Historical Perspective

Immediately after the formation of the Horticultural Society of India on January1, 1942, the first Executive Council was formed. Dr G.S. Cheema, Horticulturist, Poona in the erstwhile Bombay State and later Fruit Advisor to the Govt. of India took over as Founder President, while Sardar Bahadur Lal Singh, Fruit Specialist, Punjab, Lyallpur (now in Pakistan) and Mr. Sydney Percy-Lancaster, Secretary of the Royal Agri-Horticultural Society of India, Alipur, Calcutta (now Kolkata) took over as the Vice-presidents. Dr P.K. Sen, Horticulturist, Sabour, Bihar was the Founder Secretary, while Dr K.C. Naik, Fruit Specialist, Madras State at Kodur took over as the Treasurer. Twelve Executive Councilors were elected/ selected as first Executive Council Member namely Dr A.M. Mustafa (Director of Agriculture, Baluchistan, Quetta), Rao Bahadur H.C. Javaraya (Director of Horticulture, Mysore State), Mr. M. Aslam Khan (Agricultural Officer, NWFP, Peshawar), Mr. S.S. Bhat (Horticulturist, Baroda state), Mr. M.R. Fotidar (Director of Agriculture, Kashmir and Jammu State, Srinagar), Mr. W.B. Hayes (Professor of Horticulture, Agriculture Institute, Allahabad), Mr. S. Hedayetullah (Economic Botanist, Bengal, Dhaka), Mr. H.K. Nandi (Economic Botanist, Assam, Shillong), Mr. V.S. Badami (Dy. Director of Agriculture, Orissa, Cuttack), Mr. R.S. Singh (Vegetable Specialist, U.P., Lucknow, Mr. M.L. Garg (Prop. LR Brothers Seedsmen and Nurserymen, Saharanpur, UP), and Mr. D.T. Desai (Prop. Garden Suppliers and Co. VilleParle, Bombay).

During 1948, immediately after independence and partition of India, a meeting of the delegates to the Second Horticultural Workers’ Conference held in Madras was called at the Grace Hotel, Coonoor, Tamil Nadu on the 25th May, 1948 under the Presidentship of Dr G.S. Cheema, the then Fruit Development Advisor to the Government of India. The necessity to have an active organization representing the Horticultural Research Workers and others interested in the horticultural development of the country was discussed and it was felt that urgent necessary steps should be taken to reorganize such a body, which should be called the Society of Indian Horticultural Science. Thereafter, Dr G.S. Cheema agreed to be the first President. He also agreed to have the Headquarters of the Society shifted to Delhi 75 Years of the Horticultural Society of India | 16from Layallpur (now in Pakistan) in order to enable smooth and efficient working. It was decided to run a quarterly publication of a high standard befitting the status of a national Horticultural Science journal of the country, the name of the journal was finalised as “THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE”. To stimulate general interest and encourage workers all over the country, it was decided that this journal should be controlled by four Regional Editorial Committees in the country.

As a matter of fact, this decision was a turning point in the history of the development of the Horticultural Society. A circular to this effect was sent to various horticultural workers in the country and most of them objected to the formation of a new society and they strongly urged to take over the existing Horticultural Society and to avoid split amongst horticultural workers in the country. Dr G.S. Cheema and Sardar Bahadur Lal Singh also agreed that the existing society, viz. “The Horticultural Society of India” be taken over and all the records be shifted to New Delhi.

The decision was then referred to the Vice-Chairman, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, who was pleased to give a ruling that the entire question of re-organization should be decided at a meeting of the Fruit & Vegetable Committee of the I.C.A.R, New Delhi. This committee considered the case and in a resolution passed by it, the outgoing President of the Society was requested to direct the Executive Committee members to handover the charge of their duties to the Fruit Development Adviser who was also authorized to select a new body to revive the work of the society at an early date. The Fruit Development Adviser selected the various office bearers early 1949. No issue of the Journal could be published in 1948. The activities of the society were shifted to New Delhi during March 1949.

Post partition, Dr G.S. Cheema, Fruit Development Adviser, Govt. of India was designated as the President, Dr Sham Singh, Deputy Fruit Development Adviser as Secretary and Editor, Mr. S.L. Katyal as Sub-Editor, while Sardar Bal Singh Bajwa, Fruit Specialist, Punjab was requested to continue to work as Treasurer. It was decided to publish quarterly issues of the “The Indian Journal of Horticulture”. Three issues were brought out in 1949 and three in 1950, as the funds did not permit publishing the 4th issue. The size, printing and general standard of the journal was much raised to have wider participation of members and horticulturists and people in the activities of the society. Dr S.S. Verma, maintained the society office at M Block Hutments, Govt. of India, New Delhi.

After retirement of Dr G.S. Cheema from the office of Fruit Development Adviser, Dr Sham Singh took over as President of the Society in 1950. Dr S.S. Verma was elected as Secretary and Editor.

The first formal procedure as per constitution after prior nomination (duly seconded) for the post of President, two Vice-Presidents, a Secretary and Editor and a Treasurer was also started in 1950. Unanimous elections of Prof. W.B. Hayes as President and Mr. S.L. Katyal as Secretary were made.

Thereafter other sealed nominations were then opened by the Election Officer followed by voting by the members (Donors, Life Members and Ordinary Members) and the results were revealed for approval by the Executive Councillor for adoption from 1st January each year. Thereafter, much like the present practice, i.e. councillor and members of the Editorial Board could be nominated by the General Body or a sub-committee appointed by the President to have representation from across the country.

Prof. W.B. Hayes kindly agreed to be the President, while the office of two Vice-Presidents was entrusted to R.S. Ram Surat Singh and S. Bal Singh Bajwa; Secretary and Editor Mr. S.L. Katyal, who also acted as Treasurer as an interim arrangement. Mr. S.L. Katyal was associated as Sub-Editor of the journal for 1949 and 1950. He had compiled the details of the society membership and subscribers since inception in 1942 upto 1951.

Since then the society has been headed by several luminaries in field of horticulture, namely, Dr G.S. Cheema, Sardar Bahadur S. Lal Singh, Dr Sham Singh, Mr. W.B. Hayes, Dr K.C. Naik, Dr M.S. Randhawa, Dr B.P. Pal, Dr S. Krishnamurhti, Mr. S.L. Katyal, Dr S.N. Rao and currently Dr K.L. Chadha has thus acted as the major guiding force for all associated directly or indirectly with horticulture and allied sectors.

Mr. S.L. Katyal has been associated with the Horticultural Society of India since 1949 when he was chosen as Sub-Editor. He took over as Secretary-cum-Editor during 1951-54 and was instrumental in drafting of constitution, Registration of the society and taking to the society a newer height. He also served as Member Editorial Board 1955 to 1957 and 1959 to 1962, Executive Councillor 1958, 1963 and 1964 and Vice-President from 1965 to 1968. He has been President of the Society since 1969 and has thus served it Society continuously for the last 29 years.

Dr K.L. Chadha has been associated with nurturing the Horticultural Society of India (HSI) continuously for the last 46 and has provided necessary impetus to different activities of the society and making it a vibrant professional society in both national and international arena.
Dr Chadha has served the society in various capacities, namely, Member Editorial Board (1965-1968), Editor (1969-1990) and Secretary (1981-1991). He became the President of the Society in 1990, when he was the Deputy Director General (Horticulture), ICAR at New Delhi. Under his dynamic leadership the society has reached greater heights in all its activities. His proactive role in different spheres helped the society in reaching out to large sections of the horticultural fraternity in different parts of the country. His initiatives and activities are considered as the trendsetter in the scientific community in the country and the same are being emulated by different scientific professional societies too.