Government of India
Babuji’s Biography
Babu Jagjivan Ram
Jagjivan Ram, popularly known as Babuji was a national leader, a freedom fighter, a crusader of social justice, a champion of depressed classes, an outstanding Parliamentarian, a true democrat, a distinguished Union Minister, an able administrator and an exceptionally gifted orator. He had a towering personality and played a long inning, spanning over half a century in Indian politics with commitment, dedication and devotion. Babuji was married to Indrani Devi in June 1935. Indrani Devi was herself a freedom fighter and an educationist. Her father Dr. Birbal, a renowned medical practitioner, had been in the British army and had been awarded the Victoria Medal by the then Viceroy, Lord Lansdowne for his services in the Chin-lushai war in 1889-90. A son Suresh Kumar was born to them on 17 July 1938 and a daughter Meira on 31 March 1945. Suresh Kumar passed away on 21 May 1985 leaving his parents completely heart-broken.
Jagjivan Ram was born in a small village, Chandwa in Shahabad District, now Bhojpur, in Bihar on 5 April 1908 to Shobhi Ram and Vasanti Devi. Jagjivan Ram imbibed his idealism, humanitarian values and resilience from his father, who was of a religious disposition and the Mahant of the Shiv Narayani Sect. He was still in school when his father passed away leaving young Jagjivan in the care of his mother. Under his mother’s guidance, Jagjivan Ram passed his Matriculation in first division from Arrah Town School. Despite facing caste based discrimination, Jagjivan Ram successfully completed the Inter Science Examination from the Banaras Hindu University and later graduated from the Calcutta University.
Jagjivan Ram had organized a number of Ravidas Sammelans and had celebrated Guru Ravidas Jayanti in different areas of Calcutta (Kolkata). In 1934, he founded the Akhil Bhartiya Ravidas Mahasabha in Calcutta and the All India Depressed Classes League. Through these Organizations he involved the depressed classes in the freedom struggle. He was of the view that Dalit leaders should not only fight for social reforms but, also demand political representation. The next year, i.e. on 19 October 1935, Babuji appeared before the Hammond Commission at Ranchi and demanded, for the first time, voting rights for the Dalits.
Babu Jagjivan Ram played a very active and crucial role in the freedom struggle. Inspired by Gandhiji, Babuji courted arrest on 10 December 1940. After his release, he entrenched himself deeply into the Civil Disobedience Movement and Satyagraha. Babuji was arrested again on 19 August 1942 for his active participation in the Quit India Movement launched by the Indian National Congress.
Babuji had a long and distinguished political career of over five decades. Starting his public life as a student activist and freedom fighter, he went on to become a Legislator at the young age of 28 in the year 1936 as a nominated member of the Bihar Legislative Council. Again in 1936, he stood as a candidate of the Depressed Classes League. He was declared elected unopposed to the Bihar Legislative Assembly from the East Central Shahabad (Rural) constituency on 10 December 1936. When the Congress Government was formed in 1937, Babuji was appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Development. However, in 1938, he resigned along with the entire Cabinet.
Jagjivan Ram was again elected unopposed in 1946 and was inducted into the Interim Government on 2 September 1946 as the Minister of Labour. Thereafter, he remained a member of the Union Cabinet for nearly 31 years. Right from 1937, he played a dominant role in the Indian National Congress. During the pre-Independence period, Babuji held important offices at the State level in the Congress party. After Independence, he became the axis of the Party and indispensable for party affairs as well as governance of the country. He was a member of the All India Congress Committee from 1940 to 1977 and was in the Congress Working Committee from 1948 to 1977. He was in the Central Parliamentary Board from 1950 to 1977. Due to his astute political acumen, he was dear to stalwarts like Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Smt. Indira Gandhi.
Babu Jagjivan Ram had the unique distinction of serving as a Member of the Central Legislature uninterruptedly for over four decades. Till his last breath, he was a sitting member of the Lok Sabha- his Eighth term- consecutively since the First General Election. Babuji has had the distinction of being the longest-serving Minister in the Government of India. Jagjivan Ram was known for his apt handling of Parliamentary business. His oratory skill was well-acknowledged and admired in Parliament. As a Union Minister, he introduced numerous Bills in the Lok Sabha and piloted their passage in Parliament.
In post-independent India, Babuji’s contribution to nation-building has left an indelible mark. He was the Minister of Labour during 1946-52, a portfolio he held again in 1966-67. Besides the Labour Ministry, the other Ministries he held were Communications (1952-56), Railways (1956-62), Transport and Communications (1962-63), Food and Agriculture (1967-70), Defence (1970-74), and Agriculture and Irrigation (1974-77). When the Janata Party Government, headed by Morarji Desai was formed in 1977, Jagjivan Ram joined it as a Cabinet Minister, holding the Defence portfolio. He also became the Deputy Prime Minister and held the Defence portfolio from 24 January 1979 to 28 July 1979.
As Labour Minister, he introduced time-tested policies and laws for labour welfare. He was instrumental in enacting some of the landmark legislations for labour, viz. the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947; the Minimum Wages Act, 1948; the Indian Trade Union (Amendment) Act, 1960; the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965, etc. He laid the foundation of social security by way of enacting two important Acts, namely, the Employees State Insurance Act, 1948 and the Provident Fund Act, 1952.
As Minister of Communications, he nationalized the private airlines and spread postal facilities to the remote villages. Babuji, while holding the portfolio of the Transport and Communication Ministry was successful in enacting the Air Corporation Act, 1953 which substantially strengthened the civil aviation sector and resulted in the genesis of Air India and Indian Airlines as a national air carrier. Realising the huge potential of the shipping sector, Jagjivan Ram emphasized the expansion of its fleet to cover all the important trade routes of the world, which ultimately resulted in a substantial increase in the total cargo shipment and in turn gave a boost to foreign trade and an increase in the foreign exchange reserves.
As Railway Minister, he modernized Railways and took innumerable welfare measures for Railway employees and set a record by not allowing any increase in passenger fares for five years. It is worth recalling that during the tenure of Babuji as Railway Minister, Brahmaputra bridge was built, which is a unique example of engineering excellence. With the construction of the bridge, Assam and other North-East bordering States got connected with the mainland of the country and it paved the way for full development of that region. Apart from being an important means of national unity and integration, strategic importance of this bridge further increased, keeping in view the security-related challenges being faced by the North-East bordering States. This is an excellent example of Babuji’s farsightedness.
As Food and Agriculture Minister, 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. He also organized the Public Distribution System to ensure that the food is made available to the masses at a reasonable price.
Babu Jagjivan Ram’s inspiring leadership as Defence Minister galvanized the entire nation and the Armed Forces to deal with the crisis in East Pakistan. It was indeed a saga of unparalleled valour, as nearly one lakh soldiers of Pakistan Army laid down their arms before the Indian Army. In fact the creation of a new nation, Bangladesh brought about a watershed in the geo-politics of the South Asian region. The historic and decisive victory of 1971 bears testimony to the confidence, patience and immense courage of Babuji. It was during his tenure as the Defence Minister that India entered into the Indo-Soviet Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation.
Babu Jagjivan Ram symbolized the dawn of a new era of assertion, equality and empowerment for the depressed classes. As a member of the Constituent Assembly, he played an active role in formulating the provision for State intervention for the advancement of socially backward classes by way of reservation in public employment and reservation of seats in legislatures for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. He was instrumental in the making of the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955. For his unwavering support and relentless struggle for the cause of the downtrodden, he has been rightly called the ‘Messiah of Dalits’.
Leaving behind the message of equality, Babuji breathed his last on 6 July 1986 at New Delhi. As a national leader who shared his political career with many generations, from Mahatma Gandhi to Rajiv Gandhi, he has left the legacy of a sincere and dedicated political leader, a committed public servant, freedom fighter, social reformist, revolutionary and true humanist.
A more detailed profile is available at “Babu Jagjivan Ram Profile“
About BJRNF
The Babu Jagjivan Ram National Foundation was established by the Government of India as an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment and registered under The Societies Registration Act, 1860 on 14th March 2008. The President of the Foundation is the Union Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment. The main aim of the Foundation is to propagate the ideals of the late Babu Jagjivan Ram, Deputy Prime Minister, on social reform as well as his ideology, philosophy of life, mission and vision to create a casteless and classless society. The Foundation works to promote the scheduled castes and weaker sections of society through development schemes to promote social justice, to remove discrimination, to empower the scheduled castes and underprivileged people of society as well as to bring about an attitudinal change in society to abolish untouchability and caste-based prejudice.