Remembering Babu
Jagjivan Ram
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| Babu Jagjivan Ram |
Today, July 6, is the death anniversary (Punia Teethi) of
Babu Jagjivan Ram. He died in 1986 after contributing a great deal to the
politics, governance, and social transformational aspects of the country and
the society at large. Babu Jagjivan Ram was a leader with his own position and
stature both in the polity and society of India with about 5 decades of
parliamentary life and many important positions in the governments since the interim
government of Jawaharlal Nehru. As a young student in Jalandhar in the 1960s,
what I knew about him was that he was a propped up nominee of the Congress
Party to counter and undermine the influence and position of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
Good or bad, it was a hard reality also. But at the same time, it is also a
hard fact that Ambedkar remained what he was and stood his ground in spite of
all odds against him created by the machinations of his opponents.
Nevertheless, today is the day to remember Babu Jagjivan Ram. He was an alumnus
of the Presidency College of Calcutta (Kolkata) and Banaras Hindu University in
the good old days. Babu Jagjivan Ram made it to the interim government of PM
Jawaharlal Nehru in 1946 as the youngest Minister. Ever since, he remained an
important member of all the governments with coveted portfolios and positions
till his
death in 1986. Obviously, after Babasahib Ambedkar’s demise in 1956,
Babu Jagjivan Ram became the sole leader and voice of dalits in the country. He
was an able and competent politician and an able administrator and got due
space and recognition both in the government and otherwise with considerable
mass appeal and base. With the challenge
of feeding millions amidst food scarcity, Babu Jagjivan Ram played an important
role as Minister of Food and Agriculture to bring about the Green Revolution.
He was the Defense Minister of India in 1971 who oversaw the resounding defeat
of Pakistan and creation of Bangladesh by our valiant armed forces. My first
hand visual encounter with him pertains to that time in 1971-72. My office in
the Interpreter’s Cell of the MEA was located in South Block (Defense
Ministry/Army Hdqs. side where the offices of Defense Minister and Chief of the
Army Staff are located) and many a times I got the chance to see him from a
close distance. Meanwhile, my mental faculty was getting, gradually, a wide
view of the things on ground. The stock of Babu Jagjivan Ram went high in my
mind and thought and rightly so. More was yet to come. On my career progression
in the MEA, I was posted in the PMO in April 1974 as Protocol (Hospitality)
Assistant to work closely with the office of PM Indira Gandhi and the
Committee/Conference Rooms where important meetings, including Cabinet and
Cabinet Committee meetings are generally held. There I got more acquainted with
the demeanour and persona of Babu Jagjivan Ram, as a junior official hanging
around the corridors of power, where he came often and regularly to meet PM Indira Gandhi and participate in the Cabinet and Cabinet
Committee meetings. I found him a man of quite charm and confidence. He was a
much respected Minister not only with his colleagues but also with the elite
bureaucracy. His weight in the government was clearly visible. PM Indira Gandhi
respected him with due reverence. As oral history, I may narrate here what I personally
saw. Indira Gandhi would not come from her office to the Cabinet meetings in
the Conference Room without checking whether Babuji, as she usually called him,
had come. I also saw many a times in the Cabinet meetings, when Babu Jagjivan
Ram came late somehow, PM Indira Gandhi would get up and make Babuji sit. She
always extended and observed these sweet niceties to Babu Jagjivan Ram being a
senior and able colleague.
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| Interim Government of India 1946 |
I witnessed the momentous events pertaining to emergency and
movement of leaders like Babu Jagjivan in the corridors of the PMO and the
ante-rooms of the personal office of PM Indira Gandhi in South Block. I vividly
remember Babu Jagjivan Ram’s coming to meet PM Indira Gandhi sometimes in February/March,
1977 before he parted company with her and forming Congress for Democracy and
joining hands with the opposition to contest historical elections which
defeated PM Indira Gandhi. The rest is history. Babu Jagjivan Ram was an astute
politician. In spite of his administrative acumen and political standing, he
was still a dalit leader. There was no light at the end of the tunnel for him.
He aspired to occupy the top slot in the hierarchy and rightly so and played
his cards accordingly. Babu Jagjivan Ram very well knew that nobody can or will
recognize his experience and talent and would offer him the top job. It was to
be done by him alone. He did his best with the strategy to hold the balance in
his hands with 30-35 odd seats in the Lok Sabha. It was a well considered and
thought of strategy to join the election campaign under the leadership f Jai
Prakash Naryanan and other leaders in the opposition. The forces of change got
a much needed boost with Babu Jagjivan Ram’s plunge against PM Indra Gandhi.
During the election campaign and just before results, it was almost evident
that Jagjivan Ram will be the next PM of the country. His whirlwind tour of the
breadth and length of country set the direction and the Congress Party led by
Indira Gandhi was squarely defeated. Jagjivan Ram could get about 30 seats, as
expected, for the Congress for Democrocy, his newly floated political outfit
but Jagjivan Ram never thought and imagined that Congress will be defeated that
badly. The overwhelming support to the bandwagon of change with a huge majority
in the Lok Sabha disturbed and changed the scenario. Charan Singh and company,
belonging to the Manuwadi mindset - “Shoe is meant to be worn on the foot and
not kept on the head” and “How come a brick meant for the gutter would be fixed
in the gallery” – came to the fore and spoiled the chances of Jagjivan Ram to
occupy the top slot which he richly deserved. Babu Jagjivan Ram felt cheated
but what could be done. He was defeated politically by forces of status quo.
Again when Charan Singh government could not face the parliament and seek vote
of confidence in 1979-80 and fell, Jagjivan Ram made yet another bid and was
ready to prove his majority in the Lok Sabha but again President Sanjiva Ready,
it seemed, preferred to settle old scores against Jagjivan Ram rather than
upholding the constitutional provisions and values and denied that due chance to
Jagjivan Ram to hold the coveted post of PM of India. It would have been a game
changing development, had Jagjivan Ram become the PM of India in 1977 and again
in 1980. The contemporary political history of India would have been different.
But that was not to be and Jagjivan Ram died a dejected man, sadly. Before I
end this narration, let me add yet another fact which is generally not
mentioned. It goes to the credit of BJP (then Janta Party) leadership like Atal
Bihari Vajpayee, Lal Krishan Advani, Nana Deshmukh among others that they did
not oppose, rather supported Jagjivan Ram’s unannounced or unproclaimed bid for
the top job of the country. Historians will analyse and record these events in
the right perspective.
I did not intend to be lengthy in this narration but oral
history tends to be lengthy. It is said Babu Jagjivan Ram was a jovial and
confident man. One interesting anecdote narrated by an army General in a social
event may suffice to register that fact. Defense Minister Jagjivan Ram was
hosting a dinner for his visiting counterpart from a friendly country. Tandoori
chicken came as a snack/starter. Jagjivan Ram started eating with his hand
while the foreign guests were struggling to eat with knife and fork. Seeing
this, Jagjivan Ram observed, in a lighter vein, Excellency, please see how we
eat Tandoori chicken and enjoy and added “Eating Tandoori chicken with knife
and fork is like making love through an interpreter” It added to the bonhomie
on the dining table.
My humble tribute to the memory of a leader – Prime
Ministerial stuff – who could not become PM, Babu Jagjivan Ram
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