A principled politician, Katoch was Kangra’s voice

Lalit Mohan

Vikram Singh Katoch, former minister and senior Congress leader from the Indora Assembly constituency of Kangra district, passed away on October 26, marking the end of an era of regional politics. He was also known as ‘Chotta Parmar’ in the Indora region after first Himachal Chief Minister Yashwant Singh Parmar. 

Katoch was credited with the inclusion of Indora in Himachal Pradesh on the division of Punjab in 1966. The people of Indora remember him as a straightforward and honest leader who never feared to call a spade a spade. Though Katoch had been away from active politics for quite some time, shopkeepers of Indora paid tribute to him by closing their shops the day he was cremated.

Many prominent personalities remembered Katoch as a leader of principles. Former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir NN Vohra said that in Katoch’s death, he had lost one of his old friends.

Former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh remembered Katoch as a leader of principles who always stood for the people of Indora. Former minister GS Bali said that Katoch was one of the leaders of the old era of principled politics. 

BJP MP Kishan Kapoor said that Katoch would be remembered as the voice of Kangra district. He always stood for the rights of the people of the region, he added. Katoch was born in Indora on June 10, 1927. He did graduation from Government College, Dharamsala. During 1947-48, he was the captain of the hockey team of his college.

He entered politics in 1958 when he was made the president of the Block Congress Committee. In 1962, he was elected the vice-chairman of the Indora block samiti. His son Sudhir Katoch said that his father was very close to the first Chief Minister of Punjab, Pratap Singh Karion, and hence was instrumental in bringing the office of BDO to Indora.

From 1965 to 1972, Katoch was the chairman of the Indora block samiti. He was elected MLA for the first time from the Jawali Assembly constituency on the Congress ticket in 1972. He got 80 per cent votes, which is still a record in the constituency. He became a minister of state and held the charge of the Excise and Taxation Department.

In 1977, he was appointed president of the District Congress Committee, Kangra. In 1978, he was appointed president of the Himachal State Corporative Union and he contributed towards the betterment of the cooperative movement for six years in two consecutive terms.

Katoch was the chairman of the Housing Board from 1987 to 1990. He also remained the vice-president of the Himachal Congress Committee and a member of the AICC for 15 years. He was also the president of the Himachal Pradesh Kisan Congress.

He was appointed Chairman of HP Agro Industries from 1994 to 1998 and was given the status of a minister of state by the then Chief Minister, Virbhadra Singh.

Katoch was a humanitarian and self-motivated leader with perspective and a compassionate heart and he touched the hearts of thousands of people.