Prem Hari Barma

Prem Hari Barma was a Bengali politician, and former leader of the Scheduled [Castes and Scheduled Tribes|Scheduled Castes and Tribes] in Dinajpur, East Bengal.

Biography

Barma was born to a Hindu family in Dinajpur, Bengal Presidency. He was the first lawyer from a Scheduled Castes and Tribes background. In 1936, Barma was elected to the Bengal Legislative Assembly from Dinajpur. He became a minister at the Bengal Legislative Council in 1942. During the 1946 Bengal Legislative Assembly election, he successfully won, representing the Scheduled Castes and Tribes in partnership with the Muslim League. The following year, he became a member of the 1st National Assembly of Pakistan. He advocated for a secular constitution of Pakistan.