Indramani Badoni

Indramani Badoni (December 24, 1925 –August 18, 1999) also known as the "Gandhi of Uttarakhand," was an Indian educator, politician, environmentalist, folk artist and statehood activist from the present day Indian state of Uttarakhand.

Early life and education Indramani Badoni was born on December 24, 1925 in a small farming hamlet Akhori, Hindow, in the subsidiary princely state of Tehri Garhwal. Badoni was born to Kaldi Devi and Sureshanand, he spent his early life in poverty. He married Surji Devi when he was only 19 and went to Bombay in search of livelihood. However, he soon returned for health reasons.

Badoni was also a theatre-artist and is said to have been adept at playing folk instruments. As evidenced in 1956, when on the occasion of Republic Day Parade at Rajpath, Indramani Badoni organized a kedar dance under the leadership of Hindao's folk artists Shivjani Dhung and Giraj Dhung.

Political career in 1953, Mirabehn, a British-Indian supporter of the Indian Independence Movement and devoted disciple of Gandhi, went to Tehri on a humanitarian and educational visit. Upon reaching Akhodi, she sought the counsel of an educated and perceptive villager to help devise strategies for local development. Mirabehn employed the Gandhian method of village upliftment, where establishing a dialogue with knowledgeable and motivated local individuals was key to initiating sustainable development programs. Badoni responded to her call, and inspired by Meera Ben’s vision, devoted himself to social work, playing an active role in the village’s advancement.

In 1961, Indramani Badoni became a village head and afterwards the head of the development block, Jakholi. He was elected as an independent candidate to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly for the first time from Devprayag in 1967.

Legacy In state and national media Badoni is largely referred to as the "unsung hero" of the Uttarakhand Statehood Movement.