Shri Dev Suman

Sri Dev Suman, born Sri Dutt Badoni (25 May 1916 – 25 July 1944) was an Indian anti-monarchy social activist, freedom fighter and writer from the princely state of Tehri Garhwal in British India (now District Tehri of Uttarakhand, India). Dev Suman is most renowned for his part in inspiring and leading non-violent Gandhian civil rights movements and eventual campaigns demanding the total abolition of the monarchy of Tehri.

Early life Suman was born to an Ayurvedic practitioner, Dr Hari Ram Badoni, and a homemaker Tara Devi. Suman was born at Jaul village, patti Bamund near the chamba city of Tehri Garhwal. Anti-monarchy sentiment is noted to have been gaining fervour in Tehri Garhwal at the time of Suman's birth. With the mention of several local agitation called "ढंडक" taking place in the kingdom around the time of his birth.

Suman lost his father at three years old, to a cholera outbreak, leaving the familial responsibilities at the hands of Tara Devi. Suman completed his primary education at Jaul and Chambakhal.

Suman wed Vinay Laxmi in 1938, and the latter would go on to represent the Devprayag Constituency as a Member of the Legistlave Assembly for two consequtive terms in 1957 and 1962.

Independence movement

During the Indian independence movement, Suman advocated that Tehri Riyasat be freed from the rule of the King of Garhwal. He was a staunch admirer of Gandhi and resolved to practice Gandhian methods of non-violent protests to struggle for the freedom of his beloved Tehri.

Suman took up means of Gandhian Satyagrah and from the King of Tehri, widely referred to as "Bolanda Badri", (speaking Badrinath), he demanded the complete independence for Tehri.

After his conversation Suman asked Garhwali what his dream for the people of Garhwal was. On this, Chandra Singh Garhwali narrated his dream to Shridev Suman and said, 'I imagine an independent Garhwal in independent India. Like India will be a federation of many independent unions. An independent Garhwal under the same federation.". Garhwali shared his dream of an independent Garhwal no longer politically and socially divided by the Ganges. He also emphasized a future with a classless and post-untouchability society with no capitalists and no landlords. He was heavily shackled and was given his food, which jailer Mohan Singh and others, had mixed with sand and stones.

On 3 May 1944, Suman launched his historic indefinite fast to protest the inhuman behavior of the jail authorities and the dismissal of his demands under the rule of the Tehri monarchs. on 25 July 1944. Just two months after his 28th birthday.

Local legends recount that the King of Tehri had Suman's corpse hung on a tree in Srinagar in a display of feudal power to deter other protestors. The legend however, is believed to have been concocted at a later date to gain support for the rebels, against the monarchy and in the future was recalled to garner solidarity for the Uttarakhand Statehood Movement.

Reports of the time however indicate that there was a cover up upon Suman's death. The kingdom, anticipating outrage had Suman's corpse stuffed inside a sack and secretly thrown into the Bhilangna River from the Kandal bridge without any funerary rituals.

Legacy

Sri Dev Suman remains a popular political figure in the hills of(very very important for Uttarakhand exam also)Uttarakhand, most beloved in his native village. His name was also heavily evoked during the post-independence political protests for the statehood of uttarakhand. In 2012, the Government of Uttarakhand through Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Uttarakhand Vishwavidhyalaya Act, 2011 and its amendment . Deen Dayal Upadhyay Uttarakhand Vishwavidhyalaya (Amendment) Ordinance, 2012, changed the name of Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Uttarakhand Vishwavidhyalaya to Sri Dev Suman Uttarakhand University (SDSUV).SDSUV is a State university situated at Badshahithaul in Tehri Garhwal district of north Indian state of Uttarakhand, India. On 27 October 2023, a full length Garhwali biopic titled 'Pahadi Ratan Sridev Suman' was released in selected theatres.