To begin with, as provided under section 24(5) of the Advocates’ Act 1961, the Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh nominated 15 members who were required to be elected under Clause (b) of Sub Section (2) of Section 3 of the Advocates’ Act from amongst the Advocates who were entitled, as of right, to practise in the High Court of Himachal Pradesh, for a period of one year from the date of the first meeting of the Council or until their successors were duly elected in accordance with the provisions of the aforesaid Act. The names of the members so nominated were as under:

1. Shri Indar Singh
2. Shri Amar Chand Sood
3. Shri Bishamber Nath
4. Shri Susheel Malhotra
5. Shri S. R. Bhandari
6. Shri Bhagat Ram Sharma (Mandi)
7. Shri Sant Ram Sharma
8. Shri Bakshi Sita Ram
9. Shri Bhagat Ram Sharma (Dharamshala)
10. Shri Hira Singh Thakur
11. Shri Ved Viyas Mahajan
12. Shri Beli Ram Thakur
13. Kanwar Dalip Thakur
14. Shri Ramesh Chand Sood
15. Shri Chhabil Dass

In the first meeting of the nominated members held on November 7, 1971, Sarvashri Indar Singh and Amar Chand Sood, Advocates, were elected as Chairman and Vice-Chairman, respectively. Nearly after one year, the first election to the Bar Council was conducted on 21/23 October 1972, and amongst the 15 members elected, Sarvashri Chhabil Dass and Manohar Lal, Advocates, were elected as Chairman and Vice-Chairman, respectively till 1983.

In the election of Chairman after two years Mr. Bhawan Singh was elected as Chairman. However, the next election falling due in the year 1986 or so could not be conducted due to unavoidable circumstances till April 1988 where Shri Inder Singh Advocate, and Shri Naresh Thakur, Advocates were elected as Chairman and Vice-Chairman respectively. In the meantime, as a result of enforcement of Advocates (Amendment) Act, 1993 with effect from December, 1993, the Bar Council of India extended the term of Bar Council of Himachal Pradesh till June 25, 1994 vide their letter No. BCI:D:332/94 dated December 1994 till June 25, 1994 vide their letter No. BCI-D/332/94 dated February 14, 1994. However, the Bar Council of India, cide their letter No. BCI-D. 1239, dated June 22, 1994 constituted a Special Committee superseding the Bar Council to look after the affairs and to discharge the functions of the Bar Council till it was constituted in accordance with the provisions of Section 8 (a) of the Advocates Act 1961 with effect from June 26, 1994, as under :

1. Shri Jagdish Chand - Advocate General Ex-officio Chairman
2. Shri Inder Singh - Advocate
3. Shri Brahma Nand Sharma - Member

This SPECIAL COMMITTEE was required to hold election within a period of six months from the date of its constitution.

The FOURTH ELECTION was held on December 3, 1994, whose elected members first meeting was held on March 26, 1995, electing Shri Arun Kumar Goel as Chairman, and Shri D. N. Ronta as Vice-Chairman. On elevation of Mr. Arun Kumar Goel, as Judge of H. P. High Court, the remaining term of Chairmanship was officiated by Mr. D. N. Ronta, Vice-Chairman.

The term of the Fourth Elected Bar Council was due to expire on January 14, 2000. Due to winter vacations the term of this Bar-Council had to be extended for another six month with effect from January 14, 2000 vide the Bar Council of India letter No. BCI-D/3230, dated December 27, 1999. Consequently the election to the FIFTH BAR COUNCIL was held in the month of June 2000 wherein Shri Naresh Thakur and Shri. G.P. Guleria Advocates were elected as Chairman and Vice-Chairman respectively.

It will not be out of place to mention here that some of the elected Chairman brought distinction to the Bar Council. Firstly Sh. Bhawani Singh was elevated as a Judge of the Himachal Pradehs High Court and later became the Chief Justice of High Court of Jammu & Kashmir., where he remained promoting the genesis of Bar Council in as much as he initiated measures to promote Role of Bar Council over there. Presently his lordship Bhawan Singh is the Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court. Next Sh. Arun Kumar Goel, was elevated as Judge of the H.P. High Court. Out of the Ex-officio Chairman Sh. Hira Singh Thakur had the distinction of firstly being elevated as Judge of the H.P. High Court and on his retirement became the founding Chairman of the H.P. State Administrative Tribunal, while another Ex-officio Chairman of the Bar Council Sh. Madan Gopal Chitkara remained the Vice Chairman of the H.P. State Administrative Tribunal. One of the Members of Bar Council Sh. Narinder Singh Thakur is the Judicial member of the same Tribunal. However, in the matter of supreme sacrifice a very senior member Mr. Bhagat Ram Sharma of Mandi laid down his life in an aircrash while proceeding from Shimla to Delhi to attend a meeting of the Apex body viz. Bar Council of India.

It may be of interest to know that from time to time the suggestions made by this Bar Council in regard to procedures and practices were introduced through with certain modifications. The most astounding achievement is the enactment of the Himachal Pradesh Advocates Welfare Fund Act, 1996, devoted to the members of the fraternity whenever facing indigent circumstances. Towards the end of the last century the Bar Council conceived an idea to reduce the time and space among the advocates and to bring about instant connectivity or contac-tability among them so that the conneption "THAT IS FAR OF THAT IS TOO NEAR TOO" could lead in its frutification. Therefore, the Bar Council took out ‘AN ALL HIMACHAL ADVOCATES’ DIRECTORY’ containing brief details of theirs and related matters, on voluntary contributory basis. The success of this venture soon become manifest in as much as that the first edition exhausted soon after its publication. Encouraged by this response and realising the enlargement of the area of judicial and legal activism and the various changes having taken place in the intervening period the Bar Council hasn ow the privilege of presenting this revised edition to you. The pattern has been so devised as to be convenient all-around, whether in office-desk, or alongside briefs or even to be accommodated in pockets alongwith mobile phones. It encompasses related information to the exten feasible. We shall welcome suggesitons for improvement, if any, to be kept in view while taking out any supplementary. This will go a long way in meeting a relevant point behind maxim from YAJURVEDA vis. तद्दूरे, तद्वन्तिके (युजर्वेद ४२५) “That far off is too near too”

For all this I may remain indebted to one and all who made valuable contributions in accomplishing this task, particularly the members of the Bar Council, Secy. and the staff of the Council.

THANK YOU!