Mera Jiwan Safar – Ambedkar Mission Ki Rah Per – Book Review

 

Mera  Jiwan Safar – Ambedkar Mission Ki Rah Per – Book Review

Mera Jiwan Safar – Ambedkar Mission Ki Rah Per - is the Hindi version of Kartar Chand Sulekh’s (July, 1927) autobiographical account  pertaining to author’s association and interaction with Babasaheb Ambedkar and his Mission originally published in 2019-20 in Punjabi. On my recent visit to Ambedkar Bhawan in Jalandhar on the October 14, the day on which Babasaheb embraced Buddhism

in 1956 at Nagpur, from one of the book stalls; I could get the book of Sulekh Sahib, and that too gratis that is without any cost along with some other books which I purchased. I was told that the author had given them the book for free distribution to interested readers. The boy at the counter requested me it will be good if I could telephone Sulekh Sahib and inform him about this. I did not do so instead read the book and decided to write about it as a humble admirer of K.C. Sulekh Sahib. I heard quite a lot about him and bumped into him once some years before at a function at Ambedkar Bhawan at Jalandhar.  We sat together but could not interact with each other as the function was in progress. It was a missed opportunity to know Sulekh Sahib, a man of sterling worth for the community, a bit more closely.

On reading the book, I could relate myself with the author – more and more from within. The book has been dedicated to father Biru Ram for ‘enlightening the lamp of learning’ in his son, the author. I felt the same for my father and incidentally dedicated my book to my parents ‘The Bits and Pieces – Reminiscences and Reflections of a Novice” released two years ago. Sulekh Sahib wrote that it appeared that he acquired much needed maturity quite early and climbed the ladder of life in the formative years of youth as – a poet of sorts, orator, student activist, community activist and a political leader as General Secretary of the Punjab Chapter of All India Scheduled Caste Federation (AISCF) under the wings of Seth Kishan Dass and an aide and associate of Babasaheb Ambedkar in the process. I felt like sharing here that it remained the case with me too – I could get a good grounding in General Knowledge and contemporary political history even during my high school years, straight from college to the corridors of power in the Ministry of External Affairs – climbed the ladder of life through various examinations of UPSC and reached the coveted position of an Ambassador of India in the IFS. I cannot match the involvement and dedication of Sulekh Sahib – Ambedkar Mission Ki Rah Per – but nevertheless one thing is certain that Babasaheb Ambedkar had been my motivator and icon like that of legendary Sulekh Sahib. It is yet another co-incident that, as repeatedly revealed in the book under review, Sulekh Sahib started his journey from the famous ‘Chubara’ of Seth Kishan Dass at Bootan Mandi in Jalandhar, my native place first as a student and graduating to be leader by his own right as the General Secretary of AISCF and Chief Editor of Ujala, an Urdu periodical - mouth-piece of the under privileged. Sulekh Sahib impressed Babasaheb Ambedkar, one can make out from the happenings mentioned in the book, a great deal – his steering the stage of Babasaheb Ambedkar’s public function at Bootan Mandi in October, 1951, his role in planning and executing the entire visit of the great leader to Punjab in the run up to the first general elections in 1952, his apt and candid head-on take on matters of concern and interest in the Ujala. I felt by reading the book that I am in one way or the other is related to the whole exercise in which a number of my fellow BootanMandians were engaged – Kartara Ram Madhas’s untiring but unsung role and support to the mission particularly to run and sustain for some time, the Ujala, Pritam Ramdaspuri’s poetry and total dedication to Babasaheb and his mission, association of K.C. Leel and Adhyatma Ram among others with the caravan – found a mention in the book and rightly so. Sulekh Sahib’s book gave much needed information on hitherto unknown facts like IAS Kartar Singh’s, whom I have had seen as Health Secretary in my formative years in 1974-77 in PMO, closeness to Babasaheb Ambedkar, Pakhar Ram Ahir’s whom I had known in Delhi as a senior of village Bathan near Nakodar, very supportive role in sustaining and saving the reputation of the Ujala.  Sulekh Sahib was a brilliant student in his school days and later graduated from Jalandhar Doaba College in 1949. One can easily make out the intellect and dedication of Sulekh Sahib that he could achieve all this at an early age of mid 20s as he joined Punjab Government service in 1952 and an inspiring political career of Sulekh Sahib was cut short. Perhaps it was not destined like that as wrote in the book that Babasaheb wanted him to contest elections in 1952 but could not do so because of some technical reason. One of his close associates, K.C. Leel, as mentioned in the book, rightly lamented, ‘He should not have got the job’ as with his joining the government job, the community lost a talented and dedicated leader in Sulekh Sahib. Even after joining service, Sulekh Sahib did not detach him from his intellectual pursuits and wrote extensively under one ‘pen-name’ or the other on matters of interest and concern.

Sulekh Sahib frankly admits that his initial up-bringing pertained to traditional orthodoxy and rituals in the rural set-upof that time. Later with influence of Babasaheb Ambedkar and Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and also other intellectual stalwarts like Gurbax Singh Preetladi. Gopal Singh Khalsa, Sohan Lal Shasti among others, Sulekh Sahib became rational to follow his emerged icon Babasaheb Ambedkar and remained so till now at the ripe age of 94. The chapter ‘Babasaheb Ko Samprit Yadden’ is one of most interesting chapters of the book. Many of the anecdotes and narratives are not only informative but also reveal hitherto unknown small facts about a number of personalities and developments in the struggle in which Sulekh Sahib was fully involved – selfish and unbecoming role of some of the leaders who ultimately sided with the Congress party just to oppose and stand against Babasaheb Ambedkar like Master Sadhu Ram, Master Gurbanta Singh, Prithvi Singh Azad, Yashwant Rai among others, on the other hand, some leaders like Seth Kishan Dass, Charan Dass Nidhadak, Bhag Mal Pagal, Pandit Bakshi Ram, Chanan Gobindpuri, inter alia, steadfastly sided with and stood by their leader Ambedkar – Dadasaheb B.K. Gaikwad’s role and contribution, on the behest of Babasaheb, in settling the dalit refugees in the wake of partition in 1947 and Sulekh Sahib’s help in the process -  Babasaheb got angry with the Punjab delegation headed by Mota Singh on hearing from him as to how the respect and dignity of dalit women was at stake (page 48-49) in the emerging situation in wake of partition. Babasaheb was so furious that he said, “Why you could not die while saving and guarding the respect and dignity of your womenfolk before coming to me with this kind of complaint” – More details of Ambedkar’s take on Hindu Code Bill in the face of opposition of orthodox Hindus and Jawaharlal Nehru’s inability to stand by Ambedkar and also Babasaheb’s resignation are informative and educative for the students of contemporary political history. I envy Sulekh Sahib on the fact that he was sitting in the visitor’s gallery, along with Seth Kishan Dass, of the Constituent Assembly when Babasaheb was delivering his historical and epoch making speech on November 25, 1949 before “We the people of India” finally enacted and gave to ourselves the Constitution of India – the anecdote when Sulekh Sahib and Pritam Ramdaspuri were turned off from the residence of Ambedkar at Alipur Road in Delhi by the wife, Maisaheb Savita Ambedkar and told them to come later and Ambedkar’s reaction and sensitivities when he came to know of this unacceptable behaviors of the lady, is really touching and speaks laud of the character of the leader – Information regarding Shanta Bai Dani, an associate of Babasaheb, and the proposal of her marriage with Babasaheb which he declined on grounds of functional morality and pragmatism – Pritam Ramdasspuri’s poetic honour in Persian laced composition at the public rally on October 27, 1951 at Bootan Mandi and Ambedkar’s desire to listen to it again is interesting. Babasaheb

Extract from Mala Ke Teen Moti edited Ram Lal Dass

knew a bit of Persian language.  – Media people asked Babasaheb, at the rally at Bootan Mandi, to say something on the Kashmir issue but Babasaheb like a statesman refused to distract and tactfully said, I am here today to talk to my people on matters of interest and concern to us, If someone intends to question me on some other issues, I would be available separately.” – Ambedkar was very much impressed by Sant Braham Dass of Ludhiana when Santji said, “Babasaheb you have the pen in your hands; kindly cut the chains of misery and slavery of poor people with this pen.” Contrary to the general belief that Babasaheb was against spiritual deras, commenting on Sant Braham Dass’s assertion, he said, “By doing their job in rightly guiding the dalits, they could play a big role in raising the standards.” Our Deras must take a cue from this and act. On reading the book, one can know more such details of oral history from the horse’s mouth, Sulekh Sahib.

The author has raised a very valid question s to who should hold and own the legacy of Babasaheb Ambedkar? - A relevant but difficult question indeed. Even at his 94 long years, Sulekh Sahib is totally drunk with the ‘intoxicating’ experience to know, interact and work with the great leader, Babasaheb Ambedkar. He writes with pride, “Yeh who Nasha Nahin Jise Turshi Uttar De.” As I said earlier that by reading the book, I could revive my memories pertaining to most of the personalities engaged in the process who have been mentioned already in the preceding narration but still some more; Vimal Chandra, Piara Ram Dhanowali, Lahori Ram Balley, Prabhati Ram, RC Paul, Chaudhary Sunder Singh, Dr. Surinder Ajnat, Gindha brothers, Yoga Ram, Sucha Ram Bagha of Glasgow whom I met during my tenure as Consul General of India in Edinburgh

Yoga Ram with other friends at Glasgow (Scotland)

(Scotland). In fact, I vividly recall once Yoga Ram, a close relation of Sulekh Sahib, telling me that when I go to India, I must meet his uncle, K.C. Sulekh, a legendary figure and a son of the soil. The author after his retirement from government service in 1985 engaged himself in various community activities such as Ambedkar Mission Society, Ambedkar Bhawan Trust, Samta Sainik Dal, Bhartiya Soshit Samaj, Paigam among others with a view to carry forward the caravan of Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Sulekh Sahib has been proactive in taking on some of the ‘mischief makers’ for Babasaheb and his mission. He wrote in the Ujala “Khuda Ganje Ko Nakhun Na De” to expose the then Minister Yashwant Rai, replied to Arun Shourie’s infamous book ‘Worshipping False Gods” on Babasaheb Ambedkar in articles “Mischievous and Preposterous” and ‘Shourie Benakab”, issued a pamphlet “Why Ambedkar Embraced Buddhism and Not Sikhism” to set the matter in perspective, replied to IAS Karam Singh Raju’s various assertions on Guru Ravidass, Maharishi Valmik, Sikh Gurus and Babasaheb Ambedkar in an article ‘Whither our Writers”, replied to Balbir Madhopuri’s  book on Babu Manguram Mugowalia in which he allegedly tried to create a new narrative about Dr. Ambedkar by writing a book “Ad-dharam, Mangu Ram Aur Dr. Ambedkar – Sach Kya Hai”. From these details one can easily make out that Sulekh Sahib always remained ‘ill at ease’ with self-appointed and self-seekers pretending to be the ‘flag bearers’ of Ambedkar and his Mission and exposed them in a pamphlet “Dalit Samaj Aur Uske Marg-darshak Lekhak” with reference to author’s friend and Chief Editor of the Bheem Patrika (author did not specify the name of his friend but one can easily make out) and quoted an Urdu couplet “Kya Kia Khizar Ne Sikander Se; Ab Kise Rehnuma Kare Koi”. In the concluding chapters, Sulekh Sahib recommends the ‘Budh Marg” as the only potent way to establish an equal and egalitarian society for peace and harmony all around and quotes Allma Iqbal, “Ashkara Usne Kya Jo Zindgi Ka Raj Tha; Hind Ko Lekin Khiyali Falsfe Pe Naaz Tha” The Last Chapter “Yeh Bhi Janna Zaroori Hai” is a must read which gives the crux of author’s thoughts on Ambedkar and his legacy.

With Chief Editor Prem Chumber aand Ram Lal Dass

It would not be fair to conclude this without referring to Prof Ronki Ram’s scholarly introduction of the auto-biographical narration of K.C. Sulekh and also the indulgence of Prem Chumber of the
Ambedkar Times and the Desh Doaba of California of USA for publishing the book of Sulekh Sahib for making it reach the wider audiences which has been duly acknowledged by the author.

With this, I wish K.C. Sulekh Sahib many more years of life for the advantage and benefit of the Ambedkarites and the society at large.