Vimla Dang nee Vimla Bakaya was born in a Kashmiri Pandit family of Lahore on December 26, 1926. Educated in Sir Ganga Ram School and Kinnaird College for Women in Lahore. She graduated with honors in economics from Wilson College in Bombay. She joined the MA course in school of Economics, but left it to join the International Union of Students in 1946, where she spent nearly four years. As a member of the IUS secretariat she visited most of the countries of Europe, including the Soviet Union. She was the first student representative of India (IUS) in Prague during the years 1947-1951.In April 1952 she married comrade Satyapal Dang, a popular communist known across the globe for his leftist ideals and was her acquaintance from Lahore. The couple settled in Chheharta, a satellite town of Amritsar, the place where they spent rest of their lives to serve the public and is credited with transforming the town into a model town in Amritsar. The transition in focus and viewpoint came in 1967 when comrade Satyapal Dang was asked by the party to contest the legislative assembly elections against Punjabi academic literary giant, famous poet and the then chief minister of Punjab Giani Gurmukh Singh Musafir from Amritsar West constituency. The couple had always been in forefront in advocating the rights of working class with initiatives of Vimla dang such as establishing Punjab Istri Sabha and relief trust for the education of the children of war victims which was prominently active during and after the insurgency years in Punjab. The outcome of the social understandings and dedication of the couple was that Comrade Satyapal Dang won the seat with over ten thousand votes, which wasn’t a small victory at that time and retained it for three consecutive terms.
During the 1965 Indo-Pak war they selflessly helped to boost the war efforts and strengthen civil efforts .Moreover they worked tirelessly against Khalistani secessionism in the 1980’s. The Government of India also recognized the social services of Vimla Dang and included her in the 1991 Republic day honours list for the civilian award of Padma Shri. The very next year she contested the 1992 Punjab legislative assembly elections and won from the Amritsar west constituency. She was an office bearer of National federation of Indian women and served as a member of the national Council of Communist Party of India. Vimla and Satyapal Dang both used to reside in party office known by the name of Ekta Bhawan as they had no child, by their own choice. There after moving to the house of their associate comrade on his request for better care and look after in the old age. Vimla dang fell ill on International Labour day of 2009, after participating in a flag hoisting ceremony at Ekta Bhawan of Chheharta and died on May 10 2009 at the age of 83.Vimla dang played a vital role in building a women and workers movement in Punjab. The couple set new standards of simple living and high morality in public affairs; they were legendary figures in Leftist movement. Comrade Vimla Dang contributed substantially with her dedicated work in organizing the masses notably the working class. The kind of dedication and selfless attitude is still missing in the current political and social scenario.
Our true homage to her will be abiding by the principles she had and the sense of commitment towards the general public should be something the current political ideologists and leaders should inherit.