Chaudhary Devi Lal: After Chaudhary Charan Singh , one must remember that Chowdhary Devi Lal was the second peasant (and the second Jat) to achieve the position of a deputy PM,and that one occupied as a significant role in the national politics. Though he was seen by the Jats of Haryana as their benefactor, it would be unfair to call him merely a Jat leader. He is much better described as a rural leader, whose support base transcended all rural communities.
Ch. Devi Lal was born to Shugna Devi and Ch. Lekh Ram on Sept. 25, 1914 in Teja Khera village of Sirsa district. Ch. Lekh Ram was a wealthy landlord of Chautala and he owned 2750 bighas of land. Ch. Devi Lal, whose original name was Devi Dayal, received education up to middle and then got training in wrestling from ‘Akhara’ of Badal village in Panjab.
on 8 Oct, 1930 he received One years rigorous imprisonment for taking part in Salt movement in Hissar Jail and Lahore Jail. He took part in the movement of 1932 and was kept in Sadar Delhi Thana. In 1938 he was selected delegate of All India Congress Committee. In March 1938 his elder brother Ch. Sahib Ram was elected M.L.A. in a by-election on the Congress party ticket. In January, 1940 Ch. Sahib Ram courted arrest as a ‘satyagrahi’ in the presence of Ch. Devi Lal and over ten thousand people. He was fined Rs 100/- and sentenced to nine months imprisonment.
Ch. Devi Lal was arrested on 5th October, 1942 and kept in jail for 2 years for taking part in 1942 quit India movement. Therefore in 1942, Ch. Lekh Ram’s both sons , Ch. Sahib Ram and Ch. Devi Lal were in the Multan jail for taking part in the freedom struggle. Ch. Devi Lal was released from prison in October, 1943 and he got his elder brother Ch. Sahib Ram released on parole. In August, 1944, Sir Chhotu Ram, the then Revenue Minister, visited Chautala village. He along with Lajpat Rai Alakhpura made efforts to woo both Ch. Sahib Ram and Ch. Devi Lal to desert Congress and join the Unionist Party. But both the workers being dedicated freedom fighters refused to leave the Congress Party. After independence he started farmer’s movement and was arrested along with his 500 workers. After some time, then Chief Minister Dr. Gopi Chand Bhargawa made an agreement and Muzzara act was amended.
He was elected member of Panjab Assembly in 1952, Congress president Of Panjab in 1956. He played an active and decisive role in forming Haryana as a separate state. In 1958 he was elected from Sirsa. In 1971 he left the Congress after being in it for 39 years. He was elected in 1974 from Rori constituency against Congress. In 1975 Indira Gandhi declared emergency, and Ch. Devi Lal along with all opposition leaders was sent to jail for 19 months in Hissar Jail and Mahendergarh fort. In 1977 emergency ended and general elections were held. He was elected on Janata Party ticket and became the Chief Minister of Haryana. He remained member of parliament from 1980 to 1982 and member of State assembly from 1982-1987. He formed Lok Dal and started Nyaya Yudh under ‘Haryana Sangharsh Samiti’ and became popular among masses. In 1987 state elections, the alliance led by Ch. Devi Lal won a record victory winning 85 seats in the 90 member house. Congress was routed in the state winning only 5 seats. Ch. Devi Lal became the Chief Minister of Haryana for the second time. In 1989 parliamentary election he was elected from Rohtak and became Deputy Prime Minister of India. He was elected to Rajya Sabha in August, 1998 and continues to be its member. At present his son Sh. O. P. Chautala is the Chief Minister of Haryana.
Ch. Devi Lal fought against British rule and played a very important role. After independence he came out as leader of farmers in whole of India.. During his tenure as chief minister of Haryana he made several decisions which showed how much close he was to the masses. He always took decisions about the betterment of common people. He is so much popular among people that they call him ‘Tau’.
Ch. Devi Lal passed away on April 6, 2001.