Ghulam Ahmed Dev : First MLA of Doda after independence

Ghulam Ahmed Dev : First MLA of Doda post-independence

Ghulam Ahmed Dev

By : Zain Batt
Assistant Professor (Political Science) Govt. Degree College Doda .
The Chenab Times

Khawaja Ghulam Ahmed Dev was the first Member of legislative Assembly (MLA) of Doda of J&K state in post independent India. He was an active political worker of Muslim Conference later on recristened as All India National Conference since his early days. Later on ,he emerged as one of the tallest congressmen from the erstwhile District Doda .

He got elected to the J&K Legislative Assembly twice and unopposed on both the occasions from 1950 to 1960 and became one of the signatories to the J&K Constitution, which came into on force on 26th of January, 1957.

Some of the veteran Congressmen like Pandit Mangat Ram Sharma , Janak Raj Gupta etc. started their political career under the mentorship of Mr. Dev. He hosted tallest congress leaders like Indira Gandhi & others in Doda. Mr. Dev has the political legacy in the form of his father Ghulam Qadir Dev, Who was the prominent political leader of Muslim Conference (Now National Conference) from Doda.

Mr. Dev was born on November 14, 1917 , he entered politics at the age of 15  ,  he was associated with Muslim Conference but joined National Conference after last disturbance ,. He has rendered service to the suffering people during Kashmir invasion . He was appointed as Secretary ,District National Conference and member of its State Council. He was appointed as District President and Vice President of National Conference. He was also appointed as Director Co-operatives Stores . He was a member, District Educational and Agricultural Board and Provincial Auqaf Islamia ,. He maintained law and order during 1947 disturbances and helped in the rehabilitation of numerous refugees. He was made the Incharge of  National Militia at Doda in 1947. He served the humanity in the light of the maxim “ All human beings are one”. He fostered respect for internal law without resort to force . He wanted Govt. to provide medical education and employment facilities . He exhorted people to do their duty towards God and their fellow beings. The National Conference was merged into the Indian National Congress (INC)  in J&K in 1964 and Mr. Dev was made the Incharge of District Doda with Mr. Muhammad Shafi Qureshi ( Former Governor of Madhya Pradesh) as the State President. Accordingly Mr. Dev started the membership drive for Congress in Doda.

It is pertinent to mention here that it was a time , when the state of J&k was in the severe grip of Plebiscite Movement led by the members of National Conference.  Mr. Dev faced severe social boycott , on account of his efforts to increase the membership of Congress in District Doda and to established the foothold of Congress Party in District Doda. Despite the social isolation and the resultant difficulties in the aftermath of the social boycott, he continued with his mission of life vis-a-vis  to establish the deep foothold of the Congress Party in District Doda .

In 1982 , Mr. Dev attended  the National Conference of Veteran  Congressmen , which was held in New Delhi under the Chairmanship of Mr. Sushil Kumar Shinde (Former Home Minister of India ).
Mr. Dev become the part of the J&K Constituent Assembly formed after the proclamation of the Maharaja dated 5 March, 1948 .
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