Sridev Suman and the spirit of rebel Tehri: Forgotten chapters of Himalayan resistance

By Bharat Dogra

The literature on India’s inspirational freedom movement is vast and diverse when it comes to struggles in areas directly under colonial rule. However, the resistance in regions ruled by kings and princes—who operated indirectly under British authority—has been under-reported. In these territories, revolts often faced the combined repression of royal, feudal, and colonial forces. A stark example is the brutal suppression of the led by at Maangarh, where a massacre far larger than occurred.

Such struggles deserve greater recognition, not only for their scale but also for the remarkable leaders who guided them. Govind Guru of Rajasthan is one such figure, and another equally inspiring leader was . A devoted follower of Mahatma Gandhi, Suman was known in ordinary times for his gentle personality and literary talent as a poet and writer. Yet, when repression intensified, he displayed extraordinary courage, refusing to compromise despite severe torture and ultimately sacrificing his life in jail at the young age of 29.

Suman’s martyrdom came during the valiant struggles against exploitation and for freedom in the Himalayan kingdom of Tehri. Tehri’s history holds several other chapters of remarkable resistance. Soon after independence, edited a small book documenting these struggles, published by Satya Prasad Raturi, a teacher who had mobilized students during the freedom movement. While Bahuguna is widely remembered for his , he was also a freedom fighter and a devoted admirer of Suman. His book Baagi Tehri (Rebel Tehri), published in 1948, compiled essays and memoirs written soon after the events by participants and witnesses, ensuring authenticity.

For decades, the book was unavailable. After Bahuguna’s passing, his daughter Madhu Pathak, encouraged by her mother Vimla, searched for it and eventually recovered a copy with the help of Urmila and Prerna, descendants of the original publisher. She worked toward its re-publication, adding valuable excerpts from Bahuguna’s diary. The new edition, published in 2026 by Samaya Sakshaya in Dehradun, enriches the original with Bahuguna’s firsthand accounts of struggles he personally witnessed. His diary also sheds light on his early life, including episodes of imprisonment, escape to Lahore under a concealed identity, and refuge in a village—stories I have also recounted in my biographies of Vimla and Sunderlal Bahuguna.

The book highlights significant movements such as against exploitation and the . These accounts reveal extraordinary bravery in harsh circumstances and deserve wider readership. The new edition of Baagi Tehri makes a vital contribution by bringing these stories to contemporary audiences, including younger generations eager to learn about the lesser-known dimensions of India’s freedom struggle.

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The writer is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include Protecting Earth for Children, Man over Machine, A Day in 2071, and Guardians of the Himalayas—Vimla and Sunderlal Bahuguna

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