmagazine. 1979.
13. "Statistical Report on General Election, 1985 to the Legislative Assembly of Himachal Pradesh" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Archived from the original (pdf) on 14 January 2012.
14. "Statistical Report on General Election, 1982 to the Legislative Assembly of Himachal Pradesh" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Archived from the original (pdf) on 17 January 2012.
15. "Statistical Report on General Election, 1977 to the Legislative Assembly of Himachal Pradesh" (PDF). Archived from the original (pdf) on 19 March 2016.
16. "Statistical Report on General Election, 1972 to the Legislative Assembly of Himachal Pradesh". Election Commission of India . Retrieved 10 February 2022.
17. "Statistical Report on General Election, 1967 to the Legislative Assembly of Himachal Pradesh" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Archived from the original (pdf) on 17 January 2012.
18. "Thakur Devi Singh Memorial District Library, Keylong". Punlib.net.