Born in Shimla in 1901, Padam Dev was an early freedom fighter who participated in the Non-Cooperation (1920) and Civil Disobedience (1930) movements. He went on to become a founder member of the Himalayan Riyasati Praja Mandal, served as Himachal Pradesh’s first Home Minister, and was later elected to the 1st Lok Sabha in 1957. His pioneering role in the state’s political and freedom movements remains largely overlooked.