Social activist Mangal Negi passes away

Noted political and social activist and president Mangal Singh Negi All India Tribes and Minorities Front Mangal Singh Negi has passed away in Chandigarh at the age of 86.
Negi, who is survived by his wife, son and two daughters, died on Tuesday night.
Born in tribal Kinnaur district in Himachal Pradesh and later settled in Shimla, Negi was a versatile genius with a vast knowledge of the Constitution and was a crusader of rights of tribals and minorities.
He was one of the first civil servants from the tribal region of Himachal Pradesh who served in various senior positions in the governments of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir and at the Centre, including on the Constitutional post of Deputy Commissioner for Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes.

During his stint as an officer in the government, he accompanied the Debar Commission on the identification of Scheduled Tribes and was mainly instrumental in getting Scheduled Tribe status to the people of Kinnaur.
Negi also served as Chairman of Himachal Backward Classes, Minorities and Tribal Welfare Parishad and worked relentlessly for rehabilitation of Tibetan refugees, renovation and establishment of Buddhist monasteries in Himachal Pradesh and other parts of India.

He also served as an advisor to the Asian Bureau of Indigenous People from 2005 to 2010 and was the senior vice president of Lok Dal and vice president of Himachal Pradesh unit of Janata Dal from 1988 to 1992.

Negi has authored five books on Buddhist philosophy, Tibetan culture, Indian polity and Tribal history.
Two of his books are under publication.