WE the PEOPLE of INDIA

The text of the Preamble of the Indian constitution reads:

“WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:

 JUSTICE, social, economic and political;

LIBERTY, of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;

EQUALITY of status and of opportunity;

and to promote among them all

FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;

IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, DO HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.”

The constitution came into force on January 26, 1950.  The January 26 became the Republic Day of India. Let us look back with some sense of introspection and consider whether we have lived up to the lofty ideals of the Preamble of the constitution of the Republic India. It is a mixed bag, to my mind, of good and bad.

The Good – we are prevailing as a sovereign country and are a dignified member of the comity of nations. We are the largest democracy of the world. The words ‘Socialist and Secular’ were added to the preamble were added on the recommendations of the Swaran Singh Committee later sometime in the early 70s. It could be anybody’s guess or opinion whether we are socialist and secular? The redeeming factor is that the constitution is working. If, somehow, polarization of political forces on the basis of ideology and programme happens, Indian democracy would be the most vibrant and successful.

The Bad – Could we secure for ourselves Justice, Liberty and Equality and promote Fraternity, as visualized by the founding fathers? The answer, most probably, is in the negative. The justice is delayed, costly, lopsided and hard to find. The liberty is discriminatory. The Media is totally commercialized. The intellectual class is self-centered. The Equality is yet to come by in the caste ridden society. We have failed to promote fraternity in the society at large. Communal strife is getting strengthened. Religious bigotry is gaining support. But it is satisfactory to note that we still swear to uphold the constitution. Many positive things have happened and much is underway.Anyway, we have come a long way but still we have to go a long way. We need to work and strive in unison.

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar rightly said in his last speech in the Constituent Assembly on November 25, 1949 and I quote “….. I shall not therefore enter into the merits of the Constitution. Because I feel, however good a Constitution may be, it is sure to turn out bad because those who are called to work it, happen to be a bad lot. However bad a Constitution may be, it may turn out to be good if those who are called to work it, happen to be a good lot. The working of a Constitution does not depend wholly upon the nature of the Constitution. The Constitution can provide only the organs of State such as the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary. The factors on which the working of those organs of the State depends are the people and the political parties they will set up as their instruments to carry out their wishes and their politics. “

We the people of India must consider and realize this if we want to see India succeed and prosper. It seems that the constitution has not failed us. And we must not fail the constitution

Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia - A Tribute

 

The birth anniversary of Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia (1886-1980) falls on January 14. I write this to pay my humble tributes to the memory of the great son of the country particularly of the dalit community. Babu Mangu Ram’s sterling role in the freedom movement of India as a Gadrite leader is well known and documented.  He was an Indian patriot to the core in the Gadar Movement in the US and other countries. Later on coming back to India in 1925, he engaged himself fully in the fight against social and economic degradation of the dalit community at the hands of the caste ridden Indian society. It was a daunting task. But Babu Mangu Ram was a crusader.

In 1926, Babu Mangu Ram initiated and established Ad-dharam Movement to provide the dalit a social and spiritual identity of their own. He started publishing a periodical called Adi-Danka to enlighten and cajole the dalit masses to stand up and fight for their rights. The effort was a great success with the help and joining hands with the other leaders of the community like Master Gurbanta Singh, Seth Kishan Dass, Seth Sunder Dass, and Sant Ram. Gopal Singh Khalsa, inter alia. The Ad-dharam Movement, as my father told me, did a great job, under the leadership of Babu Mangu Ram, during the Round Table Conferences in the early 30s in supporting Dr. B.R. Ambedkar as the sole leader of the dalits of India to represent them in the Conferenes and other fora for the interests of the dalits. With these efforts. Ad-dharam was duly recognized as a different entity in the 1931 census. Dr. Ambedkar’s struggle with the help of the leaders like Babu Mangu Ram resulted in the Communal Awards of the British Government to recognize and ensure separate electorates for the dalits in 1932 which was formally accepted and introduced as the Poona Pact between Ambedkar and Gandhi. Some vested interests tried to create unnecessary controversy about the presumptive differences between Dr. Ambedkar and Babu Mangu Ram on the decisions of the Poona Pact and the agenda of the Ad-dharam Movement. But the prevailing political and social atmosphere in the country left no other option both for Dr. Ambedkar and Babu Mangu Ram to accept the ground realities. Babu Mangu Ram continued to accept Dr. Ambedkar as his leader and respected him accordingly.  The Ad-dharam Movement gained strength particularly in the doaba region of Punjab. Babu Mangu Ram along with others got elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly before independence in 1947.  In the wake of changing political and social scenario, the Movement which was by then converted into a political outfit as Ad-dharam Mandal, fizzled out somewhat. Most of the associates of Babu Mangu Ram either joined the Congress Party or the Scheduled Castes Federation and later the Republican Party.  But the relevance and role of Ad-dhram Movement and the Mandal would remain a historical fact that it played an immensely important role in establishing a separate and distinct identity for the dalits which was a much called for need of the times.

Babu Mangu Ram was a visionary and a leader of the first rate. He contributed immensely to freedom movement of India as a Gadrite leader and also to the emancipation of the dalit community.

हजारों साल नर्गिस अपनी बेनूरी पे रोती है;

बड़ी मुश्किल से होता है चमन में दीदावर पैदा !

AMBEDKAR BHAWAN AT NAKODAR ROAD JALANDHAR - ORAL HISTORY

 

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, you may be surprised to know, was not as acceptable even in the late 60s as he is today. The Congress Party and its opposition to Ambedkar were vehement and telling. But at the same time Dr. Ambedkar’s influence among the dalits was taking roots slowly but steadily in Punjab. Republican Party was at the vanguard under the leadership of Duni Chand Shahpuri, Piara Ram Dhanowali, Charan Dass Nidhadak, Lahori Ram Balley and others. The Bheem Patrika edited by Lahori Ram Balley was the mouth piece of the Republican Party and the followers of Ambedkar. The finances were scarce and tight. No Government patronage was available to the name and memory of Ambedkar.  Ambedkar’s followers under the flag of Republican Party planned and brought up the idea of Ambedkar Bhawan at Nakodar Road, Jalandhar in the early 60s. A fairly good plot of land situated between Abadpura and Bootan Mandi, the localities which are mostly inhabited by dalits, were purchased.  It is a co-incident that it is located at the large chunk of open land where Dr. Ambedkar addressed a mammoth public meeting in October 1952. The promoters could not get enough financial back up and the project remained a piece of land only till the early70s. But the name of Ambedkar has its latent force. A follower of Ambedkar and a resident of Abadpura whose name, if I remember correctly, was Ram Prakash, died under detention in a strong agitation of the Republican Party against the Congress Government in 1964. It was decided to cremate him at the plot of land acquired for the Ambedkar Bhawan.  The place became a venue of regular public meetings and get-togethers of the followers of Ambedkar particularly the functions arranged by the Republican Party. I personally heard, in my younger days, the national leaders of the Party like Dadasaheb B.K. Gaikwad, B.D. Khobragade, B.P. Maurya and others speaking at the venue on different occasions. But the health of the project was not very healthy.

In the mid 80s, fortunately, some new dedicated senior retired officers like G.S. Bal, R.C. Paul, Surinder Ajnat, Nasib Chand and many more, came forward and associated themselves with Ambedkar Bhawan under the aegis of Ambedkar Mission society and Ambedkar Bhawan Trust. Lahori Ram Balley provided them all help and continues till today actively engaged with the project. The second lot of dedicated followers of Ambedkar like G.C. Kaul, Tarsem Sagar, Ram Lal Jassi, Barkha Ram, and Chanan Ram took over and successfully tried to raise the much needed funds to build a reasonably good building by involving various political personalities including PM Inder Gujral and others. It was a right approach as such projects required support of the establishment in addition to the public. It is matter of gratification to note that now there is fairly good and functional building and facilities at the venue. Ambedkar Bhawan could become a nerve centre of the community activities and also for the mission and philosophy of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

Over the last one year, I attended two impressive functions at the Bhawan to pay tributes to the memory of Dr. Ambedkar on December 6, 2011 and December 6, 2012 on the Parinirvan Diwas ( death anniversary of Dr. Ambedkar respectively. At the first function, MP Mohinder Singh Kaypee provided a good sum of grant for the project out of the MP; s fund. It was an appreciable gesture. More needs to be done. This year on December 6, renowned scholar Kancha Illiaha was the chief guest and lead speaker. He spoke with conviction and paid glowing tributes to Dr. Ambedkar, the greatest son of India since independence. Lahori Ram Balley and R.P.S. Pawar who is the current chairman of the Ambedkar Bhawan Trust, inter alia, spoke at the function which was fairly well attended. Ambedkar deserves wider recognition which is coming but slowly in the caste ridden and discriminatory social order. 

I wish the Ambedkar Bhawan Trust all success in the years to come.

 

 

BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR - A TRIBUTE

Today, December 6, is the death anniversary (Priinirvan Diwas) of Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (1891-1956), the greatest son of the contemporary India.  The dalits and other down trodden people consider Ambedkar their messiah and savior in the caste ridden society at large. But for Ambedkar and his struggle, it was difficult for the large chunk of the Indian society to live and lead honourable life.  He fought and fought single handedly for the just social and economic order.  Ambedkar fought and got political rights for the dalits not only from the British rulers before independence in 1947 but also tried his level best to get these rights secured and insured in the constitution of India of which he was the chief architect.  Babasaheb was a crusader for the social change in India with a view to strengthen India and not for anything else.  He was a nationalist and a patriot of the highest order.  He was an Indian to the core.  Though he was opposed to Mahatma Gandhi and the Congress Party yet he joined hands with the main stream of the polity and society for the larger good of the society and the country.  Some people think that it was magnanimity of Congress leadership to invite Ambedkar to draft the Indian constitution but the fact is that he got the job of making the constitution by his own right and to the good fortune of India.  Otherwise, India might not be the India of today.  The last speech Ambedkar made in the Constituent Assembly on November 24, 1949 before the constitution was adopted and passed finally is one of finest speeches of the contemporary India. It is worth reading.  I quote from the compilation of the book ‘Greatest Speeches of Modern India’ edited by Rudrangshu Mukherjee “His tone was jubilant yet somber and reflective. The warning he gave – place of popular protest in a democracy, the blind following of charismatic leaders and the limitations of only a political democracy – retain their relevance, perhaps more today than in 1949.” It is the befittest tribute to the memory of Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

हजारों साल नर्गिस अपने बेनूरी पे रोती है;

बड़ी मुश्किल से होता है चमन में दीदावर पैदा !

 

ORAL HISTORY - Ambedkar's Visit to Jalandhar in 1951

I have come back to my roots in Jalandhar after 35 years long diplomatic service in the Indian Foreign Service.  I would like to share some oral history of the place called Bootan Mandi, my native place. Bootan Mandi, a neglected slum about 40 years before ( now a much better place), remained a hub of dalit social and political awakening as it was the centre of leather business owned by the Dalits (Chamars) of the region even before independence in 1947. The dalits of the Doaba region of Punjab, led by Seth Sunder Dass and Seth Kishan Dass of Bootan Mandi fully supported the Ad-dharam Movement under the stewardship of Babu Mangoo Ram and also the struggle of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar for the emancipation of dalits. Later In terms of political polarization, Seth Sunder Dass developed leanings towards the Congress Party and Seth Kishan dass remained a staunch follower and supporter of the outfits floated by Ambedkar, Scheduled Caste Federation and Republican Party. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar had established himself as an undisputed leader of dalits in the process of his unstinted struggle for the rights of dalits and also in the political landscape of the country in his capacity as the chief framer and architect of the constitution of India. His political and social agenda and mission differed from that of Nehru and the Congress Party.  He parted company and resigned from the Cabinet of Nehru in October 1951, basically on irreconcilable differences on the Hindu Code Bill and inter alia issues of foreign policy and economic development. It was the political scenario, in the dalit constituencies, in the mid 40s and early 50s.

Dr. Ambedkar came to Jalandhar, after his resignation from the Government, in September, 1951. It turned out to be a historical visit. I grew up in Bootan Mandi and heard a lot about the visit of Ambedkar from my father who was personally involved in the bandovast of the visit in a small way. My personal on and off chat with Pritam Ramdasspuri (nephew of Seth Kishan Dass and a poet and activist of standing), who drove Dr. Ambedkar from the Raja Sanshi airport in Amritsar to Jalandhar, gave me the graphic glimpses of the visit. Pritam Ramdasspuri told me that it was unique experience. Right from the airport in Amritsar to Jalandhar, thousands and thousands of people were lined up en route to see and welcome Dr. Ambedkar. The administration was caught unaware of this unprecedented visit. The journey which was to take about two hours generally took seven hours. The private carcade had to stop at various places and long queues of people made to pass by to see Ambedkar. The organizers, including Pritam Ramdasspuri, carried private arms (pistols and revolvers) for providing physical security to their leader particularly in the wake of assassination of Pakistani PM Liaquat Ali Khan. Ambedkar decided to enjoy the homely hospitality of Seth Kishan Dass and stayed with the family in Seth’s appointed place popularly called “Kishan Dass da Chobara” at Bootan Mandi which is still the residence of Seth Kishan Dass’s son Seth Mool Raj and grandson Avinash Chander who is the Chief Parliamentary Secretary in the Punjab Government.. Ambedkar especially asked for the Punjabi delicacy Sarson da Saag and Makki di Roti and relished it in a homely setting. He met leaders of the community and impressed them with his charming and friendly persona.

Ambedkar addressed a huge, 6-7 lakh audience, public meeting in Bootan Mandi on October 27. My father told me that no such assembly of devoted dalits was witnessed in Jalandhar before.  Seth Sundar Dass was invited to join the organizers,  in spite of different political leanings. He presented a bag full of thousands of Rupees, on behalf of the community, in honour of Dr. Ambedkar.  Dr. Ambedkar was over-whelmed by the reception and honour he received and rightly so. He invited Seth Sunder Dass to speak but he humbly refused as he felt that it would not be possible for him to speak in the exalted presence of Dr. Ambedkar.  As a rare gesture of honour, a particular chair was brought from Kartarpur which belonged to the Sikh gurus. Ambedkar was inclined to sit on the chair but was made to sit by the followers as he was the uncrowned king of the community. The community poets like Gurdass Ram Alam enlivened the gathering by his poem “Aj koun ayia savere savere; wada shor hunda gariban de dere”. Pritam Ramdasspuri welcomed the great leader and recited his poem “ Hindostan ko hastie Ambedkar per naaz hai”.  Dr. Ambedkar responded with a spirited speech and said that he did not know our people in Punjab particularly in the Doaba region were so involved and dedicated in the caravan otherwise he would have come here much before and many a times. The informed sources told me that dalit leaders of the Congress Party like Master Gurbanta Singh and Prithvi Singh Azad were opposed to Ambedkar and threatened to hold black flags on his visit to Punjab. The local media covered the event. Mahasha Krishan of the Urdu Pratap wrote an editorial and commented that the dalit leader was made sit on the special chair pertaining to the Gurus.

On October 28, Ambedkar delivered a lecture at the DAV College on the theme “the future of Parliamentary Democracy in India” which was a thought provoking exercise. The intelligentsia headed by Principal Suraj Bhan appreciated the lecture and the impressive style and manner in which it was delivered. I vividly remember that during my college days in DAV College itself in 1968-69, in one of Paper Reading Declamation Contest on the Parliamentary Democracy, I intensively quoted from the same lecture of Dr. Ambedkar which got due notice and was appreciated. The lecture till date remains as valid and prophetic as it was before.

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar has a considerable following in Punjab and rightly so.

 

 

 

GURDASS RAM ALAM – A TRIBUTE

 

Today (October 29) is the centenary of ‘Peoples Poet’ Gurdas Ram Alam (1912-1989), was a genius but an embodiment of simplicity and humility. His bio-profile is nothing but poetry of total transformation in the society. I am not a literary critique and may not know the nuances of fine poetry. But the poetry of Alam, to a layman like me, is the language of the poor. It is the spirit of the down-trodden. It speaks of equality. It pleads for a just and equitable social and economic order. Alam was not educated in the formal sense of scholastic classes. He barely learnt the Punjabi language at home but Alam was a born intellectual. His poetry amply confirms this. Alam could easily be compared with Shiv Kumar Balalvi, Pash, Mohan Singh, and Amrita Pritam, all in one. People termed him a communist when he gave an easy Punjabi expression to the theory of Marx “to each according to his need and from each according to his capacity” and wrote “asin bit to waddu dinden han; sanu lod mutabik milda nahin “. Alam became an Ambedkarite when he recited his poem “ ajj kaon ayia savere savere “ in a public meeting in the presence of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in 1952 at Bootan Mandi in Jalandhar.  He wrote about Guru Ravidass in his poem ‘Inqalabi Aaggu’. Alam wrote about Guru Nanak in his poem ‘Patni da Gilla’. He wrote about contemporary politics. Alam gave an altogether new idiom to romance and love when he wrote “mahi mera kale rang da behde badda ta chand chad janda “.  Alam did not know any boundary and practiced the art of poetry for the common good of the society without any dogma of theory and ideology as a universal humanist.

I am fortunate that I met Alam and listened to his poetry from his mouth way back for several years in late 60s in Kavi Darbars in Bootan Mandi in Jalandhar on the Gurupurab of Guru Ravidass. Later I read his poetry books and carried them with me abroad in course of my diplomatic assignments. His poetry is as relevant today as it was before. In recent years, I heard lot about Alam in Glasgow in Scotland when I was the Consul General of India in Edinburgh. He enthralled the audiences in Glasgow when he visited there with Shiv Kumar Batalvi. My admiration for Alam goes higher and higher as the years go by.

 My senior colleague Ambassador Bal Anand prompted me to participate in a function to commemorate Gurdass Ram Alam on October 28 at Jalandhar by Manavwadi Rachna Manch. It was a rewarding attendance. It provided me an opportunity to listen to intellectual poets and scholars who spoke high of Alam and rightly so. The Manch conferred “Gurdass Ram Alam Award” on a recognized poet of Alam's genre, Madan Veera. The function succeeded in paying well deserved tributes to Gurdass Ram Alam on his centenary. Alam and his poetry will remain alive in the years to come.

MY DEAR LALLY

I am writing this with a great sense of sorrow and a heavy heart. Lalit Angural (Lally), a hale and hearty young man, passed away suddenly in the forenoon of October 6, 2012 with a silent heart stroke. He was to complete 24 on October 9. Lally’s sister Sulekha is our daughter in law, wife of my son Rupesh. But the parents of Lally, Madan and Nimmo, are our family friends of long standing. Madan is a business partner of my brother Kishan and Lally was a business associate of Kishan’s son Brijesh (Bablu).  Lally, as such, was a part of our own family in all respects. Even after, our family friendship turned into close relationship, Lally continued to call us Tayaji and Taiji. The untimely and sudden death of Lally cut down a promising and budding businessman, a great hope and stay of a struggling family to find their feet in the society. The cruel hands of death have snatched that dream and hope. I was in Gurgaon for a few days to be with Sulekha and our little granddaughter Suhani (3 yrs.) as Rupesh was away to Russia on a business trip when the sad news reached us. I brought Sulekha and Suhani to Jalandhar in the night of October 6 itself. It was one of the difficult journeys of my life, Sulekha weeping and crying and Suhani getting curious and sad throughout.

On reaching Madan’s home, the scenario was totally unbearable. The dead body of Lally was kept in a refrigerated box for cremation the next day, October 7. It looked as if he was in a deep sleep. For me it was a different experience. By the quirk of fate or by chance, I did not see death/dead body even at this ripe age of 60 plus. My grandfather died of heart attack in 1972. I could not reach Jalandhar from Delhi before the cremation. My father in law died in 1979. We were in Beijing (China) and could not reach for the rituals. My father died in 1986 after a long illness and we remained with him for a month or so a months before his death. But we could not reach home at the time of death. We were in Kandy (Sri Lanka). My grandmother died in 1990. Again we could reach Jalandhar only after the cremation. My mother died in 2006 after a prolonged illness. We were in Prague (Czech Republic). We could not reach. The reasons for this unintentional absence were partly exigencies of service and partly my non-insistence to wait for me for the rituals. As a simple and ordinary human being, I have tried and lived life as it came. My brothers have been very supportive and respectful. So far so good.

Lally’s death was a shattering experience. I find it difficult to forget his lovely face and charming behavior. Lally was good at studies. After BBA, he was doing MBA from Sikkim Manipal University. He was fully and successfully engaged in a good export business as a self made person. He was a man in a hurry to do many things quickly. He was a social and amicable personality who was engaged in social and extra-curricular activities. It will be difficult to fill the void created by Lally’s sudden departure in the years to come.  May God grant peace to the departed soul of Lally.