In memory of Dr YS Parmar, architect of Himachal

Shriniwas Joshi

When I saw a striking photograph by Mela Ram Sharma of the statue of Dr YS Parmar on the Ridge with sun appearing to rise from between Parmar’s legs, I was drawn back to August 4, 1984, when the statue was made public by the then Chief Minister, Virbhadra Singh, and I, as Director of Language and Culture, read the introductory address dotting it with pieces of a poem, a piece of which had an apt metaphor of sun for Himachal Nirmata: “He is the only sun/That slices the mountain fog;/This sun/Is visible from the top of Churdhaar/This sun/Reflects in the ponds of every village.” I believe that that piece fits to the man who was born on August 4, 1906, to serve Himachal and died for Himachal on May 2, 1981.

The state government had desired that interested sculptors of India get mannequins of Dr Parmar readied to be displayed at Himachal Bhawan, New Delhi. A Committee headed by the Secretary, Language and Culture, inspected the mannequins and decided that the work be given to Sonavadekar of Mumbai. Before finalising the statue of Dr Parmar for Shimla, a five-member committee, of which I was one, visited the studio of Sonavadekar at Khar, Mumbai, where he had prepared the model. Dr YS Parmar’s elder son and Satya Dang, Dr Parmar’s second wife, were also in the committee. The members were busy in finding the plus and minus points of the statue. Suddenly Satya said, “Are his lips not pursed?” I immediately replied, “That is your domain, Madam.” The committee, including Satya, laughed and with instructions to Sonavadekar on what to do and what not to do, we flew back to Shimla. And the statue was installed where it is today. It, however, threw Jal Bala, a sculpture of a Pahari beauty with a pitcher oozing water, by Mahesh Saksena, out as also a bust of Mahatma Gandhi by Freda Brilliant, which found a place in the State Museum Complex but Jal Bala remained confined within the four walls of Municipal Corporation store for quite a few years to come out again recently and stand at General Daulat Singh Park. The statue of Dr Parmar was installed on a pedestal higher than that of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the Ridge. That raised a controversy of how could  the pedestal of the founder of Himachal higher than that of the Father of the Nation and so appropriateness was awarded to Gandhi’s pedestal in 1996.

My first posting in 1975 under the State Administrative Service was District Development and Panchayat Officer cum General Assistant to the Deputy Commissioner at Nahan. This one post has now been trifurcated, Development goes to various Development Officers; for Panchayats, there is a separate District Panchayat Officer and General Assistant to DC is now Assistant Commissioner. It was here in his home district, Sirmour, that I came in close contact of Dr Parmar and saw his ‘balcony view’ than the ‘pedestrian view’ on state and politics. He had a wide angle of seeing things. He would never shout on or scold an officer but his awe and aura were such that the officers were always up and doing. The State Grievances Committee headed by him was an example where the officers understood his nod – ‘akalmand ko ishaaraa kaafi.’ 

For me August 4 is celebratory not only because it is Dr Parmar’s birthday, but it is also the birthday of both my children who were born on the same date with a gap of eight years in between. My daughter, Shaily, was studying in Convent of Jesus and Mary in 1972 where both Uma Sinhji (Urmila), daughter of Dr Parmar, and my wife were teachers. When Uma came to know that Shaily’s birthday also falls on August 4, she made an offer to my wife that she along with Shaily joined her father in birthday celebrations. My wife agreed. It was a homely affair at Oakover — members of Dr Parmar’s family and the two Joshi visitors. A cake was in the middle of the room when crawling on his knees and lisping like a child, ‘I will cut the cake first,’ Dr Parmar entered there and played with Shaily for quite long. He presented a pictorial book on Swami Vivekananda to her, which is her proud possession to date.

Politicians, today, want to stick to the chair till death but not Dr Parmar. When he found that unconstitutional authorities have poked-noses in the Central Government and his party, he resigned from the post of Chief Minister in 1977. After his resigning from the gilded chair, I have personally seen him travelling in a public bus, purchasing vegetables and fruit from Sabzi Mandi and with a bag on the shoulder walking slowly to his wife Satyavati’s home. Such politicians are now a lost race.

Tailpiece

Dr Parmar was an honest but shrewd politician and practised the adage: ‘the ascent on the hills and the enemy need to be killed slowly.’