Table of Contents

Research Methodology................................................................1

1. Introduction .............................................................................22. Early Life, Education and Role in the Struggle for

Independence............................................................................3

3.Parliamentary Career in Independent India..............................7

4.Personal life, Legacy, Works and Books on Babuji ..............105.Conclusion..............................................................................126.Bibliography ..........................................................................18

Research methodologyMethod of research

The researcher has followed purely a doctrinal form of research. The

research work was conducted with the extensive use of the library at the

Chanakya National Law University, Patna and also the internet.

Aims and objectives

The aim of the research is to present a study on the Life and Work of

Babu Jagjivan Ram.

Scope and limitation

The project deals with the life ,education , career, work, etc. of Babu

Jagjivan Ram.

Source of data

The following secondary source of data has been used in the research.

1. websites

1 Chanakya National Law University, Patna

1. Introduction Babu Jagjivan Ram, endearingly called Babuji, was a freedom fighter and a crusader for social justice. His meteoric rise in public life saw him emerge as an eminent and popular political leader who devoted his entire life working for the welfare of his country. He belonged to the vintage era of modern Indian politics. As national leader, parliamentarian, union minister and champion of depressed classes, he had a towering presence and played a long inning spanning half a century in Indian politics. His enduring and quintessentially twentieth century political legacy reminds us of the fervor, idealism and indomitable spirit of India’s political leadership that not only fought and won freedom for the country but also laid the firm foundation for a modern democratic polity. Gifted with a flair for political leadership and moved by the ideals and goals of the socio- political events that enveloped the country, Babu Jagjivan Ram played a significant role in scripting our country’s political and constitutional development and social change. A passionate leader dedicated to public life, he enjoyed immense respect from all quarters. Widely admired for his leadership qualities and organizational abilities, he always remained a force to be reckoned with in Indian politics.

2. Early Life, Education and 2 Chanakya National Law University, Patna

Role in the Struggle for Independence

Babu Jagjivan Ram was born on April 5, 1908 at Chandwa, a small village, in Shahabad district, now named Bhojpur, in Bihar. His father, Shobhi Ram was in the British Army where he learnt English and became proficient in it. He was posted in Peshawar, but due to differences with the British he resigned. Thereafter Shobhi Ram returned to Bihar, bought agricultural land in Chandwa and settled there with his family.

In January 1914, at the age of six, Jagjivan Ram was sent to the village pathshala. He had barely started school when his father died leaving the young Jagjivan in the care of his mother Vasanti Devi, who despite the social and economic hardships insisted on Jagjivan continuing his education.

In 1919, at the age of eleven, Jagjivan Ram passed the upper primary examination. After the upper primary education, Jagjivan Ram joined the Middle School, Arrah in January 1920. The medium of instruction in Middle School was English. The young Jagjivan worked day and night to learn English and eventually mastered the foreign language. Although Jagjivan Ram could have availed for the scholarship to Harijan students, he competed with the students in the general category to earn the scholarship based on his meritorious academic performance.

Jagjivan Ram loved reading books for which he spent one hour in the library every day. Also to keep himself updated with the happenings around the world, he used to travel 3 km. to the Arrah Railway Station to read the Statesman newspaper. He learnt Bengali in order to read Bankim Chandra’s ‛Anandmath’ in its original form.

Jagjivan Ram joined the Arrah Town School in 1922. It was here for the first time that the young Jagjivan came face to face with the oppressive caste discrimination and bigotry of the upper castes that shackled his community for centuries and put abhorrent limits on him and his community’s life. The school had separate water pitchers for Hindu and Muslim students. Some upper-caste boys

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refused to drink water out of the earthen pitcher touched by Jagjivan Ram and a separate pitcher was installed for the schedule castes. Outraged, Jagjivan Ram refused to tolerate this insult and broke the pitcher and when it was replaced he broke it again. Taking note of his protest the headmaster ordered that a common pitcher be installed for all the students. Though Jagjivan won his point, the discriminatory treatment meted out to him filled his heart with both grief and anger. In spite of this he passed his matriculation with a first division and a hundred percent in Sanskrit and Mathematics.

Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya being impressed by Jagjivan Ram invited him to study at the Banaras Hindu University. the same time the Christian Mission at Chandwa had also offered to bear the expense of his education and urged his mother to send Jagjivan to Lucknow and then to America for higher studies. However after some deliberation she turned them down as she felt that changing caste was not an answer to the caste system. But at the Banaras Hindu University also he faced the caste-based prejudices.

After passing the Inter Science Examination from BHU, Jagjivan Ram joined B.Sc. At Calcutta University and passed with distinction. Within six months of coming to Calcutta he organized a mazdoor rally at Wellington Square with 30-35,000 people. The huge success of this rally brought him into the limelight and leaders like Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose took notice of him. During this period he got acquainted with Chandrshekhar Azad, Manmath Nath Gupt and other leading revolutionaries. He read Das Kapital, Communist Manifesto and other socialist literature that greatly influenced his ideology of a casteless and classless society.

In 1934, an earthquake struck Bihar. Jajgjivan Ram rushed back to North Bihar to organize relief work. He worked day and night to organize clothing, shelter, medical aid and other relief supplies for the people affected by the calamity. It was here during his work in the relief camps that he met Gandhiji for the first time, and realized that Mahatma Gandhiji was the only national leader, who was fighting not only for the independence of the country but also for the emancipation of the depressed classes and Harijans. Gandhiji’s fight like his was on both fronts. All other leaders chose one over the other.

In 1934, he founded the Akhil Bhartiya Ravidas Mahasabha in Calcutta. The other organizations that he founded for social reforms were namely, Khetihar Mazdoor Sabha for agricultural labour and the All India Depressed Classes League. Through his organizations he involved the depressed classes in the

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freedom struggle and also rallied that all Dalit leaders should unite, and not only fight for social reform but also demand political representation.

In 1936, when he was just 28 years old Babuji began his parliamentary career as a nominated member of the Bihar Legislative Council. In 1937, he stood as a candidate of the Depressed Classes League and was elected unopposed to the Bihar Legislative Assembly from East Central Shahabad and he also ensured the unopposed victory of his Depressed Classes League candidates in all 14 of the reserved constituencies. With such an unopposed and decisive victory, Babuji emerged as kingmaker. Subsequently, the Congress invited him to join them.

Under the divide and rule policy the British wanted to establish a puppet government for which they needed Jagjivan Ram’s support but Jagjivan Ram denied his support although he was offered a large sum of money, a ministerial berth and many other political benefits. All national leaders and the masses praised this act of patriotism and integrity. Gandhiji said that Jagjivan Ram had emerged as pure as gold in the test of fire.

After the incident of puppet government a Congress government was formed in which Babuji was appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Co-operative Industry and Village Development.

In 1938, he resigned along with the entire cabinet on the issue of the Andaman prisoners and the British policy of involving India in the second World War .

Inspired by Gandhiji’s Civil Disobedience Movement of 1940, Babuji courted arrest on 10 th December 1940 by giving a notice to the district collector. He was arrested at Arrah and sent to the Hazaribagh Jail. After his release, Babuji entrenched himself deeply into the Civil Disobedience Movement and Satyagraha. He went to Wardha and stayed at Gandhiji’s ashram.

Jagjivan Ram’s participation in the freedom struggle and his activities as a Congress leader was inseparable. As a leader of the party, Jagjivan Ram strengthened the national cause by his strong organizational work and effective participation in the various programmes the party undertook in its struggle for freedom.

When in 1942 Quit India Movement was launched, Babuji had joined the Congress

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leadership in Bombay. The AICC passed the historic Quit India resolution. Soon after, most other Congress leaders were arrested and it was left to Babuji to make the Quit India Movement a success. He headed to Bihar to organize a mass movement against the British. Due to his revolutionary activities and the widespread support gathered by him, Babuji was arrested in Patna from his house on 19th August 1942.

Babuji was released on October 5, 1943 and in the following years, he organized many meetings and rallies and condemned the British Government for their suppression of Indian freedom movement.

Babuji won unopposed in the 1946 central elections from the constituency of East Central Shahabad Rural. The same year he deposed before the Cabinet Mission in Shimla as a representative of the depressed classes and strongly defended their cause and the unity of the nation. He frustrated the designs of the British and other divisive forces to further divide the country.

On August 30, 1946, Babu Jagjivan Ram was one of the twelve leaders of the country, who were invited by the Viceroy Lord Wavell, to become a part of the Interim Government. He was the only representative of the Dalits in the Interim Government formed on 2 September 1946 and held the portfolio of labour.

While returning from Geneva after attending the International Labour Conference, Babuji’s plane crashed in the desert of Basra, Iraq on July 16,1947

3.Parliamentary Career in Independent India

In post-independent India, Babu Jagjivan Ram’s contribution to nation building has left an indelible mark. As one of the founding fathers of the Constitution

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and as an important leader of the Constituent Assembly, he ensured the importance of social justice as one of the ideals enshrined in the constitution.

After Independence, when India embarked upon the task of nation building and fulfilling the dreams of the people, there were formidable developmental challenges before the nation which required the formulation of sound policy and new initiatives. Jagjivan Ram proved an ever-dependable parliamentarian who assumed the charge of various key Ministries to handle the challenging tasks when the country was passing through sensitive and delicate times and people looked towards governmental assistance and schemes to face the crises and overcome the struggling phase. As Labour Minister he introduced, time tested policies and laws for labour welfare. He was instrumental in enacting some of the important legislations for labour viz. the Minimum Wages Act, 1946; the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947; the Indian Trade Union (Amendment) Act; the Payment of Bonus Act, etc. He actually laid down the foundation of social security by way of passing the two important acts, namely the Employees State Insurance Act 1948 and the Provident Fund Act 1952.

In 1952 Lok Sabha elections, Babuji chose Sasaram as his parliamentary constituency since his earlier constituency was a part of it. The people elected him as their representative to parliament and he was given a ministerial berth. As Minister of Communication (1952-1956), he nationalized the private airlines and spread the postal facilities to the remote villages. In 1957 Babuji returned unopposed for the second time from his constituency of Sasaram. During 1956-62, as Railways Minister, he modernized railways and gave a new momentum to the expansion of railways in the country. In 1962 the people of Sasaram elected Babuji once again and during1962-63, he was Minister of Transport and Communication. In 1963 he resigned under the Kamraj Plan and worked to strengthen the Congress organization. During 1966-67, he shouldered the responsibility of the Labour and Rehabilitation Ministry. As Food and Agricultural Minister 1967-70, he pulled the country out of the clutches of a severe drought, heralded the Green Revolution and for the first time made India self-sufficient in food. In March 1971 the stage was set for midterm election. Babuji returned victorious once again to the Lok Sabha. As Defence Minister during 1970-74, he changed the political map of the world and made history by liberating Bangladesh and made the Pakistan Army surrender unconditionally. The way the war was fought was unprecedented and he kept the promise he had made to the people of India that the war would not be fought on a single inch of the Indian soil.

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In 1974 Babuji took charge of the ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation. He organized the Public Distribution System to ensure that food was available to the masses at a reasonable price. As a Minister, he had unparalleled ability to look after the affairs under his Ministry and he had his priorities well defined to take on the challenges ahead. In all the Ministries and Departments at the Centre where Babu Jagjivan Ram had held charge, he left his mark of qualitatively high performance.

Babuji was a member of All India Congress Committee from 1940 to 1977 and was in the All India Congress working Committee from 1948 to 1977. He was in the Central Parliamentary Board and All India Congress Committee from1950 to 1977. In 1966, following the death of the then Prime Minister, Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri, the Congress Party witnessed some inner power struggle and the age- old party deteriorated due to groupism. On one side were the old guards like Morarji Desai, Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, K. Kamraj who were called the Syndicate and on the other side were the Progressives such as Smt. Indira Gandhi, Babu Jagjivan Ram and Fakruddin Ali Ahmed. In 1969 the conflict between the two groups came to its head and the party split into two, the Congress (O) and the Congress led by Babu Jagjivan Ram. In the Bombay Session of the Congress in December 1969 Babuji was elected unanimously as the Party President and thereafter worked hard to strengthen the party which had weakened its hold in many states. His diligence, organizational skills and leadership ensured that the Congress came back to power with a thumping majority in March 1971.

In a turn of events Emergency was clamped upon the Nation on June 25, 1975. However Smt. Indira Gandhi declared the general elections on 18th January 1977. As instances of emergency excesses were on the rise, Babuji took the revolutionary step of resigning from the Cabinet and the Congress on February 2, 1977. The very same day he formed his own Party, ‘Congress for Democracy’ (CFD). Babuji returned victorious once again to the Lok Sabha and on March 25, 1977 joined the Janta Government as Defence Minister. On May 1,1977 he merged CFD with the Janta Party. On January 24, 1979 he became the Deputy Prime Minister of the country in addition to handling the charge of theDefence Ministry.

The internal conflicts of the Janta party resulted in the party losing its majority in Parliament and the Janta Government fell in July1979. Most of the members of the Lok Sabha wanted a government lead by Babu Jagjivan Ram and they rallied around him and asked him to stake his claim. With their support Babuji

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met the President Neelam Sanjiva Reddy. The President asked Babuji to submit his list of supporters. However even before Babuji could submit his list, the President dissolved the house on July 28, 1979.

In January 1980, the people of Sasaram reelected Babuji to the Lok Sabha and for the first time he sat in the opposition. After the fall of the Janta Government, Babuji launched his own party the Congress (J) in March 1980 and in the General election of December1984, Babuji once again returned victorious to the Lok Sabha.

Since, the inception of the Parliament till his death, he represented the same constituency and fought and won every election. His uninterrupted legislative career from 1936-1986 spanning half a century is a world record. Leaving behind the message of equality, he breathed his last on July 6, 1986.

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4. Personal life, Legacy, Works and Books on Babuji

On June 1, 1935, Babuji married Indrani Devi, daughter of Dr. Birbal a renowned medical practioner and a social worker of Kanpur. Dr Birbal was earlier in the British army and was awarded with the Victoria Medal by Viceroy Lord Lansdowne for his services in the Chin-lushai war in 1889-90. Indrani Devi was herself a freedom fighter and an educationalist, who stood by Babuji through all his years of struggle. They had a son, Suresh and a daughter, Meira.

The place he was cremated has been turned into the memorial Samata Sthal, and his birth anniversary is observed as Samata Diwas., (Equality Day) in India, his centenary celebrations were held all over the nation in 2008, especially at his statues at the Parliament and at Nizam College; demands for awarding him posthumous Bharat Ratna have being raised from time to time Hyderabad [1][2]. Andhra University which had conferred an honorary doctorate on him in 1973, and in 2009 on the occasion of his 102nd birth anniversary, his statue was unveiled on the university premises .[3].

His daughter, Meira Kumar, is a prominent INC leader, who has won his former seat Sasaram, both 2004 and 2009 and was later the Minister for Social Justice in the Manmohan Singh government (2004 – ‘09), thereafter she became the Speaker of Lok Sabha in 2009. To propagate his ideologies, the ‘Babu Jagjivan Ram National Foundation’, has been set up by Ministry of Social Justice, Govt. of India in Delhi [4].

1. “Confer Bharat Ratna on Jagjivan Ram: Naidu” . The Hindu. Apr 06, 2006.2. “Tributes paid to Jagjivan Ram” . The Hindu. Apr 06, 2007.

3. “Jagjivan Ram’s services recalled”. The Hindu. Apr 06, 2009.

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4. 4.”A brief on Babu Jagjivan Ram National Foundation

5.

The different books authored by Babuji are:

Ram, Jagjivan; Shachi Rani Gurtu (1951). Jagjivan Ram on labour problems. Ram.

Ram, Jagjivan (1980). Caste challenge in India. Vision Books.

The books which have been written on the life of Babuji are:

Sharma, Devendra Prasad (1974). Jagjivan Ram: the man and the times. Indian Book Co..

Chanchreek, Kanhaiyalal (1975). Jagjivanram: a select bibliography, 1908-1975. S. Chand.

Singh, Nau Nihal (1977). Jagjivan Ram: symbol of social change. Sundeep Prakashan.

Ram, Jagjivan (1977). Four decades of Jagjivan Ram’s parliamentary career. S. Chand.

Ramesh Chandra, Sangh Mittra (2003). Jagjivan Ram And His Times. Commonwealth Publishers. ISBN 8171697372.

Secretariat, Lok Sabha (2005). Babu Jagjivan Ram in parliament: a commemorative volume. Lok Sabha Secretariat.

Maurya, Dr. Omprakash. Babu Jagjivan Ram. Publications Division, Govt. of India.

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5. ConclusionBabuji symbolized the dawn of a new era of assertion, equalityand empowerment for the depressed classes. His life was a positive statement for the backward classes who were immensely inspired by the sustained presence of Babuji at the national political scene. His sincerity, dedication and political clout instilled confidence and courage among the people.

Jagjivan Ram has had the distinction of being the longest serving Minister in the history of Indian Parliament. A man of old world political morality, he had mass following in his own right before and after Independence. He was one of the best image builders for the ruling party. He was a down-to-earth unassuming leader who displayed exceptional political realism and accommodative spirit in presenting a responsible and responsive executive.

Babuji will be remembered for a long time to come for his varied contributions towards socio-economic development of the country. A democrat to the core and a conscientious political leader, he enriched Indian politics with his mature and principled positions. He was a pillar of strength for the Indian polity during periods of great challenges and transitions. His legacy will live on and continue to inspire the new generations in social and political activities and in the continuous search for a better society.

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The following interview shows the view of the people for Babuji.

Person 1

1.What is your name?

XYZ.

2.What is your age?

52 years.

3.What is your occupation?

I work as an accountant

4.Do you know about Babu Jagjivan Ram?

Yes he was a great politician.

5.Which place was he from?

Bihar

6.What was the name of his constituency?

Sasaram

7.Do you know of any politician who has any relation to him?

Yes

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8.Who is the politician? What is his relation with Babu Jagjivan Ram ?

The present Lok Sabha Speaker Smt.Meira Kumar is his daughter.

9. What has his role been in the development of India?

He has worked a lot for the development of the country. It was

through his service as a defence minister, railway minister, or as

Deputy Prime Minister.

10. For which section of the society he has worked the most?

The section of society for which he has worked is the Harijans.

He has worked a lot for their upliftment.

Person 2

1.What is your name?

XYZ

2.What is your age?

18 years

3.What is your occupation?

Student

4.Do you know about Babu Jagjivan Ram?

14 Chanakya National Law University, Patna

Yes I have heard about him but don’t know much of him.

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Person 3

1.What is your name?

Pqr

2.What is your age?

13 years.

3.What is your occupation?

Student

4.Do you know about Babu Jagjivan Ram?

No.

5.Do you know who is the speaker of the Lok Sabha?

Yes, her name is Smt.Meira Kumar.

6.Do you know anything else about her?

No.

Person 4

1.What is your name?

Amar Jaiswal

2.What is your age?

45 years.

3.What is your occupation?

Businessman.

16 Chanakya National Law University, Patna

4.Do you know about Babu Jagjivan Ram?

Yes.

5.Which place was he from?

Bihar.

6.What was the name of his constituency?

Sasaram.

7.Do you know of any politician who has any relation to him?

Yes.

8.Who is the politician? What is his relation with Babu Jagjivan

Ram ?

Smt. Meira Kumar. She was his daughter.

9. What has his role been in the development of India?

He was the Finance Minister of India.

10. For which section of the society he has worked the most?

He worked for the backward classes.

Person 5

1.What is your name?

Nikhil Jaiswal

2.What is your age?

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24 years.

3.What is your occupation?

Student.

4.Do you know about Babu Jagjivan Ram?

No.

We can conclude from the above interviews from the society that generally the youth don’t know about the work and role of Babuji in the development of the nation. Only the people or section of society which has witnessed the happenings know about him.

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Bibliography Jagjivan Ram, an example of Development in Politics. The Hindu

(April 6,2000)

M.S.Swaminathan, Jagjivan Ram and inclusive Agricultural Growth. The Hindu (Feb 7,2008)

S.R.Bakshi, Jagjivan Ram : The Harijan Leader,Anmol Publication, (1992)

Denied Table, Given Chair, The Telegraph (Nov 1, 2007)

A brief on Babu Jagjivan Ram National Foundation

“Confer Bharat Ratna on Jagjivan Ram: Naidu” . The Hindu. Apr 06, 2006.

“Tributes paid to Jagjivan Ram” . The Hindu. Apr 06, 2007.

“Jagjivan Ram’s services recalled”. The Hindu. Apr 06, 2009.

www.babujagjivanram.com

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