Sher Singh Shah: The Unsung Hero of Uttarakhand's Freedom Struggle

Sher Singh Shah, a pivotal yet overlooked figure in India's freedom movement, led the Quit India efforts in Uttarakhand's Kedar valley. Inspired by Gandhi, he transitioned from a goldsmith to an active politician. Despite his imprisonment, he contributed significantly to social service, education, and cooperative movements in Garhwal.

Sher Singh Shah, prominently listed among the forgotten heroes of the freedom struggle on the Ministry of Home Affairs website, is acclaimed for spearheading the Quit India movement in Uttarakhand's Kedar valley. Shah, initially a goldsmith from a remote village near Guptkashi in Rudraprayag district, was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and local leader Anusuya Prasad Bahuguna in 1940 to take up active politics.

In 1942, Shah led the Quit India movement in the Kedar valley during Bahuguna's illness, an effort that echoed Gandhi's call for independence. His grandson, Kunwar Singh, recounted Shah's challenging of British officers and subsequent imprisonment for two and a half years on charges of treason.

After his release in 1945, Shah devoted himself to establishing the Congress organization in Chamoli tehsil, including Rudraprayag. Beyond politics, his lifelong commitment to social service manifested in educational initiatives, including founding a Vidyapeeth and a trust for underprivileged students. Post-independence, he managed the Garhwal Cooperative Society and served on the District Board from 1948 to 1962, promoting the cooperative movement in Garhwal. His work left a lasting legacy, despite administrative challenges faced by the trust he established.

(With inputs from agencies.)