| Brahm Prakash | |
| Birth Name: | Chaudhary Brahm Prakash Yadav |
| Birth Date: | 1918 6, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Kenya, British India |
| Residence: | Delhi, India |
| Death Place: | Delhi, India |
| Constituency: | Nangloi Jat |
| Order5: | 1st |
| Office5: | Chief Minister of Delhi |
| Term Start5: | 17 March 1952 |
| Term End5: | 12 February 1955 |
| Predecessor5: | Office Established |
| Successor5: | Gurumukh Nihal Singh |
| Office4: | Member of the Lok Sabha for Delhi Sadar |
| Term Start4: | 1957 |
| Term End4: | 1962 |
| Predecessor4: | Constituency Established |
| Successor4: | Shiv Charan Gupta |
| Term Start3: | 1962 |
| Term End3: | 1967 |
| Predecessor3: | Naval Prabhakar |
| Successor3: | Vacant |
| Term Start2: | 1967 |
| Term End2: | 1971 |
| Predecessor2: | Vacant |
| Successor2: | Chaudhry Dalip Singh |
| Office1: | Member of the Lok Sabha for Outer Delhi |
| Term Start1: | 1977 |
| Term End1: | 1980 |
| Predecessor1: | Chaudhry Dalip Singh |
| Successor1: | Sajjan Kumar |
| Office: | 13th Minister of Agriculture |
| Term Start: | 30 July 1979 |
| Term End: | 14 January 1980 |
| Primeminister: | Charan Singh |
| Predecessor: | Surjit Singh Barnala |
| Successor: | Rao Birendra Singh |
| Party: | Indian National Congress, Janata Party |
Chaudhary Brahm Prakash Yadav (1918–1993) was an Indian politician, the first Chief Minister of Delhi, also known as sher-e-delhi,[1] and a freedom fighter who played an important role in the individual Satyagraha Movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi in 1940. His ancestors were from Haryana but his father a famous landlord, Chaudhary Bhagwan Das Yadav shifted to shakurpur village of Delhi and later moved to Kenya so Brahm Prakash was born in Nairobi, Kenya itself.[2]
He was amongst the leaders of the underground activities in Delhi during the Quit India movement. He was imprisoned many times during the freedom struggle.[3] [4]
Post-independence, Prakash served as Minister in charge of Planning and Development as well as the first Chief Minister of Delhi at the age of 34 years, the second-youngest Chief Minister in India in 1952–55.[5] [6] His stints in the Parliament twice won him accolades as an able parliamentarian. While he was with Congress Party, he was elected to Lok Sabha from Delhi Sadar constituency in 1957, and from Outer Delhi in 1962 and 1967. He joined Janata Party later, and was elected to Lok Sabha again in 1977 from Outer Delhi. When the party split in 1979, he joined the Charan Singh faction, and became a minister for a few months. He made noteworthy contributions as the Union Cabinet Minister for Food, Agriculture, Irrigation and Cooperatives.[7]
The cause of depressed sections of the society, rural development and empowerment of the weaker sections were issues, which were very close to the heart of Prakash. He was quick to realise the potential of cooperative societies in mitigating the hardships of the village folks. As early as in 1945, he started organising village and agriculture cooperatives. He was also a proponent of the Panchayati Raj institutions. He organised the National Union of Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Minorities in 1977 to work for the welfare of these weaker sections.[8]
Prakash and Dr. Kurien of NDDB promoted the idea of Cooperative Companies to help free the cooperatives from the shackles of Government control through the Registrar of Cooperative Societies. It was a precursor to the present Producer Company model.[9] [10] [11]