On 27 February 2014, Hind Mazdoor Sabha along with the entire trade union (TU) movement in the country lost one of its legendry leaders—Umraomal Purohit—at a Mumbai hospital at about 4.15 a.m. A veteran TU leader, great orator, writer, and peace lover, Purohit was the general secretary of Hind Mazdoor Sabha(HMS) consecutively for many terms.

Born on 29 March 1929 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, Purohit was brought up by his uncle because he lost his father at an early age. Purohit, whose ambition it was to become a station master, studied up to the Intermediate, cleared the railway exams and became a station master in 1946. During those days, he was closely connected with Harish Joshi (the famous writer and TU leader) and Jainarain Vyas (the anti-princely state leader). Purohit was considered a trade unionist and political activist, and was, therefore, dismissed after 15 days of service. There were protest movements in his support and he was reinstated immediately, only to be dismissed again after a year.

After that, Purohit did not look back. He got actively involved with the TU movement and tried to organize the railway men. When Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC)split, and HMS was formed, Purohit decided join the HMS. In 1953, the railway unions of INTUC and HMS merged, and he became the vice president of the West Zone Railway Workers’ Union. His involvement in organizing railway workers spread from Gujarat up to Sind. He was party to a major agreement that took place between the government and the All India Railwaymen’s Federation (AIRF), allowing employees to work for TUs full time, without doing their duty in railways. The salary for the union leaders was borne by the unions, and Purohit was the first person to avail of such a benefit.

From 1958 to 2011,he was general secretary of the Western Railway Workers. He led the central government employees’ strike of 1960. He was the key person behind the formation of a Joint Consultative Machinery (JCM) for the Railways.
Purohit was the secretary, staff side, JCM National Council, and president of All India Railwaymen’s Federation. He served as both general secretary and president of HMS. At the time of his death, he was advisor to the union.