Consider the following statements regarding the Praja Mandal movements in the princely states of Himachal Pradesh during the freedom struggle: 1. The Himalayan Hill States Regional Council was formed in 1946 with its headquarters at Shimla to coordinate political agitation against autocratic princely rule. 2. Prominent leaders like Padam Dev and Yashwant Singh Parmar played pivotal roles in organizing the Praja Mandal movements demanding responsible government. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Both statements are correct; the Himalayan Hill States Regional Council was indeed established in 1946 under the aegis of the All India States Peoples Conference to spearhead democratic reforms, and leaders such as Dr. Y.S. Parmar and Pandit Padam Dev mobilized the peasantry against feudal oppression in states like Sundernagar, Suket, and Sirmaur. These grassroots political movements laid the institutional groundwork for the eventual integration and formation of Himachal Pradesh as a distinct administrative unit. Dr. Y.S. Parmar subsequently became the first Chief Minister of the state.