Yashwant Singh Parmar- The First Chief Minister of Himachal :

Yashwant Singh Parmar (4 August 1906 – 2 May 1981) was an Indian politician. He was a leader of the Indian National Congress and the first Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh state. He was born at Chanhalag village near Bagthan in a rajput family in the erstwhile princely state of Sirmour. He studied in the Christian College in Lahore and later received his PhD from Lucknow University in 1944. Upon the formation of the constituent assembly of India in 1946, he represented Himachal Pradesh in the constituent assembly.

Political Career :

Yashwant singh parmar was the Chief minister of the state from 8 March 1952 to 31 October 1956. On 1 November 1956 Parmar had to step down as Himachal Pradesh became a Union Territory and was placed under an administrator designated as Lt. Governor. He again became the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh on 1 July 1963 and he was in office till 28 January 1977.

His untiring efforts won Himachal the status of being declared the eighteenth state of the Union of India on 25th January, 1971. He played a key role in carving out a separate State out of the 31-odd princely hill states. He was also a member of the prestigious Constituent Assembly. It was only Dr. Parmar’s prestige in the estimation of Prime Minister that fetched this status to Himachal.

Hailing from a remote village which neither had any educational institute nor had road connectivity he realized the importance of both. It was his vision that laid the foundation of connecting the entire state with an effective road network. “It is a pity that his native village Chanhalag is yet unconnected. The Solan-Minas road which was supposed to be laid during the last tenure of the present Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh is yet to be completed.” rues a villager.

Pesonal Life :

Fondly remembered as the architect of Himachal for his feat in earning Himachal full statehood on January 25, 1971, Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar was a personality to reckon with.

Born on August 4, 1906 at Chanhalag village near Bagthan in the former State of Sirmour. Born to Bhandari Shivanand, an Urdu and Persian scholar of his time, Parmar obtained his early education from Nahan High School. This was considered a prestigious institute of the area. Since there was no college in the vicinity he was sent to Lahore’s famous Christian College for Men. He got his Ph.D. degree from Lucknow University in 1944 and went on to become a magistrate. He rose to become the first Chief Minister of Himachal in 1952.

Dr. Parmar was married twice. His first wife, Chandrawati, died early with whom he had four sons - Jitendra Singh Parmar, Jaipal Singh Parmar, Luv Parmar & Kush Parmar. Then he got married to a widow Satyavati Dang. Satyavati had 2 daughters Urmil Parmar and Promila Parmar from her first marriage.

Honours :

Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, established in 1985 in Solan is named after him. A statue of Parmar was established in Simla Mall commemorating his contributions to Himachal Pradesh.

Realizing the significance of education in the uplift of the rural masses his pioneering efforts led to the opening of a number of educational institutes in the state. Himachal was among the most backward states at the time of its constitution. Dr Parmar endeavoured to raise the socio-economic status of the people. This he accomplished by tapping the bountiful natural resources. Gauging the hydel power potential of the state he laid the foundation of harnessing it at a large scale. He said, “The numerous rivers of Himachal were mines filled with gold which if harnessed could fetch good returns.”

Forestry and environmental conservation attracted him in particular and he founded the Himalayan Forest Farming and Environmental Conservation Society. He also introduced the three-dimensional forest policy to meet the needs of timber, fuel and wood in the state. It was due to his love for horticulture that apple cultivation has made such phenomenal progress in Himachal Pradesh.

Leading a simple life Dr Parmar had a great love for the tradition- rich culture of Himachal. His ardently followed the traditions and was proud of being a Pahari. He preferred Pahari food and emulated the traditional culture. Encouraging people to work hard he said, “Pahari people have to be hard workers only then can we achieve prosperity.”

Criticism :

Yashwant Singh Parmar got stiff opposition from his own party men. Leaders like the then Pradesh Congress President Kunj Behari Lal Butail, who belonged to Kangra alleged discrimination against the merged areas of Himachal Pradesh.