Respectfully Remembering Bhagat Chhajju RamJi Gandhi of Jammu

Respectfully Remembering Bhagat Chhajju RamJi Gandhi of Jammu       Dated 21-05-2019

               ( His 30^th Death Anniversary falls on 22 May,2019)                            By: - Er. H. R. Phonsa

Bhagat Chhajju Ram (7-3-1907—22ndt May,1989) was the first  SC Minister in J&K:- Bhagat Chhajju Ram was born at Ranbhir Singh Pura on  07-03- 1907  to Shri Bhanga Ram and Shrimati Hari Devi Ji. He was eldest of the three siblings: one brother and one sister. He was studying in8th class at Lahore when his father died.  At the time of death of  his father he had to quit his studies to take care of the his brother and sister  at the tender age of 14 years.  His parents belonged to Megh Caste , one of recognized Scheduled Castes out of 13in all in J&K. Bhagat Chhajju Ram was a tall  fair colored but thin and lean personality. He was teetotaler and lived a simple but purposeful life. Bhagat Chhajju Ram was one among the first crop of Scheduled Caste political leaders in Jammu & Kashmir who contribute a lot for the welfare of his brethren. A fearless leader always expressed his views in clear terms without fear or favour. Once, while explaining the helplessness and discriminatory treatment meted out to his people he said “In J&K we see urea in fields and Khajurias ( A superior Brahmin sub title) in offices questioning is party leaders that where other are to go”. Ever since creation of J&K State and even after Independence , Khajuria, Dogra, Mangotra,Sharmas, Dubeys  etc. Brahmns have dominated education, administrative  employment, religious affairs. They were Prohits,Pujaries to the Hindu Rulers of the state so were advisors to this state Kings. So only a courageous Dalit with spine could make such remarks against the powerful ruling class. He mostly substantiated  his speech with funny jokes, short stories  to make home his point to his audiences .

Bhagat Chhajju Ram started his career as a tailor along with Sh. Duni Chand Bhagat. Due to 1947 turmoil Bhagat Chhajju Ram migrated to Jalander ( Punjab) and established his business in sports goods. But soon he returned back to his native place and started his old job of tailoring and subsequently as a cloth merchant.  Bhagat Chhajju Ram was a committed Arya Samaji and had good rapport with the Mahajans a business community of his place. He successfully established Arya Samaj Mandir at RSPURA and at Shastri Nagar Jammu, his  old age abode.  He made good fortune out of his business.  Bhagat Chhajju Ram was an honest person and he maintained this tag throughout his life. He was called Gandhi Of J&K. One of his relations told me that once he stated supplying milk to an army unit with his other partners. Bhagat Chhajju Ram soon pulled out of this business sensing corrupt practices adopted by his partners.

 Bhagat Chhajju Ram  followed Sadguru Kabir’s teaching and he established Kabir Kalyan Kendra Jiri , Kana Chak , Jammu,  an important religious place associated with the supreme  sacrifice of a Brahmin farmer  Bawa Jitto along with his toddler daughter Kiri, for his rights. Bhagat ji wanted to display portraits of all Dalit Saints in this  Kendra. Bhagat Chhajju Ram a man of clean habits, continued with  this through out his life  including morning and evening prayers as per Arya Samaj tradition throughout his life. Regular walking, massaging his body with Sarson ( Mustrad)oil formed his daily habit. Although he had studied only 8^th class but had in depth knowledge of the poverty suffering of poor, so he was taking keen interest in ways and means of mitigation of their sufferings. Bhagat Chhajju Ram had political bent of mind from his childhood and had met Baba Sahib Dr. B.R. Ambedkar at Lahore. Bhagat Chhajju Ram  was one among the founding fathers of Megh Mandal in early 1930. He got this organization merged with Harijan Mandal to make it broad based and  representative of all Scheduled Castesthen known as Harijans. But instrument to merge Harijan Mandal with National Conference against wishes of many others. Bhagat Chhajju Ram contested unsuccessfully for the Praja Sabha in 1938 but was made member of the J&K Constituent Assembly 1951 . Bhagat Chhajju Ram ji had met Dr. Rajinder Prasad  also along with Mahasha Nahar Singh another prominent Dalit leader.

Bhagat Chhajju Ram successfully contested elections for Legislative Assembly in 1962,1967,1983 and remained Minister  in the state cabinet for pretty long time. Besides other departments he was Minister for Social Welfare department. Bhagat Chhajju Ram was also MLC. He was Vice President (1967-1970) and Acting President ( 1970-1972) of the Indian National Congress.  For a brief period he became a member of the Communist Party when it was formed by many leaders like Ram Paira Saraf,  K.D. Sethi ,G.L. Dogra and others. But soon he returned to National Conference. Bhagat Chhajju Ram had close rapport with many National and State leaders.

I had a personal acquaintances with Bhagat Ji from 1960 and he was instrument in getting me admission in the Regional Engineering College ( Now NIT) Srinagar in 1961 from where I passed out as a first Scheduled Caste Engineer in the J&K State in 1966.  Till then no body from all Dalit castes put to gather had privilege to qualify as Engineer.  Bhagat Ji also snatched for me first appointment by giving a tough duel with then PWD Minister, RS Jamwal  in the presence of CM, Late G.M. Sadiq. Bhaggat  Ji  was ever ready to help all poor and deprived sections of society more so  Scheduled Castes. Our leaders of that time namely, Bhagat Chhajju Ram,  Babu Parmanand,  Choudhary Guran Ditta Mal, Jagat Ram Aryan, Babu Milkhi Ram, Mahasha Nahar Singh and others had dedicated their lives in the welfare of the Dalit masses. They had their personal difference at times but for common cause they were one.  The only common  matter they did not co-operate,  as required was lending helping hand to Amar Shaheed Bhagat Amar nath ji who undertook fast unto death for the cause of Scheduled castes  Frankly speaking I also proposed Bhagat Amarnath ji to delay his decision as our samaj was not prepared for such a drastic step.But he was adamant to go ahead with his plans and the unfortunately  we lost him. With their active fight of our leaders of the times 40 Housing plot were got reserved/allotted to Scheduled caste persons in the Shastri Nagar Jammu colony by the Housing department. Now we have substantial perence of our people there.  This right of scheduled caste had been criminally ignored while developing Gandhi Nagar colony. With these leaders in the Medical and Engineering college Srinagar education the Scheduled caste students were granted with both facilities of Scholarship and education Loan against only one facility in the initial years. Some people do disservice  to him by restricting him to a particular caste  when he worked for all toiling humanity. This needs to be stopped forthwith.

       This son of the soil passed away at his home in Shastri Nagar on 22^nd May, 1989 at an age of 82 years. His services to the downtrodden masses shall be long remembered with reverence. Let us salute his memories and his services rendered to poor, neglected, illiterates, ill fed of our society.

 

  Compiled by :-

   Er.H.R.Phonsas

Email:- hrphonsa @gmail.com           Mob:-09419134060

Note:-Any body who intends to get added more information in this article is welcome send it to me on my mail address, but facts must be real duly substantiated with facts. These facts will be added with their names  on revision of this article if a need so arises. Any body having Bhagat Ji’s clear/ good portrait may please send me a copy of the same to get it displayed in an important social building house.

KANDALE, R. G. A TRUSTED LIEUTENANT OF BABA SAHIB .

KANDALE, R. G. A TRUSTED LIEUTENANT OF BABA SAHIB .

      ( To- day 21 St May,2019 is his 107th birthday, Salute him)

The Mang or Matang (Minimadig in Gujarat and Rajasthan) is an untouchable caste in the Indian caste system Mangs were associated with low-status or ritually impure professions such as village musicians, cattle castrators, leather curers, midwives, hangmen, undertakers, and criminals. In the modern day they are listed as a Scheduled Caste, a designation which has replaced the former term Untouchable.Their origins lie in the Narmada Valley of India. They were part of Shiva ji's army and also had a large

presence in the East India company army. But after 1857 Indian Sepoy Rebellion (First war Of Indian Independence) Mangs were formerly classified as a criminal tribe under the Criminal Tribes Acts of the British Raj. Their recruitment in the marital services was also stopped by Lord Kitchener in early 1890.

Shri Ramachandra Khandale a Mang by Caste was born on 21 May 19I3 at village Kurkumbh, of Daund taluka in Pune district. Daund taluka comprises 165 villages. Bhima, Mula and Mutha are the three rivers in Daund.His father was Shri Genuji Khandale. Shri Ramachandra Khandale was admitted in Saints High school at Dound, an English medium school where he could study only upto the fourth standard.He married Lalubai and the couple had a daughter .His wife expired in 1958 when he was out for social work.

Shri R.G.Khandale was a dedicated worshipper or Potraj (Pujari) of a Goddess. Shri Baba Wagahmare from Dound an Ambedkarite worker was also belonging to Mang community. Shri Baba Wagahmare convinced Shri Khandale to stop the futile worship of the Hindu diety. Shri Wagahmare also asked him to shave off his hair and work for the upliftment of his community. Shri R.G.khandale got his hair cut in 1930 .Shri R.G. khandale happened to see the jalsa( Big politically motivated gathering) staged by Ramachandra Hari Bansode at Indapur city in Pune district. As the jalsa was based on social problems and prevailing deplorable conditions of Untouchables, it moved his inner conscious. Hereafter Shri R .G. Khandale was a changed person. He decided to strive to uplift the untouchables under the leadership of Dr. Ambedkar.

To carry on with his job of educating his Untouchable communities Shri R.G .Khandale foundedAll India Matang Sewa Samaj in1932. His Matang Samaj started rallying behind him. Thereafter he organized Bombay provincial Matang Parishador Conference in 1934 at Dound. Shri P N Rajbhoj (1906-1986)presided over the Conference. It was resolved in the conference to follow the policies and programs initiated by Dr. Ambedkar.All India Matang Sewa Samaj invited Dr. Ambedkar to Dound in 1936 to guide and advise the Dalits including Matangs in their political struggle. The Matang Parishad was active up to 1944.Being a true follower of Babasaheb Ambedkar Shri R.G. khandale believed that a separate electorate was necessary for the Dalits to ensure their real representation in the Legislatures. There was a collective view among Dalit leaders that with the passage of time their own Dalit political representatives in political parties shall ignore their Dalit voters if some mechanism as proposed in the separate electorate was not in place. This has proven correct in the present day politics of political parties. Now political leaders say more particularly Dalit leaders that Dalits have not voted for him or her as in the opposition too Dalits were contesting on the reserved seats. So the Dalits despite voting in large numbers do not get the desired credit of supporting parties.

Shri R.G. khandale worked to unite the Mahar, Chamar and Mang communities among the Scheduled Castes in Maharashtra. He stressed Dalits to avoid eating carcass and worshiping false deities. Earlier he himself was aPotraj to a goddess. But now he was guiding his Depressed Classes brothers to avoid such futile traditions. He was refuting the tradition of dedicating people to the goddess as Potraj, Devdasi and Murali .He sincerely though that Maharaki and Mangaki, the two hereditary services performed by Mang were in- dignifying the society. These services were traditionally performed by the Mahars and Mangs for baluta crumbs (Baluta is involuntary servitude because of which the hereditary servants were getting crumbs of bread as a reward).

Shri R.G. Khandale was convinced that the Depressed Classes needed political empowerment. When Dr. Ambedkar formed the Independent Labour Party (ILP) on 15^th August 1936 Shri Khandale joined it. In 1939, he was also elected to the District Local Board, Pune. The IPL did a commendable job of winning

substantial (14)seats in the Provincial Assembly elections based on the separate electorates' in primary election to the Scheduled Castes. In 1945 all SCF candidates won in UP when congress won only 4 urban seats of Lucknow, Agra, Allahabad and Kanpur. But in general elections in 1946 all upper caste Hindus voted enblock in favour of Dalit nominated Congress candidates and SFC candidates lost except at two places. Stiff opposition to the Poona Pact started from here onwards for denying Dalits the provisions of separate electorates granted under Communal Award. Shri Khandale also joined the Scheduled Castes Federation (SCF) in 1942 and the Republican Party (RPI) of India in 1957. In 1952, General Election he successfully contested on SCF seat from Pune-Haveli Constituency. He was elected as Joint Secretary of the Maharashtra RPI unit in 1960. He was unsuccessful when in 1972 he contested in the General Elections from Daund Assembly seat. Shri R.G.Khandale actively participated in all the programmes of ILP; SCF and RPI.

Shri R.G. Khandale was sent to assist the leaders in Marathwada in organizing the satyagraha of landless peoples in 1953.Again he was deputed for similar purposes in1956 to Kalamba in Kolhapur. He was imprisoned at Aurangabad for one and a half month in 1953 and for 15 days in 1956 for having participated in the Satyagraha of landless persons.

Shri R.G. Khandale was also involved in the satyagrah held at Rahuri ( Ahmednagar district) in 1959 and Dound in 1964-65.. He was brain behind the founding of the Nav Jeevan Vidyarthi Vasatigrih (hostel) at Dound in 1959 for the Scheduled Caste boys. He kept himself actively engaged in running the affairs of this hostel till his last days

When Dr. Ambedkar along with his lakhs of followers embraced Buddhism onVijayadashmi day, 14 October 1956 at Nagpur, Shri R.G. Khandale too got converted to Buddhism. There after Shri R.G. Khandale engaged himself in propagating

the Buddhism among the Scheduled Castes. In recognition of his dedicated services to society and the Ambedkarite movement, the RPI Pune unit honored him on 21 May 1987 under the President ship of Smt J. Ishwari (1920-1991), the president of one of RPI wings. Shri Khandale was presented with a purse for rupees. 15, 051.00

By.Er.H.R.Phonsa

Contact:- hrphonsa@gmail.com

            +919419134060

Rai Bahadur Rao Narayan Meghaji Lokhande (1848–1897)

     History of getting Sunday holiday .                    

   Rai Bahadur Rao Narayan Meghaji Lokhande  (1848–1897)       

                          ( A Dalit Hero who struggled hard to get sanctioned Sunday as public Holiday)

Nothing on this earth has ever been obtained without struggle particularly when it is for a larger interests of a community. Baba Sahib Dr. Ambedkar said “ All things have a bill of costs attached to it, you cannot get it without paying the price”. However very well meaning persons of vision have struggled for matters of common causes. One among such persons who showed  more concern for suffering millions laborers without caring for his personnel comforts was Narayan Meghaji Lokhande.  The Indian employees then had to work  all seven  week days without getting any beak or rest time time. For Christians Sunday is a  day of religious observance and abstinence from work. The Jews observed from Friday evening to Saturday evening as a prayer and rest day . Christians attend Church services to Pray in Church on every Sunday. So, Sunday is holiday in Christianity terming it as God’s day , the sign of a new creation, beyond the week Jesus. Christ on crucification on a cross.  rested in the grave on the Sabbath and rose the following day, beyond the end of the week. So for Christians the day following the Sabbath became known as “the Lord’s day” which was Sunday.

 Rao Bahadur Narayan Meghaji Lokhande (1848–1897) struggled hard to get one day weekly off with full pay perks to Indian workers  . He was Dalit being born in Fulmali or florist,a Hindu untouchable  caste.  Florists  grow flowers besides performing other agriculture based jobs.   He being contemporary and prominent colleague of   another social and education Revolutionary  Mahatma Jyotirao Phuley (11th April 1827 to 28th Nov.1890) of Poona(now Pune). Both belonged to mali caste now classified as Other Backward Caste. Both worked in unison in Satya Sodak Samaj movement and organized  labour to fight for their rights.

Meghaji Lokhande was convinced that labour needs weekly at least a day’s rest .This way they can look after their  family affairs for which they  toil hard.So he approached the British government of India in 1881 with a written request  to give weekly  a day’s off  from work to workers. But the government did not agree with his suggestion and the Indian workers continued  to work seven days a week without any break. However in UK Sunday officially had became an off day since 1843.  When the British Indian Government refused to accede to his  suggestions for Sunday as holiday for Indian workers too, he started a campaign for it. His struggle gained strength with every passing day. This campaign continued long, for eight years. When Narayan Megaji Lokhanday’s struggle for the cause of toiling Indian workers gained strong momentum the British Government declared Sunday as holiday in 1889. The success of the movement launched and guided by Shri Rao Narayana M. Lokhanday was not only a big relief to the labourers but an encouragement for Indian to launch more such movements for mass benefits. Ever since protests, agitations, non cooperative movements became an tool in Indian public hands to get their human rights enforced from the British rulers.           

 Meghaji Lokhande  was a pioneer of the labour movement in India and Mahatama Phuley utilizing his wife’s services opened 18 schools in and around Poona, many for girls. Education to girls and untouchables was  banned in Hindu shastras, particularly Manusmirity.  To organize mill workers Meghaji Lokhande  founded the Bombay Mill Hands Association  

( BMHA).He was its first President too. Mahatama Jyotirao Phuley also addressed the meetings of the textile workers in Bombay. It is significant that before Lokhande , Jyotirao and his  another colleagues Bhalekar had  tried to organize the peasants and the workers, hardly anybody else or any organization had made any such attempt to redress worker’s  grievances.

 Lokhandaye  is remembered not only for ameliorating the working conditions of textile mill-hands in the 19th century but also for his courageous initiatives on caste and communal issues. He was founding father of  “Mumbai Kamgar Sangh”. He was appointed associate member of the Bombay Factory Commission in 1890. Meghaji Lokhande is acclaimed as the Father of the Trade Union Movement in India so  was awarded title of “ Rai Bahadur”  by the British Government for his exemplary work of labour welfare.

Some of the rights mill workers got because of  Rai Bahadur Rao Narayan Meghaji Lokhande’s  labourious efforts  were:

 Mill workers got a weekly holiday on Sunday.

In the afternoon, workers should be entitled to half-hour recess.

The mill should have fixed working hours  and should start working from 6:30 in the morning and close by sunset.

He demanded that the salaries of the workers should be given by the 15th of every month.

 The Deenbandhu  a Marathi-language newspaper  was founded by Jyotirao Phule and K. R. Bhalekar in 1877. It was the first newspaper in India published from Bombay ( Now Mumbai) to cater explicitly for the labouring people.  It served as an outlet for Phule's Satyashodhak Samaj too. Nara yan Meghaji Lokhande, took over the management of Deenbandhu published from Bombay. He had already been writing for it from 1880 and was selling 1650 copies per week in 1884, thus making it the second-highest circulation Marathi or Anglo-Marathi newspaper in Bombay Presidency, after Kesari another Marathi paper founded in 1881 by Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak.

While Lokhande published the Deenbandhu from Bombay, Vithhal Marutrao Nawle, an admirer of Phule, bought the rights to publish an edition in Pune. He imported a printing press from Ohio that continued to produce the newspaper until it ceased publication in the 1970s. (Wikipedia)

 The Government of India issued a postage stamp with his photograph in 2005. He was the force behind forcing the British Crown to order weekly paid  Public Holiday on  Sunday for workers in India

Let us all salute the sweet memory of the Dalit Hero Rai Bahadur Rao Narayan Meghaji Lokhande becaue of whom Indian Labourers and workers including employees are enjoying weekly Sunday as paid Holiday.

Er.H.R.Phonsa Jammu

Contact:-hrphonsa@gmail.com             Mobile:-+919419134060

(Ref:-By Coursty of Wikipedia

 Economic and Political Weekly. 32 (7): 327–329. JSTOR 4405089 from)