At 97, Vidya Stokes Is Unstoppable

Born in 1927, Vidya Stokes, who took retirement from electoral politics in 2017, is counted among one of the most gracious, remarkable, and highly compassionate women in the political circles of Himachal Pradesh. She almost became the chief minister of the state twice but because of her rivalry with former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, it couldn’t happen. However, it was also Singh who eventually inducted Stokes as his cabinet minister twice, and she was also the Assembly speaker. Stokes had a strong intent to serve people, which is why people elected her to the state assembly eight times.

Though she also suffered electoral defeats, her political career spanning four-and-half decades remained unblemished. What’s interesting is that she never drew any salary and perks from the government. Daughter of late Rai Sahib Amin Chand, Stokes was born on December 8, 1927, at Kotgarh. She studied at Delhi University and married Lal Chand Stokes—the son of legendary Satya Nand Stokes, who is credited with the apple revolution in Himachal. Stokes was a horticulturist who was on the board of many organisations and institutions like the SBI, Air India and Indian Airlines. She was the administrator of the Asian Games in 1972 and chairperson of the Asian Hockey Disciplinary Committee. She was the pioneer of the merger of men’s and women’s Hockey in India in 2010.