This story and all its characters are deeply rooted in the real world and remain so. It has been set against the backdrop of Haryana's prominent politics and its evolving dynamics that has been witnessed by entire Haryana. Starting from the conten...
This story and all its characters are deeply rooted in the real world and remain so. It has been set against the backdrop of Haryana's prominent politics and its evolving dynamics that has been witnessed by entire Haryana. Starting from the contention for the position of village ‘sarpanch’ to that for the chief minister's post and the struggle to secure it, the politics of Haryana has never been simple and straightforward. Every election brings events that tarnish Haryana's image and force some to sacrifice their political ambitions or take advantage of someone else to fulfill their own political dreams. It sometimes leads to significant scandals. The Maham incident is one such episode, which not only reached the parliament but also forced major political figures to resign, leading to presidential rule in Haryana for the third time. Chandramukhi Devi, aka Chandro Devi, born in ‘Kharad’ village of Hisar, was engaged at the age of seven to Chhatar Singh from Maham. She got married at thirteen, entering a landlord's household known for its long history of social work. At seventeen, she became a mother and managed to balance working in the fields, tending to the livestock as well as managing the whole household. The villagers, recognising Chhatar Singh's dedication, elected him as the village sarpanch in 1978, adding more responsibilities for Chandro Devi. Following his term as sarpanch, Chhatar Singh was made the block committee chairman as Haryana's politics shifted, particularly with the rise of the SYL issue led by Bhawani Lal, who had the robust support of Hisar and Maham residents. Chhatar Singh, influenced by Bhawani Lal's efforts for the farmers, joined politics, working closely with Bhawani Lal and gaining his favour. By 1987, Bhawani Lal had become the chief minister, winning the election from Maham with substantial help from Chhatar Singh, who was later appointed chairman of the Haryana Subordinate Service Selection Board (SSB). Chhatar Singh became a trusted ally of Bhawani Lal, who began referring to him as his son. In 1987, while still chairman, Chhatar singh completd a recruitment for the post of clerk. Chandro devi answered a phone call from BhawaniLal who asked Chhatar Singh to change the recruitment list. Fearing for the youth, Chandro Devi lied, saying the recruitment had been completed. It disappointed Om Prakash Chautala, who could not recruit his own people and then began creating rifts between Bhawani lal and Chhatar Singh. Political dynamics were changing in Delhi too, with VP Singh announcing Bhawani Lal as the next prime ministerial candidate. Consequently, in 1990, Bhawani Lal resigned as Haryana's chief minister, appointing Om Prakash Chautala as his successor. Following Bhawani Lal’s departure, the Maham assembly seat became vacant. Understanding the political game, Chhatar Singh resigned from his chairman position, though Chautala initially refused to accept it because the Maham Panchayat unanimously chose Chhatar Singh as the next MLA. When the panchayat.