Dev Suman is most renowned for his part in inspiring and leading non-violent Gandhian civil rights movements and eventual campaigns demanding the total abolition of the monarchy of Tehri.

Suman is said to have narrated the dismal state of Tehri and Uttarakhand to Nehru, who along with other leader at the conference inspired him to embrace Gandhian Methodology with a renewed fervour.

Sundarlal Bahuguna, renowned for popularizing the chipko movement was also a devoted disciple of his, also credits Suman for introducing the Tehri population to Gandhi, the Charkha and Nationalism.

[5] On 23 January 1939, Sri Dev Suman founded the "Tehri Rajya Paraja Mandal", and solidified his position as the most popular youth leader of the Uttarakhandi populace at just 22 years of age.

On 3 May 1944, Suman launched his historic indefinite fast to protest the inhuman behavior of the jail authorities and the dismissal of his demands under the rule of the Tehri monarchs.

In reality, the monarchy had made a proposal to Suman, which guaranteed his acquittal in exchange of him withdrawing his demands for the independence of Tehri and the end of his fast, which the latter declined.

Local legends recount that the King of Tehri had Suman's corpse hung on a tree in Srinagar in a display of feudal power to deter other protestors.

The legend however, is believed to have been concocted at a later date to gain support for the rebels, against the monarchy and in the future was recalled to garner solidarity for the Uttarakhand Statehood Movement.