Devi Lal was born on 25 September 1914 in Teja Khera village, Sirsa district, Punjab (now in Haryana), British India, to a wealthy Jat family.^[4] His father, Lekh Ram Sihag, was a landowner with 2750 bighas (687.5 acres) of land, and his mother was Shugna Devi.^[5][6] The family relocated to Chautala village in 1919, when Lal was five years old. His education was limited; he attended middle school and later quit in 1930 to join the Indian freedom movement, inspired by figures like Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, and Lala Lajpat Rai. At the age of 16, in 1928, he participated in a demonstration led by Lala Lajpat Rai, and in 1930, he was arrested during a protest as part of the Civil Disobedience and the Kisan (farmers’) Movement. He also trained in wrestling at an akhara in Badal, Punjab, during his youth. Lal came from a politically active family; his elder brother, Sahib Ram Sihag, served as a Congress MLA from Hisar in 1938 and 1947.^[7] His ancestral roots trace back to Bikaner, Rajasthan, from where his great-grandfather Teja Ram had migrated to Haryana.^[8]

Devi Lal married Harki Devi at an early age.^[9] Together, they had four sons—Om Prakash Chautala, Partap Singh, Ranjit Singh, and Jagdish Chander (also referred to as Jagdish Kumar, who died young)—and one daughter, Shanti Devi. Several of his children entered politics: Om Prakash Chautala served as Chief Minister of Haryana multiple times, while Partap Singh and Ranjit Singh also pursued political careers.^[10]

Lal became involved in the Indian independence movement during his early youth.^[11] Inspired by leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Bhagat Singh, Subhas Chandra Bose, Vallabhbhai Patel, and Lala Lajpat Rai, Lal developed an early interest in anti-colonial activism and agrarian issues. In 1928, at the age of 14, he participated in a protest against the Simon Commission led by Lala Lajpat Rai in Lahore. The following year, he attended the Indian National Congress session held on the banks of the Ravi River in Lahore, where the demand for complete independence (Purna Swaraj) was adopted.^[12]

Drawn to the Congress party, Lal left his studies during his 10th class to take part in the freedom struggle. His activism intensified during the Civil Disobedience Movement and the Kisan (Peasants’) Movement, which focused on agrarian grievances against colonial land policies.^[12][4] In August 1930, inspired by Gandhi’s Salt March, he led the Kaluwala Morcha, a local satyagraha protesting British salt laws, and was arrested at a Congress office in Hisar. He was sentenced to one year of rigorous imprisonment in Hisar Jail and later transferred to the Borstal Institute and Juvenile Jail in Lahore on 4 January 1931. He was released on 5 March 1931 under the Gandhi–Irwin Pact.^[12]

Following Gandhi’s resumption of the Civil Disobedience Movement, Lal was arrested again on 4 January 1933 and released in May 1934 when the campaign was temporarily withdrawn. Over the course of the 1930s, he was arrested seven times for his participation in satyagraha campaigns, often alongside his elder brother, Sahib Ram, both of whom spent extended periods in jail.^[13]

During the Quit India Movement of 1942, Lal was arrested on 5 October 1942 and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment in Multan Jail, being released in October 1943. In August 1944, Sir Chhotu Ram, then Punjab’s Revenue Minister, and Lajpat Rai Alakhpura visited Chautala village and urged the brothers to join the Unionist party, but both refused and remained aligned with the Congress party.^[14]

Lal and his brother became prominent figures in the Congress organisation in the Haryana region (then part of Punjab), mobilising peasants against revenue policies and the zamindari system. In 1938, Lal was selected as a delegate to the All India Congress Committee, marking his growing prominence within the party.^[15] After India gained independence in 1947, Lal continued to focus on agrarian reform and farmers’ rights.

Entry into Politics and Role in Punjab (1947–1966)

Following independence, Devi Lal became active in farmers’ movements in Punjab, which then included present-day Haryana. Coming from a landowning family, he sought to address tenancy rights, irrigation issues, and rural economic challenges in the early 1950s. He launched an agitation demanding reforms to land laws, which led to his arrest along with several hundred supporters. The protest resulted in amendments to the Muzzara Act, marking his emergence as a prominent farmers’ leader.^[16]

Devi Lal began his legislative career as a member of the Indian National Congress (INC), contesting and winning from the Sirsa constituency in the 1952 Punjab Legislative Assembly elections. In 1956, he became president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, a position that strengthened his influence at the state level.^[17] He was re-elected from Sirsa in 1958 and served as deputy leader of the opposition in the Punjab Assembly from 1962 to 1967. He was an advocate of Haryana’s separation from Punjab on linguistic and cultural grounds and played a significant role in the movement that led to the formation of the state of Haryana on 1 November 1966.^[18]

Realignment and Emergency Period (1967–1977)

Devi Lal left the Congress Party in 1971, citing differences over agricultural and rural policies.^[19] He contested the 1972 Haryana Assembly elections unsuccessfully but won from Rori in 1974. During the Emergency imposed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975, he was imprisoned for 19 months, alongside many other opposition leaders.^[20]

First Tenure as Chief Minister (1977–1979)

The Janata Party’s electoral success in the post-Emergency 1977 elections marked a turning point in Devi Lal’s career. Winning from Bhattu Kalan, he became Chief Minister of Haryana on 21 June 1977. His government introduced measures such as debt waivers for farmers, irrigation projects, and rural electrification, alongside initiatives to improve opportunities for backward communities. Political instability within the Janata Party, however, led to his resignation on 28 June 1979.^[2][21]

Lok Dal and Second Chief Ministership (1980–1989)

In the early 1980s, Devi Lal established the Lok Dal party, consolidating his support base among Haryana’s farmers. He served as a Member of Parliament from Sonipat between 1980 and 1982, and as an MLA from Meham between 1982 and 1987. His leadership of the Haryana Sangharsh Samiti and the Nyaya Yuddh (battle for justice) campaign during this period focused on rural grievances, including rising agricultural costs and infrastructure needs.^[22][23]

The 1987 Haryana Assembly elections marked one of the largest electoral victories in the state’s history, with his alliance winning 85 out of 90 seats. Sworn in as Chief Minister of Haryana for the second time on 17 July 1987, Devi Lal’s administration expanded welfare measures such as pensions for senior citizens, free electricity for farmers up to a limit, and agricultural loan waivers.^[24] His tenure, however, also drew criticism over allegations of nepotism, particularly regarding the political rise of his son, Om Prakash Chautala. Devi Lal resigned as Chief Minister on 2 December 1989 to enter national politics.^[25]

Deputy Prime Minister of India (1989–1991)

Devi Lal contested and won the 1989 general elections from both Sikar (Rajasthan) and Rohtak (Haryana) constituencies as a Janata Dal candidate. Devi Lal was seniormost and had strong backing, especially in northern India and Haryana. Many MPs proposed his name as PM. At the crucial parliamentary party meeting, Lal dramatically announced that instead of himself, he proposed V. P. Singh for prime minister post. He became the deputy prime minister of India on 2 December 1989.^[26] In this role, he also served as Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Tourism. The period was politically significant for the implementation of the Mandal Commission’s recommendations, which introduced job reservations for Other Backward Classes.^[27]

After the fall of the V. P. Singh government in November 1990, Devi Lal continued as Deputy Prime Minister in Chandra Shekhar’s short-lived ministry until June 1991. His tenure highlighted his influence in coalition politics, though he often clashed with party colleagues.

Later Career and Formation of INLD (1991–2001)

In 1996, Devi Lal founded the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), which became a major political party in Haryana. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1998 and remained active in politics until his death. Leadership of the INLD was later assumed by his son, Om Prakash Chautala.^[28]

Lal died on 6 April 2001, at the age of 86. He died at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in New Delhi after a cardiac arrest. He was admitted to the hospital on 29 March 2001 and he was a patient of hypertension. The Government of Haryana declared a seven day mourning.^[29]

The then prime minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee mourned the death of Devi Lal and said:^[30]

The nation has lost a popular political leader who was a true son of the soil. Choudhary Saheb epitomised all the qualities of a good grassroot Indian political leader. His contribution to the advancement of the cause of India’s toiling kisans will especially be remembered for a long time. ‘Tau’, as he was lovingly addressed by all, was a great patriot who struggled throughout his long life for changing the priorities of our national development in favour of villages, farmers, and other underprivileged people.

Devi Lal is widely remembered as one of India’s most prominent farmer leaders and a key figure in shaping Haryana’s political landscape. Popularly called Tau (elder uncle), he earned a reputation for his grassroots approach, bold leadership style, and commitment to agrarian issues.^[31] His early activism against British colonial policies, particularly his unconventional methods of protest during the Quit India Movement, helped establish him as a fearless and popular leader among rural communities.^[32][33]

As Chief Minister of Haryana, Devi Lal introduced several welfare-oriented policies, the most notable being the universal old-age pension scheme in 1987, which made Haryana the first state in India to provide a monthly pension to all senior citizens above 65 years of age, regardless of caste or income. This scheme became a model for other states and later influenced national-level welfare policies.^[34][35]

Devi Lal also played a significant role in national coalition politics during the 1980s and 1990s. He was instrumental in the formation of the Janata Dal and the National Front coalition, which ended decades of Congress dominance in Indian politics. In 1989, he came close to becoming the Prime Minister of India but withdrew his candidature in favour of Vishwanath Pratap Singh, underscoring his reputation as a selfless statesman. He later became the first and only leader in India’s history to take oath explicitly as Deputy Prime Minister by title, a move that sparked constitutional debates.^[27]

Known for his rustic simplicity and blunt political style, Devi Lal often used unconventional means to mobilise support, including dramatic protests and mass farmer rallies. His tenure also witnessed political confrontations, including his famous altercation with Haryana’s Governor G.D. Tapase in 1982.^[36]

Numerous institutions, roads, and public places in Haryana and beyond have been named in his honour, including the Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Chaudhary Devi Lal Memorial Government Engineering College and Chaudhary Devi Lal Herbal Nature Park.

• First Devi Lal ministry (1977–1979)
• Second Devi Lal ministry (1987–1989)
• Aaya Ram Gaya Ram
• Dynastic politics of Haryana