• Capt. Praveen Davar

Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, popularly known as ‘Babasahab’, is one of the most illustrious figures of modern India. He dedicated all his life to awaken the conscience of the people of India. He was a great social reformer, a valiant champion of human rights and an emancipator of the weaker sections of society.

Writing about his selection as Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution, Dr. Ambedkar wrote, “I came into the Constituent Assembly with no greater aspiration than to safeguard the interests of the Scheduled Castes. I had not the remotest idea that I would be called upon to undertake more responsible functions. I was, therefore, surprised when the Assembly elected me to the Drafting Committee. I was more than surprised when the Drafting Committee elected me to be its Chairman.” By the glowing accounts of all his contemporaries, he did an excellent job as the ‘Architect of the Constitution’.

In the collective drafting of all the major sections of the Constitution, Ambedkar’s role was, of course, crucial. But nowhere was it more decisive than in the section on affirmative action to correct the historical injustice heaped on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The law abolishing untouchability, laws against discrimination and the reservations policy in education, jobs and political bodies were the welcome results of this affirmative action.

Ambedkar’s social radicalism is a universally acknowledged and appreciated fact. His seminal work ‘The Annihilation of Caste’ and other valuable writings, apart from the struggles that he led, are a testimony to his life and work.

AMBEDKAR vs HINDUTVA

Ambedkar was naturally opposed to communalism of all hues, and his writings are permeated with his opposition to communalism and his championing of secularism. Ambedkar was throughout a sworn opponent of both the RSS and the Hindu Mahasabha. A major struggle waged by Ambedkar as India’s first Union Law Minister against Hindu orthodoxy was on the issue of the Hindu Code Bill. It was also a struggle for the rights of women. When the Bill was stalled, Ambedkar resigned from the union cabinet in 1951.
Ambedkar’s famous last address to the Constituent Assembly on November 25, 1949, makes his ideas crystal clear. “We must make our political democracy a social democracy as well. Political democracy cannot last unless there lies at the base of it social democracy. What does social democracy mean? It means a way of life which recognizes liberty, equality and fraternity as the principles of life. These principles of liberty, equality and fraternity are not to be treated as separate items in a trinity. They form a union or trinity in the sense that to divorce one from the other is to defeat the very purpose of democracy.”

BABU JAGJIVAN RAM

In 1936, when he was just 28 years old, Jagjivan Ram 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 (Rural) and he also ensured the unopposed victory of his Depressed Classes League candidates in all the 14 reserved constituencies. With such an unopposed and decisive victory, Babuji emerged as the ‘Kingmaker’. Subsequently, the Congress invited him to join them. In 1942, the Indian National Congress launched the ‘Quit India Movement’. On that occasion, Jagjivan Ram had joined the Congress leadership in Bombay. The AICC passed the historic ‘Quit India resolution’. Soon after, most other Congress leaders were arrested and it was left to Jagjivan Ram to make the ‘Quit India Movement’ a success. On 30 August, 1946, Babu Jagjivan Ram was one of the twelve leaders of the country, who were invited by 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 the Labour. During the pre-Independence period, Babuji held important offices at the State level in the Congress. After Independence, he became the axis of the Party and indispensable for Party affairs as well as governance of the country. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Smt. Indira Gandhi could not afford to spare him due to his astute political acumen. He was the mind of the Government and the Party. 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.

As Minister of Food and Agriculture

It was in the late sixties. The country was reeling under a severe food shortage following two years of drought. Jagjivan Ram concentrated on the growth of agriculture, food production and Public Distribution System (PDS). He worked hard and helped in enabling the country to ensure food security and availability of food at reasonable price for millions of people in the country. He initiated a number of new measures and reoriented agricultural policies and programmes to achieve record food production. Important among them were – acceleration of irrigation programmes, resolving inter-state water disputes, National Seeds Programme for production of quality seeds, promotional campaign for fertilizer use, etc. Through adoption and application of improved agricultural practices, cultivation of high-yielding varieties, increased use of fertilizers and pesticides, assured irrigation, improved water management practices, expansion of agricultural credit, development of marketing and storage, crop production was taken to new heights.

Jagjivan Ram realized the Public Distribution System was an effective mechanism to manage the supply chain of foodgrains to the common people. To meet the requirements of the Public Distribution System, increased emphasis was laid on domestic procurement and the country’s dependence on imports was progressively reduced. Public distribution of foodgrains was made a regular feature of food management in the country.

Another important contribution of Jagjivan Ram was in the field of Land Reforms, to which he accorded much priority as an effective step to transform the rural economy. The whole approach to food and agriculture policy under the leadership of Jagjivan Ram was of practical significance. They not only succeeded in meeting various crisis, but also came to be part of the long-term policy framework on food and agriculture in the country.

As Minister of Defence

Jagjivan Ram was the Defence Minister of the country at an important juncture and proved to be a tough taskmaster. He took over the reins of this Ministry in June 1970, when the threat of war was knocking at India’s eastern and western fronts. By December 1971, India successfully fought and concluded a war against Pakistan in which our Armed Forces emerged victorious under the courageous and inspiring leadership of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. 93,000 soldiers of Pakistan surrendered, and a new nation-Bangladesh-was born. With his unmatched ingenuity, he managed the affairs of the Defence forces at that critical juncture. He not only motivated the Armed Forces to fight for the liberation of another country, but also over-ensured that weapons, ammunition and nations for soldiers in the battlefield were never in short supply.

According to Lt. Gen. K.P. Candeth who was the Commander of the Army’s Western Command during the 1971 war, “Shri Jagjivan Ram went down well with the soldiers. He is a wonderful speaker who can carry his audience with him and he never makes the mistake of talking down to them, but manages to convey the impression that he is one of them . . . .’

Comparison

How does one compare the two great personalities? Mohan Dharia, former Union Minister and ‘Young Turk’ answers: ‘Many are tempted to compare Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and Jagjivan Ram. I believe that such a comparison is not fair as both of them had their unique personalities and different approaches. While Dr. Ambedkar was a rebellious revolutionary, Babu Jagjivan Ram who, as a freedom fighter, was grown in the non-violent movement, believed in the process of evolutionary reforms. He always felt that without converting the minds of the majority of citizens and securing their support, minorities would not be able to enjoy sustainable social justice and lead honourable life. Both of them had dedicated their lives for the upliftment of the downtrodden. Dr. Ambedkar was the founder of the Republican Party and Babu Jagjivan Ram was the creator of the All-Indian Depressed Classes League. Both of them prevailed on whole of the society to recognize the agonies and injustices suffered by the depressed classes and set a role model through their leadership.’ Both Babuji and Baba Saheb will continue to inspire generations of Indians for long.

(The author is former Secretary AICC and Editor, The Secular Saviour)