Wednesday, December 26, 2018

SUPREME SACRIFIER SHAHEED-E-AZAM SARDAR UDHAM SINGH JI

SUPREME SACRIFIER SHAHEED-E-AZAM SARDAR UDHAM SINGH JI

 (Remembering With Reverence On His 118th Birthday Falling On 26th Dec.2018) Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Udham Singh killer of Sir Michael O' Dwyer was born on 26th December1899 at village Sunam (now Sunam Udham Singh Wala) Distt Sangroor of Patiala Princely State. His parents Sardar Tehal Singh & Sardarni Harnam Kour were convert to Sikhism on the initiation of Sardar Dhanna Singh Ji an overseer in irrigation Department. Before baptismal( Amritpan) Sardar Tehal and sardarni Harnam Kour were named as Shri Chuhar Ram and Shrimati Narayana Devi . They are reported to be residents of village Patiali of Etta Nagar in Utter Pradesh. One author has written that Chuhar Ram was resident of Kanpur Janpad in UP. Shri Chuhar Ram came from Jammu (Jammu clan is of Kamboj lineage in Chamars) Chamars are of an important shudra ( Untouchable or Ati Shudra) caste having religious linkage with Guru Ravi Das. Guru Ravi Dass (1414-1540AD) born near Banaras, a highest religious seat of Hindus and was a saint of highest spiritual order. The Chuhar Ram couple was from seasonal migratory labour class. They used to come to Punjab as poor labourers along with others to work inagriculture farms and for brick kiln owners. In 1880 Chuhar Ram migrated from village Patiali (UP) to Sunam in Patiala State of Punjab. Shri Chuhar Ram and Shrimati Narayana Devi worked at Neelowal 3 miles (5 Kms) from Sunam with Irrigation Canal Overseer Sardar Dhanna Singh. Shri Chuhar Ram and his wife a pious couple worked with great zeal, dedication and honesty, so Sardar Dhanna Singh himself a devout religious person developed affection for them. This religious attachment of theirs influenced Shri Chuhar Ram’s to become a devoted(Shajdhari) Sikh. When Sh. Chuhar Ram couple again came to Sunam for work, they were received with affection by Sardar Dhanna Singh , his wife Sardarni Maan Kour and their daughter Maya Kour. Shri Chuhar Ram his wife took Amrit & become regular Sikhs with new names as Sardar Tehal Singh & Sardarni Harnam Kour. Kind hearted Sardar Dhanna Singh through his relation Sardar Chanchal Singh Sunami got engaged Sardar Tehal Singh as a Railway Gateman at Uppali Railway Station, 5 miles from Sunam. So Sardar Tehal Singh started living at Sunam in a small house where Shaheed Udham Singh was born as second male to Sardar Tehal Singh & Sardarni Harnam Kour. Their elder son was Mukha Singh. Their second son was named as Sher Singh, whowas later renamed as Udham Singh. As ill luck both Sardarni Harnam Kour & Sardar Tehal Singh died with in a span of one year leaving both their sons aged 10 & 5 years as orphans. Sardar Chanchal Singh looked after both boys for 2 years & then got them admitted in Central Khalsa Ram Bagh Orphanage near Putligarh Amritsar on24th October, 1907. Sardar Sohan Singh in charge of this orphanage was son-in-law of Sardar Dhanna Singh. So Mukha Singh & Sher Singh newly admitted boys got homely care under Sardarni Maya Kour ( S. Dhana Singh’s daughter) and her orphanage in charge husband. The boys were given new names Mukha singh as Sadhu Singh & Sher Singh as Udham Singh. Pandit Jai Chand a cook of orphanage a revolutionary himself, taught the children of orphanage how to become revolutionary and this teaching influenced the young mind of Udham Singh too. Simplicity, hard work, truthfulness and bravery of Udham influenced Smt. Kamla Rani the wife of Pandit Jai Chand & Sardarni Maya Kour, so both ladies gave him motherly affection. In about 1913 Sadhu Singh went with Sadhus never to return again, so left Udham Singh alone in this world. Sadhu Singh is reported to have died in 1917. Udham Singh passed his matriculation Examination in 1919 and left the orphanage there after. By then he had gained expertise in furniture making, driving, wrestling and music . He won many wrestling matches from important wrestlers. By the side of the orphanage he started working in a shop as furniture making worker. This shop was a secret centre for planning revolutionary activities by the then known Karantikaries( Revolutionary Freedom fighter) Here Udham Singh met main revolutionary leaders Sardar Bhagat Singh, Raj Guru, and Sukhdev. The Rowlatt Act 1914 gave many powers to colonial government including arresting and detaining any body without trial. This was widely opposed in India. On April 13, 1919, over twenty thousand unarmed Indians, mainly Dalit and Dalit Sikhs, peacefully assembled in Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar, to listen to several prominent local leaders speak out against British colonial rule in India and against the arrest and deportation of Dr. Satya Pal, Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew, and few others under this unpopular Rowlatt Act. Udham Singh and his mates from the orphanage were serving water to the crowd on a warm summer afternoon. A band of 90 soldiers armed with rifles and Kukries or Khukhris (short swords) marched to the park accompanied by two armored cars with mounted machine guns. The vehicles were unable to enter the Bagh owing to the narrow entrance. Brigadier-General Reginald Edward Harry Dyer was in command of 45th Infantry Brigade at Jalandhar, arrived in Amritsar. He immediately established file facto army rule, though the official proclamation to this effect was not made until 15 April. The troops at his disposal included 475 British and 710 Indian soldiers. On 12 April he issued an order prohibiting all meetings and gatherings. On 13 April which marked the Baisakhi festival, a large number of people, mostly Sikhs, had poured into the city from the surrounding villages. Local leaders called upon the people to assemble for a meeting in the Jallianwala Bagh at 4.30 in the evening. The troops had entered the Bagh by about 5:15 PM. With no warning to the crowd to disperse, Dyer ordered his troops to open fire, concentrating especially on the areas where the crowd was thickest Among the gathering were three brave Dalits namelly Bhudha Singh,Mangil Singh & Dhulia Singh Dhobies (Washer men) challenged General Dyer to shoot them first, as they were not afraid of his bullets. General Dyer fired bullets which pierced through their chests. There after the attack lasted ten minutes. Since there was only one exit not barred by soldiers, people tried to climb the walls of the park. Some also jumped into a well inside the compound to escape the bullets. A plaque in the monument says that 120 bodies were plucked out of the well alone. By the time the smoke cleared, hundreds of people had been killed and thousands injured. Official estimates put the figures at 379 killed (337 men, 41 boys and a six week old baby) and 200 injured, but other reports estimated the deaths well over 1,000 and possibly 1,300. According to Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya and Lala Girdhari Lal, the deaths were more than 1,000. Swami Shardanand places the figure at more than 1,500Dr Smith, Civil Surgeon of Amritsar, gives an even larger number: 1,800 dead. The casualty figures were never fully ascertained for political reasons. The wounded could not be moved from where they had fallen, as a curfew had been declared. Debate about the actual figures continues to this day. Official figures say that 1,650 rounds of ammunition had been used. Udham Singh, an eye witness of this massacre saw it from a tree top, where he had climbed to listen the leaders. Udham Singh mainly held Michael O'Dwyer (1864-1940) then Punjab Governor, responsible for what came to be known as the Amritsar Massacre. New research supporting this fact reveals the massacre to have occurred with the Governor's full connivance "to teach the Indians a lesson, to make a wide impression and to strike terror through-out Punjab" The incident had greatly shaken young Udham Singh and proved a turning point in his life. After bathing in the holy Amritsar sarovar ( Religiously pool of nectar), Udham Singh took a silent vow and solemn pledge in front of the Golden Temple to wreak a vengeance on the perpetrators of the crime and to restore honour to what he saw as a humiliated nation. Sardar Gurnam Singh Mukatsar (Writer Of Hindi Book Jhooth Na Bol Pande) writes at page 283 that it was the gathering of Dalit Sikhs devotees, whose Deg ( Cooked sweet food say Halwa) was not allowed to be distributed to devotees in Darbar Sahib Amritsar by Upper Caste converted Sikh Granthi Aroor Singh. These Dalit Sikhs along with Army Jawans( Soldiers) belonging to low Castes decided to gather in Jallianwala Bagh to protest against insult inflicted upon them by Granthi of their faith. This Aroor Singh instigated General Dyer telling him the Dalit were going to hold a big protest against British Crown there by creating Law and order problems. So General Dyer decided to teach lesson to the protestors. General Dyer was later presented a Saroopa (Honoring in a Sikhism Religious Style to a person for some highly praise worthy work). Also KambojSociety.com, #640, Sector: 69, S.A.S. Nagar (Mohali), Punjab - 160062, India claims that this incident of honouring General Dyer later resulted in formation of “The All India Sikh League as a representative body of the Panth for political action”. This ultimately culminated in formation of the Gurdwara Reform movement , 1920-25. Some Sikh servicemen, resenting the policy of non-violence adopted by the leaders of the Alkali movement, resigned from the army and constituted the nucleus of an anti-British terrorist group known as Babar Alkalis. Any way General Dyer was responsible for the massacre of innocent Indians. After the massacre Udham Singh found wailing Shrimati Rattana Devi to find the dead body of her husband who was killed in the shoot out. Udam Singh consoled Rattana Devi, got traced the dead body of her husband from the heap of dead persons and adopted Widow Smt Rattana Devi as his step sister. Udham Singh promised her to take revenge for death of her husband. He left Amritsar on 22 April 1919 and reached Baramula town of Kashmir State, where he worked in a furniture shop for some time & in October 1919 returned to his village Sunam. In sunam he killed a wild wolf, which had created terror in the area and had killed many animals besides a few children. Sunam Residents offered him shelter and help with requests to make Sunam his permanent abode, to which he denied, as he had different goals in his mind. In November 1919 he returned to Amritsar. At that time he joined a group of labourers and reached South Africa in November 1919 itself and engaged himself in organizing meeting to oppose British Crown of India. From here he set for America in a ship while serving as a coal Charge man to ship boiler and reached America in 1920. He met Lala Hardayal chief of Gaddar Party and learnt the art of making Bullets & got training in shooting. From here on the advice of Lala Hardayal he went to England with the sole objective of killing General Dyer, who had retired and had returned to London. But General Dyer died of paralysis in 1927. Governer Punjab Michael O'Dwyer was called back to London, which became the target of Uham Singh, to fulfill his vow to take revenge for Amritsar Massacre of 13th April,1919. In London Udham Singh met twice Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar in India Office Library and on the advise of Dr Ambedkar, Udham Singh joined Engineering courses. Dr Ambedkar advised Udham Singh to get equipped with higher education in London. In London Udham Singh met a German Lady Miss Merry, who promised him all help including financial help. When Dr. Ambedkar left for Bonn to study Sanskrit, Udham Singh returned to India in 1923 on call from Bhagat Singh, to whom Udham Singh called his Guru. Miss Merry also accompanied him and she was introduced to all known to Udham Singh. In India at Lahore he joined National College of Lala Lajpat Rai and passed his F.A ( now 10+2) in 1923 there after joined B.A. classes. This college was a training centre for the revolutionaries and Bhagat Singh too was a student there. He worked as teacher along with Sargar Bhagat singh in the National School Kher Aligarh. Udam Singh went to Kanpur, again to Lahore and then to London for the Second time. He along with Miss Merry traveled across the Globe and went to Russia, France, Abyssinia, Scylia, Charybdis, Egypt, Island of White, Vikar of Bay etc. where he kept himself engaged in Revolutionary activities. In 1927 he returned to Lahore again on message from Bhagat Singh. He was not prepared to return to India with out accomplishing his set goal, but Miss Merry convinished him by advancing argument that Bhagat Singh might have some plan to make Udham ‘s work easy or some more urgent job might had been set for him. Udham Singh brougt with him four persons, explosive material, some pistols and ammunition besides Miss Merry his most confident person. Udham Singh continued to work for the set goal and kept close contact with other revolutionary persons. He was caught with loaded pistol No 85869 and sentenced for five years from 28 Sept1928 to 23 Sept 1932 in central Jail Multan and Rawalpindi. Bhagat Singh, Raj Guru & Sukhdev to avenge the death of Lala Lajpat Rai of shoot down JP Sanders and this news was received by Udham singh on 17 Dec.1928 in jail ,when he said “Brother, you have full filled your promise, where as my vow is yet unfulfilled, you are great” After releasing from Jail, he went to Peshawer, then to Sunam and also to Jammu. From Jammu he went to Kashmir on foot in the disguise of a sadhu. Here he came in contact with Sardar Swarn Singh, Justice Dan Singh and others and worked as labourer in the furniture shop of Faquiria. Udham Singh also went to Amar Nath as a Sadhu. In1933 he along with Miss Merry went to London and lived for some time in Shephard Bush Gurudwara. He worked as a taxi driver too for the taxi of Shephard Bush Gurudwara. Udham Singh worked as demestic driver to Sir Michael O'Dwyer in Devons Shire U.K. and used to carry Dyer’s daughter Miss Golde to college so he under stood all lanes and surroundings of Dyer’s house . Udham Singh had earned the confidence of Miss Golde & other family members, from whom he collected house secrets and circumstances which had prompted Sir Michael O’Dwyer to order firing inJalianwala Bagh. He left the service of driver to Sir Michael O' Dwyer but continued his revolutionary activities by meeting other revolutionaries. Golde is said to have tried to gained nearness to Udham Singh but timely reminding him, his solemn pledge by Miss Merry, he again started vigorously concentrating on his set goal On 12 th March 1940 Udham Singh got Laddos ( Indian Sweet,) from the Indian restaurant through Balbir Singh another revolutionary and distributed among his colleagues. Every body thought that Udham Singh has finalised his bride-to-be to marry her. On enquiry he said he has been already married to the cause of his mother land and every body shall know through news papers tomorrow the cause of his happiness.At last, the opportunity came on 13 March 1940, almost 21 years after the Jallianwala Bagh killings: After praying in Shephard Bush Gurudwara and taking Parsad from the Granthi, he came back to home and then reached Caxton Hall. A joint meeting of the East India Association and the Royal Central Asian Society was scheduled at Caxton Hall, and among the speakers was Michael O'Dwyer. Udham Singh concealed his revolver in a book specially cut for the purpose and managed to enter Caxton Hall. He took up his position against the wall. At the end of the meeting, the gathering stood up and O'Dwyer moved towards the platform to talk to Lord Zetland. Udham Singh pulled his revolver and fired. O'Dwyer was hit twice and died immediately. Again Udham Singh fired at Lord Zetland (1876-1961, then secretary of State for India), the Secretary of State for India, injuring him but not seriously. Incidentally, Sir Luis Dane was hit by one shot, which broke his radius bone and dropped him to the ground with serious injuries. A bullet also hit Lord Lamington(1896-1951), whose right hand was shattered. If planned earlier Udham Singh could have escaped but did not intend to escape. So he was arrested on the spot. Back in India, there was a strong reaction to this assassination. While the Congress-controlled English speaking press of India condemned Singh's action in general terms, independents like Amrit Bazar Patrika and New Statesman took different views. In its March 18, 1940 issue, Amrit Bazar Patrika wrote, "O'Dwyer's name is connected with Punjab incidents which India will never forget". The most telling reaction came from the common man on the street who hailed Udham Singh as a hero and patriot. Indians all over regarded Singh's action as justified and an important step in India's struggle to end British colonial rule in India As never expected but unfortunately, in a statement to the Press, Mahatama Gandhi had condemned the Caxton Hall shooting saying that "the outrage has caused me deep pain. I regard it as an act of insanity.I hope this will not be allowed to affect political judgment". A week later, Harijan, Gandhi’s newspaper further wrote: "We had our differences with Michael O'Dwyer but that should not prevent us from being grieved over his assassination. We have our grievances against Lord Zetland. We must fight his reactionary policies, but there should be no malice or vindictiveness in our resistance. The accused is intoxicated with thought of bravery Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru wrote in his National Herald: "Assassination is regretted but it is earnestly hoped that it will not have far-reaching repercussions on political future of India. Most of the press worldwide remembered the story of Jallianwala Bagh and held Michael O'Dwyer fully responsible for the events. Singh was called "fighter for freedom" by The Times, London, While in Police custody, Udham Singh remarked: "Is Zetland dead? He ought to be. I put two into him right there" indicating with his hand the pit of his stomach in left side. Udham Singh remained quiet for several minutes and then again said: "Only one dead eh'. I thought I could get more. I must have been too slow. There were a lot of women about, you know" Just after thirteen day of the Caxton Hall firing ,on 1 April 1940, Udham Singh was formally charged with the murder of Michael O'Dwyer. On 4 June 1940, he was committed to trial, at the Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey, before Justice Atkinson. When the court asked about his name, he replied "Ram Mohammad Singh Azad", which Singh believed would demonstrate his transcendence of race, caste, creed, and religion. Singh explained his actions to the court at his trial:He did it because he had a grudge against him. He deserved it.Atkinson sentenced him to death. On 31st July 1940, Udham Singh was hanged at Pentonville Prison. As with other executed prisoners, he was buried later that afternoon within the prison grounds. In March 1940, Indian National Congress leaders, including Jawahar Lal Nehru and Mahatama Gandhi, condemned the action of Udham Singh as senseless, but in 1962, Nehru did an about-turn and applauded Singh with the following statement in the daily Partap: "I salute Shaheed-e-Azam Udham Singh with reverence who had kissed the noose so that we may be free.". In July 1974, Udham Singh's remains were exhumed and repatriated to India at the request of S. Sadhu Singh Thind an MLA from Sultanpur Lodhi at that time. He asked Indira Gandhi to force the then British Government to hand over Udham Singh's remains to India. Sadhu Singh Thind himself went to England as a special envoy of Indian Government and brought back the remains of the Shaheed. He was given a martyr's reception. Among those who received his casket at Delhi airport were Shankar Dayal Sharma, then president of the Congress Party, and Zail Singh, then chief minister of Punjab, both of whom later went on to become Presidents of India. Indira Gandhi, the prime minister, also laid a wreath. He was later cremated in his birthplace of Sunam in Punjab and his ashes were immersed in the Ganga river. References:-Savtantantra Sangram Ke Mahabalidani Udham Singh by Dr.Rajpal Singh Raj Rajlaxmi Prakashan Brahmpuri Delhi-53 1) www.serchsikhism.com 2) Wikipedia 3) KambojSociety.com, and 4. Jhooth Na Bol PandeHindi Book by Sardar Gurnam Singh Mukatsar Punjab                          (Smiling Udham singh leaving the Caxton Hall after his arrest)

Thursday, November 29, 2018

INDIA’S TWO BHARATS


INDIA’S TWO BHARATS
                                   By: Er. H.R. Phonsa, Jammu
    Enlarged and updated
India is one of the most nature favoured land. Nature has bestowed India with abundant natural resources. It has world’s high peaks of Himalayan mountains in the North.  Himalayan mountains have not only acted as a natural barrier against foreign  intruders from the North but it controls weather year over making India as most pleasant place to live.  Himalaya peaks remain covered with snow year over. Our mighty rivers the Ganga, the Brahmaputra and the Indus with their tributaries emanate from Himalayas. Indian South Plateau having rivers Subarnarekha, Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, etc ( East flowing) and  the Narmada, the Tapi or Tapti and  the Sabarmati( West flowing). Length  of  Indian Coastal line is  7,517 km  out of which the south west Indian coastline along the Arabian sea  has 2908.1Kms and The South Eastern coastline along the Bay of Bengal has 2094 Kms besides this 2094 coast line encircles out 572 (Andaman Nekowar ) and 36 ( Lakshadweep) islands .For centuries the coastal areas besides providing safety from foreign invaders  provided easy trade routes supplying in abundance aquatic  food.  We are lucky to have the vast water resources; hot dry land patches (Max. Recorded Temp 520C) of high temperature ranges, snow covered coldest mountain regions (minimum recorded temp. of minus 480C), world’s wettest place  (with recoded per annum 26,000 millimetres (1,000 in) of rainfall in 1985), forest green areas( 23.8 % of land area) making India an all weather Country year around. Hardly any other country on the world map can boast of such natural treasurer. India possesses Coal (4th largest reserves in the world), Iron ore, Manganese ore (7th largest reserve in the world as in 2013), Mica, Bauxite (5th largest reserve in the world as in 2013), Chromites, Natural gas, Diamonds, Limestone and Thorium (world's largest along coast of Kerala shores). 
We rightly claim to be the oldest civilisation of the world. Despite all this the distribution of National resources India has been unfair with its unfortunate poverty ridden population from centuries. In the world among humen there are colour and economic disparities. But India has unique character   where besides colour and economic disparities, there are caste hate disparities. There are remedies for other disparities but not for caste hate among Hindus. Many good hearted reformists have tries to find solution to caste  but have had little or no  success. Even those who have left Hinduism, for reasons of caste hate disparities, to embrace, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, majority  have carried their  Hindu castes  tags along. India attained freedom after 2200 years from foreign yoke 72 years ago.
Even during this period we have  seen India slipping into two Bharats Rich or elite and poor or deprived Bharat with in India, both having  hardly any thing  as equality social, economic, caste unification meeting point.. Even after attaining freedom the condition of Deprived Bhartiyas have changed but little. India is the second most unequal country in the world according to Global Wealth Report 2016 compiled by Credit Suisse Research Institute. A study by a Berlin-based NGO pegs India as ‘Most Corrupt Country in Asia-Pacific Region. As many as  big  207 scams took place in India involving enormous money  amounts between 1951-2018. In nine shamefully top scams (2003-2018)  Rs 6,71,420 crores were pilfer- aged by  corrupt politicians,  business persons ,  their relations and henchmen.  Elite India is for Bullet Train and the other is for increase in the frequency of trains besides increase in the number of bogies so that they climb down from train roof tops into bogies.        We are a home of 21% of world’s poor. As of 2014 showing 58% of the total Indian population were living on less than $3.10 per day.  Indian government planned in 2005 to bring complete change in healthcare and family planning  through Accredited social health activists( ASHA) and  their helpers. But their monthly honorarium in September 2018 was respectively Rs 3000/-and 1500/-  which is slated to be increased to Rs 4500/-and Rs 2500/ from October 2018 claiming as a land mark by the Prime Minister Mr.  Narinder Modi. How these poor helpless workers are maintaining their families is any body’s guess. As per the International Rights Group OXFA  "It would take around 17.5 days for the best paid executive at a top Indian garment company to earn what a minimum wage worker in rural India will earn in their lifetime, presuming 50 years at work."  Elite Bharat has added 19 more billionaires to reach 121  numbers (2018) from 2017 count of 102 billionaires. This makes India to house the third largest group of ultra-rich in the world. Mukesh Ambani , who is way ahead of other Indian billionaires in terms of assets, became richer by $16.9 billion in 2018 (March 07, 2018 ET Now Digital ) with net worth Net Worth:  $ 39.6 Billion. However in 1998 only Indian Billionaire was his father Dhirubhai Ambani on the Forbes' list of billionaires with net worth of $1.2 billion. During last 20 years late  Dhirubhai  Ambani’s family worth has increased by 2205 %. But their greed to earn by applying fair and foul means becomes clear in Scraping, by J&K Governor shri Satya Pal Malik, the Insurance policy with Reliance saying it was full of frauds( The Daily Excelsior Oct.25,2018).  In poverty ridden  Bharatiyas  from 1998 to 2018 as many as
 3, 00,000 farmers ( Indian Bread producers) committed suicides( (Wikipedia) for various reasons, out  of them   bank loans outstanding and crop failures being major reason. If the number of farm labourers is added this figure may shoot up many times. Maharashtra State having Indian economic capital Mumbai has $410 billion ( Rs 27.88 lakh crores) GDP, over 6 % of National GDP    ( 2018-19 estimated).  But Maharashtra sadly witnessed suicides of poor Bhartiyas farmers as large as 70,000 (1995-2017). Mumbai red light areas, bars, brothels  have over 1,00,000 prostitutes, (now called sex workers) out of  their country wide  estimated population of  6,57,829 (Nov.2016 UNAIDS). Underage population of prostitutes is estimated as 12 Lakhs .  All these unfortunate ladies come  from deprived Indians with compulsions of bread earning. The system of Devdassies or temple dancing ladies with in age group of 6 to 37 years was shame on name of religion and religion manager Prohits, who sexually exploited helpless ladies coming from deprived Bhartiyas.
The “The Quint, Jan. 2018” quotes that Indian top one per cent of the population  is owning nearly 73% of the total  National wealth generated, The survey also showed that their wealth increased  by over Rs 20.9 lakh crores during  2017 , an amount nearly equivalent to Union budget 2017-18  pegged at Rs 21.47 Lakh Crores. Unfortunate deprived Bhartiyas with 67 crores population of poorest , as large as half of India, saw their wealth rise by just  01 per cent. 
Unfortunate among poor Bharat 454 million or  38. 2% of total population lived below poverty line ( Rangarajan committee report 2014). India houses 1/3 of world’s hungry, here nearly 20 crores go hungry daily and has 30.7% children   (below 5yrs) under weight due to malnutrition. Estimates show that in poverty ridden India 7000 die daily of hunger.  In July 2018 three sisters, aged 2,4,8 years died of hunger in National capita Delhi disproving all claims of government to care of poor Bhartiyas.  A shame to managers of secular, Democratic government  affairs with constitutional guarantee of equality for all .The undernourished Indian population is as high as 14.5% who are non other than deprived Bhartiyas.  Due to neglect and defective planning manned mostly by Elite Bhartiyas 67 million tons of food grains worth Rs92,000 cores go waste annually ( Clean India, May 12,2018) where as 7000 daily die of hunger. Recently World Bank reported that 60% of food subsidies do not reach poor ( Deprived Bharat) and are siphoned off by middleman or Elite Bharat. Late Rajiv Gandhi Indian Prime Ministers said in Kalahandi district Orissa in 1985 that out of Rupee One spent by government only 15 paise reach the intended welfare of downtrodden beneficiary. This fact is accepted by Mr. Narinder Modi Indian P.M.  even after over 30 years in a different form and percentage. J&K Governor has confessed presence of corruption during previous regimes including PDP-BJP governments ( The Daily Excelsior Oct.25,2018). 
  Unfortunate poor Bharat had in 2011 over 32 crores illiterates (26% of population), 60 millions children of 6- 14 years of age are out of schools, large numbers of  school drop outs,90% of those who attend schools read very little. Despite this there is a total divide in imparting education for Elite and Deprived Bhartiyas, a basic need and Fundamental Right of every Indian child. For Elite Bhartiyas children have ultra modern education imparting gadgets, air conditioned class rooms and transport vehicles ,proper student teacher ratio. Many of them enjoy reading in foreign universities. Where as in Deprived Bharat many schools are run  from under the tree shades with majority human needs infrastructures missing, at places the student  teacher ratio is as poor as 42:1. The quality of education is so poor that even  some teachers cannot write an essay of a few lines . British Govt. had promised to have 100% literacy in India by 1984, where as independent India reached 40.76% by 1981 with women literacy as low as 25.68%. Indian budget spending on education has hovered around 3% of GDP which has proven inadequate to the needs. The private and religions run education institutions, out of reach of deprived Bhartiyas due to Exorbitant fees , caste factors but these institutions, are getting liberal government  financial aid  and lands at throw away prices at the cost of government institutions financial health. The right to education is no right to education but right to attend school.
The elite Bharat lives in palatial buildings with large lawns, ultramodern gadgets fitted. Where as in deprived unfortunate Bharat living in slums has increased from 5.20 crores in 2001 to 12.8 crores in 2017. A slum is defined “A residential area where dwellings are unfit for human habitation being in dilapidation conditions, overcrowding, lack of ventilation, sanitation and having drinking water facilities in unhygienic conditions”. Four metropolitans Indian cities, where our majority elites live ,has percentage of slum population as given in brackets against their names as Delhi (15%), Kolkata (29.6%) Greater Mumbai (42%) and Chennai (28%). Despite this our first citizen lives in 130 hector Rashterpati  Bhawan, a richest Indian has 27 storey house in4532 m2  plot in Mumbai costing over $2billion. Not only this in Delhi over VVIP leaders has occupied  even after their deaths as their samadhies  having area as 245 hectors ( Samadhi of Atal Behari Bajpai excluded) land  along  river Yamuna Bank. Some of them died after 2000, when government decided to stop having separate samadhies. Lakhs of acres of open land is under religious shrines manned by Elite Bhartiyas . Carpet area of a house in EWS, LIG in Govt scheme house for all is 30m2and 60m2 respectively. An economically weak section (EWS) are those persons whose recently revised annual income is up to Rs3, 00,000/-. This category of people can avail housing loan from banks on subsidised interest’s rates up to Rs 5.00 Lacs to built their own houses. This amount is insufficient to purchase even a land piece for house in urban India.
Besides many other tricks of swindling government money by Elite Bhartiyas  NPA is one trick (NPA means Non performing assets, assets) created by business persons by obtaining loans from banks against  over valued/non existing mortgaged properties/stores, which have defaulted to return loans. In March 2018 NPA of   26 PSU Banks stood at 10.25 Lakh Crores or 11.8% of the total advances of 13.41%.The NPA stood at just 2.36% in 2011.It will not be surprising to note that 12 top defaulter companies account for 25% of total NPA.  Out of total defaulters RBI listed 12 top defaulters  with total out standing  NPA of Rs 2,28,668  crores and their net profit (-) Rs 27395 crores for FY 2016. But the union government instead of napping loan defaulters to recover out standings have pumped into PSU Banks, in 5 years 2011-12 to 2015-16 Rs-15, 95,000 crore.  Some of high profile defaulters have succeeded to safely fly to foreign countries making their repatriation difficult and costly.
  As per CBI’s report disclosed in Indian Parliament Elite but unprincipled Bhartiya illegally hold US$500 billions in Switzerland Banks.  Unaccented money siphoned through scams and other such means is big  shame on Indians. Panama leaks (Estimated Rs 1140 crores) show names of high placed politicians including their relatives, business persons including bureaucrats who swindled their unaccounted money to foreign land little concerning  for poverty at home. Over 3000-4000 tons of gold is estimated being  held in temples. Single Padmanabhaswamy temple in Kerala is worth of Rs1.2 Lakh crore and is reported to  hold 1300 tons of gold. This temple is  one  out of the 108 Lord Vishnu temples where as RBI as on June,2017 held only 566.23metric  tons of gold. It seems temple authorities   comprising of Elite Indians have  no  human heart  for diseased ,illiterate, living below poverty line Indians poor. Accumulated wealth in temples invited foreigner invaders’ to loot the booty, kill the people enslave men and women in large numbers. Heartless Brahmin poojaries accumulated precious metals and stones worth rupees  trillions  in the name of All merciful, Almighty God at the cost of miseries of common people who were diseased, naked, illiterates and ill fed .
Due to lack lust approach of farm loan wavering the suicide of farmers are continuing.  In December 2016 there was Rs 12.6 lakh crores (Equivalent to1.23 times NPA and 0.039 times of black money held in foreign banks)  as total farm loan  ( MOS Agri. in RS) but government gave no assurance to wave it off. There were 90.2 million households of marginal and small farmers in 2013 (NSS) who could be benefitted by loan wavering.  The marginal and small farmers are those whose land holding is less than 1-2 hectors (2.5 to 5 acres) .India holds 20 crore acres of wasted land under Indian Railways, State land, degraded forests, Highways which can be allotted to 4 crore landless persons/farmers at the rate of 4 acres each family which shall enhance form products besides raising status of poor farmers ( The Tribune, Ambala May 11,2009). Despite  clear cut Laws to evict land encroachers  ,large chunk of government  lands are under illegal encroachments by  influential  persons .In J&K State alone 18,00,000 Kanals or 90000 Hectare government land is illegally encroached ( Daily Excelsior Indians are poor people with rich gods. India is a house of 31million unemployed ( 7%).The avenues for employments are fully under control of Elite Bhartiyas. The share of 3.75% of total country  employment is in Government sector where a little share is with poor due to reservation in employment for weaker sections (SCs, STs, OBCs). But 3.54%of total employment opportunities are with private sector, where poor sections  have share in labour and junior ministerial jobs but tactfully  all managerial jobs are with Elite Bhartiyas.
The chances of reduction of gap between to influential and deprived Bhartiyas seem little in the near future. The possibility of change lies faithfully implementing the constitution provisions of share of deprived Bhartiyas in all the four wings of democracy viz:  political, administrative, judiciary and media. But the elected representative too comes from the Elite Bhartiyas their concern for the left over Indian lot has been seen as lack lust. In the 16th Lok Sabha we have 449 crorepaties MP’s. The Rajya Sabha is no different where 90% MP’s(RS) are crorepaties with the richest having assets of  Rs 4,078  crores as on  22-3-2018.  The Chief Election Commissioner of India  has shown his inability to  check abuse of  black money in elections due to inadequate laws. He has accepted abuse of social media platforms, fake news, control of management of electoral rolls, campaign finance, data theft, data harvesting in polling process.  In 16th Lok Sabha out of 541 winners as many as 186 have criminal cases out of which 112 has serious criminal cases against them. Even the Apex court has skipped proposing any punitive action against those elected representatives having well established  criminal cases against them, by telling , this was the domain of elected  representatives to pass any law on this account. It is not understandable that   how big  political parties will be prepared to bring any punitive law in the parliament against their own elected persons to whom they have earlier given  party tickets for contesting elections on party symbols.
 The MP’s from the poor strata to fill the reserved post cannot speak either due to their poor knowledge or due to party whips and fear to loose seat under anti defection laws. Their selection is on the basis of their party loyalty and not due to their community loyalty or community good work done.
 In the Indian judiciary only 250-300 families contribute Supreme court and Hc’s judges since 1947.  In the administration majority of senior administrative posts are held by another few families mostly from higher castes. The Indian media is held by big corporate houses with little concern for the poor. Since 1947 many hundred welfare schemes have been launched,  out of  which many schemes re-names modified/changed with the change of every Prime minister.  But these schemes have failed to mitigate the conditions of deprived Bhartiyas to the desired level.
As per version of Babu Parmanand ( 1932-2008) former Governor of Haryana Indian’s  poverty removal lies in faithfully implementing of three problems
1)     Education to all with one syllabus for all irrespective of caste, creed or religion and one rate of
         school fees for both public and private schools. 
      2)      Land and House to the landless as per their minimum need.
    3)        Job to all able jobless hands according to their skills.            
 In India the infamous caste-class-power nexus, which renders most program implementation vulnerable to hijack through the unholy conspiracy among the rural /urban elite to the detriment of the rural poor and finally, lax oversight and soft mechanisms to check and to correct inappropriate program implementation.
Of late the Constitution burning incidents are taking place besides open talks by ruling dispensation members to change the Constitution are no healthy signs for the country. The right to education is no right to education but right to attend school.
Elite Indians has created a world of their own with in India with fencing so high and strong that hardly any person from the poverty ridden deprived  Bhartiyas can penetrate in their domain.  Elite Bhartiyas move by daily rise or fall of census where as poor by the daily market price of Dal ( pulses) and  Atta (flour). With 26% illiterate the Monthly mobile-wallet payments carry hardly any meaning.
It seems that the only concern of elites for poor’s is to get their votes during elections. It looks as India is being run as a business house of Elite Bhartiya and not a welfare state as per the canons of our Constitution. All pleasures for the elite Bhartiyas at the cost of all discomforts to the deprived Bhartiyas.
 Continuity of these trends are signs to lead country towards civil war, so need iron hands  free of caste prejudices to check  what has happened in India in the past. India should be above all our personnel greed to make it again “WE the people of India----- not me a privileged or deprived Indian”.
 For better future of India ,let us listen seriously to Soami Vivekananda  “A distribution of pain and pleasure is better, than always the same persons having pains and pleasure”

Words 3267
Dated :-14th  Nov., 2018                               By  :-Er. H. R.Phonsa, Jammu


Sunday, March 18, 2018

DALIT PROUD SAHIB SHRI Kansh Ram

An enlarged and updated.

DALIT PROUD SAHIB SHRI Kansh Ram 
(His 84th birthday is falling on 15th March, 2018) 

The struggle for equality of status & opportunity for the Shudra, Ati Shudra, and Untouchables is as old as the history of Hinduism, claimed to be one of the oldest religions of the world. The inter religious, inter country and inter society domination struggle & hate is seen world over. But hate with in a religion for their own religion people is practiced only in Hindus. The Hindus were divided into four segments under the Hindu Religious laws each having no meeting point, despite the facts that they belonged to the same religion. The Hindus laid claims to possess most ancient knowledge books of the world, but show no mercy towards their religious downtrodden brethren. The fourth segment of the Hindus named Shudras( both untouchable S/C’s ,ST’s and touchable OBC’s)were forbidden to mix with other upper segments called Brahmins (Learned), Khatriyas (warriors) and Vaishs ( Business, farming persons). Each set of segregated peoples belonging to Hindus were governed by different set of rules having strict religious sanctions under Hindu Religious code “ Manu Smiriti”, proclaimed to have Divine sanction. In these codes& stories devised from time to time to suit needs of Upper castes, untouchables were degraded to standards even below than that of animals. The dogs, the cats, the snakes, the crows the cows could enter houses of the Upper Caste Hindus but not Untouchables. Birds and animals cold take water from the village tanks and bathe there but not the untouchables untouchable humans. This continued for centuries and all Merciful Hindu Gods & Goddesses equipped with all types of dreaded weapons did not come to the rescue of the helpless and weak Untouchables, although untouchables too worshiped them with full devotion. The Hindus show lip service to all humanity but practically work for the welfare of the dominating upper castes. If anybody raised any alarm against this in- human treatment to their fellow men, he was done away with.
Revered Kanshi Ram belonged to Hindu untouchable caste named Chamar ,who had convered to Sikhism. In India the chamras had nearly 1156 sub castes in 1891AD and were spread all over India. As per the 1911 Indian censes the population of Brahmins stood at number one & Chamars at number two, where as Rajputs stood at number three. Even now chamars are substantial in numbers in all parts of India. Saints like Guru Ravidas, Guru Maluk Das, Guru Ghasidas Chokhamela, Gurdeep Giri, brave martyrs of Sikh History like Bhai Jiwan Singh Rangreta, Amar Shaheed Udham Singh, great politicians like Mangoram Magowalia, Ch.ChandRam Ex.Union Minister, 10 Indian K.R Narayana,  ever first Chief Minister of any Indian State D.Sanjiyya, Bangla War winner and Dy. Prime Minister Babu Jagjivan Lal, four time CM of largest Indian state UP Behan Mayawati , Nanak Chand Rattu the chamar who served free Baba Sahib Dr. B. R. Ambedkar for over 17 years, Living  legends of Baba Sahib Dr. B. R. Ambedkar equality  movement K.C.Sulekh, Sangpriya Goutam and many more belong to Chamars. In J&K State Babu Milkhi Ram, Babu Parmanand, Jagjivan Lal,  Tilak Raj Atri, Retd Chief Secretary Shri B.R. Kundal, Chaman Lal Banal IPS,  First J&K Cardiologist Brig.S.D.Karloopia, many eminent doctors, engineers, social, political & administrative peers are from Chamars . In Indian Parliament & Vidhan Sabha Chamars are present in large number even now. Present day saints from Chamar communities have large followings. Many Chamars have spread all over world countries proving their worth of head& heart. 
Sahib Shri Kanshi Ram was born on 15th March, 1934, to revered Shri Hari Singh father & mother Shrimati Bishan Kour of village Khawaspur ( Pirthipur Banga) in Rupnagar District of Punjab State. He was one of the seven children of his parents. In his family, he was the only graduate with B. Sc degree. He joined service in High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), then became part of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in Pune. During his tenure in the DRDO in 1965 he joined the agitation started by SCEWASTAMB (All India Federation of Scheduled Caste/Tribes Backward Class & Minorities Employees Welfare Associations) of Government of India to prevent the abolition of a holiday commemorating B. R. Ambedkar's birthday. It was after he joined the struggle against the abolition of Ambedkar's birthday as a holiday, in 1965, that his career in the fight for the oppressed communities started. Here he came in contact with one Dheema Vana, a suspended class IV Dalit employee of his office and B.D.Khobragade another Dalit luminary who demanded Holiday on the birth anniversary of Dr. Ambedkar. Dheema Vana had a stanch faith & love for Dr. Ambedkar. Taking cues from Dheema Vana and B.D.Khobragade Kanshi Ram studied the entire caste system and the works of Ambedkar closely. It is said he read “Annihilation Of Caste” several times in single night preparing grounds to help the oppressed rise from the ditches they were tossed into.. He then resigned from service to carry forward, the mission of uniting millions of Dalits, bond them through brotherhood bonds reminding them of their centuries old slavery & suffering He shook them to wake from their deep slumber so as to consolidate them into a force to be reckon with. He single handedly awakened in Dalits a sense of empowerment .He declared Dalit Samaj his family, all Dalit women his sisters & all Dalit men his brothers To escape from family life commitments and bonds he vowed to remain bachelor through out his life & not to acquire any property in his name. He bade good bye to his family, family life, family comforts for the sake of cutting slavery chains of his fellow brethren. This he kept as a Buddhist Monk’s word. He got converted to Buddhism to achieve the goal of making Dalit masses a united electoral force to acquire political power, he traveled through out the length & breath of India on his bi- cycle along with his trusted lieutenants a record for any Indian politician.
Kanshi Ram was a great political, social mobilizer, he understood values of self-respect & collective wisdom of Dalit communities to gain political power and to use it to their advantage. During record breaking Bahujan Rally in Brigade ground Kolkata, the Bahujan participants were beaten mercilessly by the West Bengal Police under the command of Jyoti Basu then Chief Minister. Sahib instructed on telephone at 2 in the morning to his workers of different state to stop all trains marching towards Kolkata. Soon trains were reported stopped at different stations in different States by Bahujan volunteers, many trains reached Kolkata late by hours. Mr. Jyoti Basu telephoned Sahib in the evening at Delhi, where Sahib had returned after the rally, begged pardon for the brutal incident, in which several Karyakartas were injured, some seriously. There after Mr. Jyoti Basu arranged special trains for the Bahujan Rally participants for their return journey. Mr. Jyoti Basu worked to see that all Bahujan participants got train tickets and returned safely to their distinations.
He coined value based slogans from time to time to give directions to Dalit masses; one such was “Jiski Jitni Sankhaya Bhari, uski utni Bhagidari”. Once he was asked to explain ,why he devised the slogan of “Tilak ( Mark on fore head used by Brahmins), Traju ( weighing scale used by business community) aur Talwar ( sword, used by Rajputs ,warriors), enko maro jutey char ( Give then shoe beating)|” He explained that elite class which spreads hatred and ignorance for their personnel ends, business persons ,who indulge in undue profiting, adulteration, less weighting and warrior who use force against weak and helpless need be treated with shoe beating not the one who work for the welfare of the society. This slogan devised by him was based on conviction and not hate for any body,profession or trade persons. He explained to his fellow men to be strong and courageous as “Only lambs are made sacrificial animals not lions”.
He was perhaps one leader, who kept his promise, proved true to his words. He lived & died as a leader, with out any immoveable or moveable property, any bank account, house, land plot or flat in his name. To achieve his set goals, he lived as an ordinary Dalit, took meals in small hutments, wayside  tabhas, slept on floor. On the night of 3rd & 4th April 1984, he was found sleeping on the bare broken stone metal at Nagpur, where he had gone to inaugurate the Marathi daily newspaper “Bahujan Times” his dream project. Sh. Kanshi Ram was convinced that to capture the Delhi’s political crown the seat of power, much has to done to strengthen the 85% Bahujan Samaj comprising of SCs, STs, OBCs and converted minorities . To achieve this they should own a strong media of their own, as present vested interest median can only suppress and confuse his downtrodden masses. He used to keep awake for days & nights to equip him with literary knowledge, assimilate it into practical thoughts & to devise ways to use it for the advantage of his peoples, many of whom were ill fed, ill dressed, naked, illiterate, exploited and miss guided.
Those close to him tell how hard he worked to built up his first social & educative organization of employees of all SC’s, ST’s, OBC’s & minorities named BAMSEF on 6th Dec. 1978 & then prepared them to launch their Youth’s Sangarash Simiti “ DS-4” on 6th Dec. 1981. To prepare solid ground to get rightful share in political power, he launched his Bahujan Samaj Party on14th April, 1984.Kashi Ram shook the conscious of those who are under represented in our Parliamentary system and were craving for a change. Thereby he consolidated masses to work for their own political organization BSP, many volunteered to work for BSP as “Mission Ka Kaam”. His message was so inspiring to his peoples, that once a BSP volunteer was always so. Due to Kanshi Ram’s political vision soon BSP became a National Party & attained Nationwide third position of political Parties of India. This left far behind many political parties, who were formed decades earlier. The election winning spree flourished & in UP assembly it won 66 seats out of 162 it contested in 1993. Kanshi Ram’s political manoeuvrability made Behan Mayawati Chief Minister of UP thrice in coalition with other parties, but he did not yield to undue pressure from other coalition partners even at the cost of loosing CM’s. Gadi The graph of winning seats in Lok Sabha elections also rose dramatically from zero in ( 8th ) to 04 ( in 9th); 03 (in 10th ); 11( in 11th ); 05 ( in 12th) 15nos( in 13th & 14th ) and 20 nos(15th). Party continuous efforts in this direction bore fruits of winning clear majority in 2007in UP Assembly elections with 208,in remaining 10 seats, standing Second and out of lost 111 seats 60 seats with a margin of less than 5000 votes. Behan Mayawati, now National President BSP was sworn in as Chief Minister of UP State with clear majority 4th time , but alas after the sad demise of Sahib. But in 16th Lok Sabha elections the party was again reduced to Zero, when his party deviated from the goals set by Shri Kanshi Ram.
During the period of 25 years since the formation of BSP, the INC Govt programs of multinationalism & New Economic order under late Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, or Rath Yatra Of Sh. LK Advani culminating in demolishing of Babri Masjid on 6th Dec 1992, could not sway away Dalits from Kanshi Ram’s Programme of gaining political power to have share in running the affairs of union of India. Credit goes to Kanshi Ram that Dalits having over 80 % Indian population forming SC’s, ST’s, OBC’s and other minorities, have not challenged the Constitutional arrangements, avoided violence against the state or other ethnic groups. Kanshi Ram’s formula that numbers, not violence work in democratic India is a great Nationalist’s doctrine for which Kanshi Ram shall be long remembered.
His love for the Nation is reflected in his love for the deprived section of the society which constitute over 85% of Indian population. He was not against any caste or class but against “ism” which spreads ill will among persons by their ill conceived techniques. Sahib was simple but unpredictable personality, he could go to any length to safeguard the interests of his Bahujan Samaj.
Like every one else, he had to leave the mortal frame of body, although it is painful for those who were left behind to bear the unbearable shock . Destiny player the same with Sahib Shri Kanshi Ram Ji . He was not keeping good health for quite some time, but the brain stroke he suffered in Hyderabad during a meeting on 15th March, 2003 proved fatal. He was shifted to New Delhi Batra Hospital and remained under expert treatment for over three years. Sahib Shri Kanshi Ram declared Behan Mayawati as his political heir & National President of BSP on 18-09-2003
The unfortunate end of Sahib’s worldly journey came on Monday the 9th October, 2006 at 12. 20  at 11, Hanuman Road New Delhi, the official residence of Behan Mayawati. National Personalities like Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha L.K. Advani. Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Sharad Pawar, Lalu Yadav, Ram Vilas Paswan and other paid their homage to the Messiah of Dalits. His funeral was attended by lacs and he was cremated at Nigam Bodh Ghat New Delhi on 9-10-2006. He left behind his wish that his mortal remains be not immersed in any river but kept in BSP Party HQ’s at Delhi & Lukhnow .
He qualified his death as per the hymn of Kabir Sahib “Jab Ham Aye Jagat Main, Jag Hansa Hum Roay, Asi Karni Kar Chaloo, Hum Hansain, Jag Roay” (On child’s birth, child cries but locality celebrates birth with joy, One must work for the good of the society, so that at the time of death the locality mourns but the person dieing feels joyous so sayeth Kabir.). 
Unfortunate for the country  in general and Dalit Samaj in particular  Sahib Kanshi Ram’s dreams to get  equality and fraternity  dreams of Baba Sahib fulfilled  seems a distant dream. In a span of only 12 years from the death of  Sahib his  comrades and masters of his political soul BSP  seem to have forgotten the ideals dear to Sahib Kanshi Ram .His party & comrades are able to keep the Dalit masses united, to realize the dreams of sahib who achieved it with life long labour of sufferings. His comrades  are slipping away  from his ideals for their small personnel gains.  Unity of Dalit masses have struck  between short term personnel gains and long term goals of united Dalit masses. Personnel gains, which was to be warded off Dalit politics has taken roots among the Dalit leaders. Personality clash is the order of the day in Dalit politics.  Eyeing personnel gains and so Politics of Chamchagiri has brought ruins to the Dalit cause, so said Sahib. But alas in a span of 12 years his party is not only fast loosing set principles and so political strength. The BSP‘s relevance has got reduced to UP state only with its less caring for other Indian states. In UP Vidhan Sabha Elections in  its fort BSP the ruling party with 209 seats in 2007 had to satisfy with only 19 seats in 2017. In Parliament 2014 elections this party  obtained big ZERO against its strength of 21 MP’s in 2009 elections. In J&K the party had won 4 seats and now losing relevance without any representations in the state Assembly. The BSP bosses shall have to rethink and rededicate to the cause for which the party was formed in 1984. Sticking to set principles should be more concern of the party functionaries than nearness to political power. One can survive with out power but not without principles.
Sahib Shri Kanshi Ram shall be long remembered for his visionary saying “ NUMBERS, NOT VOILANCE SHOULD BE RULE IN DEMOCRATIC INDIA” Dalits should win race to New Delhi Gadi by democratic means only, leaving no space for violence against any political or ethnic group. Dalits should live with spine up, so were the dreams of Sahib. As per the doctrine proclaimed by Guru Ravidas,Guru Kabir Sahib Shri Kanshi Ram qualified as a practical Darwesh, Sanyasi Gyanashwer, Tyagi, Yogi, Pundit ,a crusader for peaceful political ,social change and above all as a principled human.
Words 2778
Dated 14-03-2018
Jammu Er. H.R. Phonsa
Retd. Executive Engineer Contact hrphonsa@gmail.com or 09419134060

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

January Month in Dalit History ( Revised and Enlarged )



                                          January Month  in Dalit History ( Revised and Enlarged )
             January the first month of year  in Christian Era  has  stored many memories of the Dalit History. The following are a few such             memorable days of January which carry special significance for Dalits.
 1st Of January
1-1-1818          Bhima Koregaon Vijay Divas
                         This battle took place on January 1st, 1818, near the banks of Bhima River in Koregaon (north-west of Pune) between few hundred(just 500 of them) Mahar soldiers from the British regiment of a Bombay Native Light Infantry and the Peshwa army that constituted 20,000 horsemen and 8,000 infantry soldiers. After marching down for more than 27 miles, from Shirur to Bhima Koregaon without food and water, the untouchable warriors fought the Peshwas army for next 12 hours and by the end of the day defeated them completely. It was an attempt by the untouchables of Maharashtra to break the shackles of the age-old caste order. The saga of the bravery of Mahar soldiers was commemorated by the British in 1851, when they erected a Pillar (Vijay Stambh) at Koregaon inscribing the names of 22 Mahar soldiers who were martyred in this battle. The pillar still stands today reminding all of us about the bravery of our forefathers and as an inspiration for our struggle against caste-system. Baba Saheb Dr.B.R.Ambedkar used to visit Koregaon every year on 1st January to pay homage to the untouchable soldiers and to exhort Dalits to show similar courage and determination to end Brahminism from the entire country. On 1st January, 1927, he organised a big convention in Koregaon and brought the memories of bravery of the untouchable soldiers in public knowledge.  Baba Saheb was against Brahminical thinking based on the division of labourers in the disguise of division of labour.
1st Jan. 1848,
        India’s ever first school for girls was started at Bhide Wada in Poona ( NowPune) by Mahatma Jotiba  Phule and Savitribai Phule. The untouchables ( Now named as OBCs,SCs,STs) were made cautious to get education Education the third eye (Tisra Netar) of humen .Jyotirao Phuley proclaimed that lack of education to untouchables resulted in lack of intellect, lack of intellect  resulted in lack of motion which in turn resulted in lack of finances and lack of finances spoiled the life of untouchables. So the lack of single factor of education made the lives of untouchables   miserable. He said the remedy of it lies in getting educated.
 January, 1908.    
                 Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar became first Mahar who passed his Matriculation  Examination in 1907 making a history of sorts for  his community. This event was celebrated in January 1908 by organising a meeting to honour Ambedkar under the president ship of a social activist and politician S.K.Bhole, who was Brahmin by caste. Also present in the ceremony was  a teacher ,Marathi writer, social reformer Krishanaji Arjun Leluskar. Krishanaji Arjun Keluskar(1860-1934) alias Dada was assistant teacher in Wilson High School. He had met Ambedkar by chance in a garden where he used to go for  an evening walk .One day he saw Ambedkar reading under a light pole and was impressed by his keenness to his  studies. There after Krishanaji Arjun Keluskar tried to help Ambedkar in all possible means like lending him books. He presented Ambedkar in the function his book “  Life Of Gautam Buddha”. This book was read by Ambedkar with keen interests and it became a source  of inspiration for him to embrace Buddhism on 14 Oct.1956. When Ambedkar was in his intermediate class his father was unable to support his studies, so Ambedkar was in a dilemma  what to do. Again Krishanaji Arjun Keluskar appeared on scene from somewhere as God gift. On Ambedkar’s narration good hearted Krishanaji Arjun Keluskar went to Maharaja Baroda, Sir Sayajirao Gaekwad III (11 March 1863 – 6 February 1939) to help Ambedkar in his studies. Mahajra Baroda interviewed Ambedkar  and found him not only intelligent but also keen to study further. Maharaja Baroda sanctioned Rs.25 per month scholarship so Ambedkar continued his studies and passed his BA Examination in 1912. Again he was Maharashtra’s first untouchable to pass BA. After the death of his father Subedar Major Ramji  Maloji Sakhpal on 2nd February, 1913, Ambedkar lost his all hopes of further studies. Again per chance Ambedkar met  Krishanaji Arjun Keluskar and explained him his mind to study further  but had no money or moral support. Krishanaji Arjun Keluskar arranged a meeting of Ambedkar with Maharaja Baroda to request him to help Ambedkar. Kind hearted Maharaja had to send four students to foreign universities for  higher studies giving them scholarship. Maharaja Sahib asked Ambedkar to apply. Ambedkar applied and was lucky to be  selected one of the four students. Ambedkar left for Columbia on June 4,1913 and returned as Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. His studies in the foreign land equipped his well to cut the slavery chains of his brethren at home.
1 -1- 1918     Madam Dani Shantabai  was born
                      She was a Mahar Republican leader who was born  in  a hut on out skirts of Nasik in Maharashtra, on 1st January 1918 to revered Shri Dhanaji Dani. Her father was a devotional religious singer. To earn his livelihood he was engaged as the milk seller and owned  twelve buffalos. Miss Dani Shantabai as a child was brought in a poise religious atmosphere. She was teacher by profession and passed her teacher’s training examination from Nasik. After passing her matriculation from Pune she got the job of a teacher in Vinchur school of Nasik district in Maharashtra.  Since she was engrossed in social work for the  upliftment of her Dalit Samaj, so she resigned from her job and became a whole timer social activist.  For devoting her full time for the Dalit uplift she did not marry.  In Pune she came in contact with Dada sahib Gaikwad (15 October 1902- 29 December 1971) a committed activist of the Scheduled Caste Federation (SCF). B.K. Gaikwad took her to Dr. Ambedkar. She was so influenced by the work of both these Dalit emancipators along with their team that she joined SFC on the day of its formation at Nagpur on 18-19 July, 1942 by Dr. Ambedkar.  Due to her dedication and commitment for the upliftment of the Dalits, in 1943 she was elected as President of SCF Nasik district unit. She was among the members of RPI (The Republican Party of India) when this party was launched on 3rd November, 1957after the death of Dr. Ambedkar. Her mentor Dada Sahib B.K. Gaikwad was made president of the new political party. She also participated in the second conference of SCF at Kanpur in 1945 and got the unique honor of presiding over the SCF Women’s conference held there at the same time. She accompanied P.N. Rajbhoj to Raipur to bring Satnami Dalits to main stream of Dalit empowerment movement. But being misunderstood both were arrested as agents of Nizam of Hyderabad. Both were lodged in Jabalpur jail for three months. She was also jailed  in Yarwada  jail Pune in 1946 for leading a black flag demonstration against Poona Pact( 1932).
        In her long association with Dalit leaders, Dr. Ambedkar, P.N. Rajbhoj, Madam N.Shivraj, Dada Sahib B.K Gaikwad, Mrs Gitabai B.Gaikwad, Dada Sahib Roham, Sh. Lalingkar, Miss Londhe, she did a remarkable work for the empowerment of the Dalits. She got converted to Buddhism along with others in 1956 and propagated it in Maharashtra. She passed away in 2001 at an age of 83 years. Her life was a saga of journey of struggle for those whom even God ignored.  She shall be long remembered for struggle to achieve goals of Dalit empowerment.
  1-1-1979           Mandal Commission was formed-
                   Brief History of Mandal Commission appointment,work and hurdles
Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar the father of the Indian Constitution had made provisions for the welfare of the OBCs , SCs, STs or elsewhere Shudras as continuous process under Article 340,341,342 besides other safe guards. 
Art.340 made provision for Appointment of a Commission to investigate the conditions of backward classes
(1) The President may by order appoint a Commission consisting of such persons as he thinks fit to investigate the conditions of socially and educationally backward classes within the territory of India and the difficulties under which they labour and to make recommendations as to the steps that should be taken by the Union or any State to remove such difficulties and to improve their condition and as to the grants that should be made for the purpose by the Union or any State the conditions subject to which such grants should be made, and the order appointing such Commission shall define the procedure to be followed by the Commission
(2) A Commission so appointed shall investigate the matters referred to them and present to the President a report setting out the facts as found by them and making such recommendations as they think proper
(3) The President shall cause a copy of the report so presented together with a memorandum explaining the action taken thereon to be laid before each House of Parliament.
When the then President Of India Dr. Rajindra Prashad did not take action Under Art.340 to appoint a commission Baba Sahib Dr. B.R. Ambedkar resigned as a protest from the Union Cabinet as Law Minister on September 29, 1951 with the following points as the cause of his disappointment and worries.
1) Nehru did not allocate him the post of vice president in Planning department.
(2) Non-appointment of commission for OBC as per Article 340.
(3) Nehru’s defective foreign policy..
(4) Hindu Code Bill.
Baba Sahib made a supreme sacrifice for the welfare of the Indian women and OBCs the yester years Shudras. 
Now the government was left with no option but to appoint a Commission under Art.340 of the Constitution of India to arrest open criticism. So the First Backward Classes Commission was set up by a presidential order on 29 January 1953 under the chairmanship of Kaka Kalelkar. But its finding were never brought before the parliament so were lost in oblivion. The public resent for the re-appointment of the Commission under Art.340 continued inside and out side Parliament. Finally the Mandal Commission, or the Second Backward Classes Commission was established in India on       1st  January 1979 by the Janata Party government under Prime Minister Morarji Desai with a mandate to "Identify the socially or educationally backward classes" of India. It was set up by a Presidential Order (Appointment of a commission to investigate the conditions of backward classes in India every 10 years) for the purpose of Articles 15 (Prohibition of Discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth) and 16 (Equality of opportunity in public employment). The commission should have been instituted immediately after adoption of the Constitution 26 January,1950 but was delayed for over 19 years. Although Kaka Kalerkar Commission was appointed but its recommendations never saw the sun light due to fear of high caste leaders, who never wanted to empower the Dalits including OBCs for fear of sharing government authority. Hindus have never learnt to share as they take all others inferiors to them and take them as their God designated servants and menial workers. 
Mandal Commission was headed by B.P. Mandal an Indian parliamentarian from Bihar, to consider the question of reservations for people to redress caste discrimination, and used eleven social, economic, and educational indicators to determine backwardness. It had five members, four were from the OBCs; one, L.R. Naik, was the only member from the scheduled castes in the Commission  L.R. Naik later declined to sign the Mandal Commission Report. In 1980, the Commission's report upheld the affirmative action practice under Indian law by recommending that members of Other Backward Classes (OBC) be granted reservations to 27 per cent of jobs under the Central government and public sector undertakings. as the total reservation was not to cross 50% mark as per SC of India ruling although . However presently in Tamil Nadu, reservation works out to somewhat less than 69%. The Mandal commission estimated that 52% of the total population (excluding SCs and STs but including non Hindu castes), belonging to 3,743 ( It rose to 5,013 by 2006 with exclusion from many UT’s ) different castes and communities, were ‘backward’. After being neglected for 10 years, the Report was accepted by the National Front government led by V.P. Singh. On August 7 1990, the National Front government declared that it would provide 27 per cent reservations to "socially and educationally backward classes" for jobs in central services and public undertaking. Having released the Government Order on 13 August, V.P. Singh announced its legal implementation in his Independence Day speech two days later. The anti Mandal forces joined hands against the report and the criticism was sharp and colleges across the country held massive protests against it. The upper castes had never upheld the principle of Sharing the natural resources with poor and down trodden Indian masses. On 19th September 1990, Rajiv Goswami, a student of Deshbandhu College, Delhi, committed self-immolation in protest of the government's actions. His act made him the face of the Anti-Mandal agitation which spread to other parts of North India, with Southern Indian remained mostly calm.
A writ was preferred in the SC in September 1990 praying that caste cannot be taken as an indicator of backwardness and the court stayed the implementation of the Govt. Order. till final verdict is announced. The Constitutional Bench of SC consisting of five judges On 16 November 1992, verdict, upheld the government order, being of the opinion that caste was an acceptable indicator of backwardness. In a writ petition The term creamy layer was introduced by the Sattanathan Commission in 1971( Tamil- Nadu).Again in State of Kerala v/s NM Thomas case the term creamy layer was coined by Justice Krishna Iyer in 1975 wherein he observed that the benefits of reservation are snatched away by the top creamy layer of the 'backward' caste or class., The income limit of creamy layer determination has been changed from time to time. The National Commission for Backward Classes was set up after concurrence of the President of India on 2nd April, 1993 but unfortunately J&K State remains excluded from the jurisdiction of the NCBC courtesy Art 370.
Granting constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) was still a dream caught in the government apathy tangle. 
3-1-1831  
            Revolutionary  Mata Savitribai Phuley  the first woman teacher in  India was born on this day.
                       She broke the age old practice of denying education to womenfolk by Brahminical thought.  Under the guidance of her husband she took to teaching and so opened on 1st January 1848 first ever school for girls in Pune facing orthodox Hindu ordeal.They opened 18 schools  some co education. They also opened first ever orphanage to help sexually exploited  widows and cared their illegitimate children. She passed away  on  March 10, 1897.
5-1-1905                           Dr.Bhadant Anand Koshalayan Jyanti
                         Dr. Bhadant Anand Kausalyayan was a Buddhist monk, Scholar, Traveller and a prolific writer from India. He is considered as one of the great activists of Buddhism of the 20th century. He was influenced by Great Buddhist Scholar, Social Reformer Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan and Dr. Ambedkar. He  was born Harnam Das on January 5, 1905 in Sohana Village of Ambala District in Punjab. He did B.A from National College in Lahore. His travels took him to different parts of World for promoting Buddhism just like his mentor Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan. He devoted his full life to serve Buddhism. He always wanted to have experience of traveling far distances across many countries and discover new things. His aim was to continue the tradition started by his inspirations.He contributed a lot to Indian Travel Literature and Hindi. He loved Hindi as a child loves his mother and supported it in many ways. He worked for Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, Prayag, Rastrabhasha Prachar Samiti, Vardha etc.
5-1-1952     
               Dr. Ambedkar lost Parliamentary election from Bombay. He was defeated by congress party  candidate Narayan Kajrolkar, as congress party never wanted Dr.Ambekar to succeed in his mission. Narayan Kajrolkar a Marathi by birth  but Mahar by caste, had served as a personal assistant to Dr. Ambedkar before contesting against him in the first Lok Sabha elections from the Mumbai North Central constituency in 1952 and defeated Dr.Ambedkar by over 15000 votes .
6-01-1904      Babu L.N.Hardas Jyanti            
      Hardas Laxmanrao Nagrale (6th January 1904– 12th January 1939), popularly known as Babu L.N. Hardas.was a Dalit leader and social reformer in India. He was an ardent follower of Dr. Ambedkar and was pioneer of the practice of exchanging the greeting Jai Bhim amongst the Dalits. He was also a prominent labour leader in the Central Province and was the general secretary of the Independent Labour Party in the province.
6 January 1929:  -   First All Assam Depressed Classes Conference.
            The conference was presided by Rai Saheb Senapati Sonadhar Das. The conference raised the    demand for separate electorate for the Depressed Classes.
6 -01-1939:        Dr. Ambedkar addressed a big meeting of agriculturists at Mahad (Raigad district of Maharashtra) where he impressed upon the audience that the Congress Ministry had failed to mitigate their woes.
He said that the Premier Kher (Pirme Minister of Bombay) was simply a figure head; and he described the other Ministers of the Provincial Government as dogs at the door of Sardar Patel. Referring to the boastful statement of Sardar Patel, which he had made at a reception given to Kher in Gujarat, to the effect that they welcomed Kher as a devotee of Gandhi and not as Premier Kher, otherwise thet would have sent him back unceremoniously, Dr. Ambedkar said that he would wreak vengeance on Patel for this dire insult inflicted upon a Maharashtrian. If Patel dared insult him in this manner, he added, he would thrash him. This was no a soliloquy; this was a public speech! It was a natural outburst of anger sprung from a strong mind which was consitenet with its contempt for the Congress leaders’ rude mentality, and determinied to show its superiority. The above outburst is also a sequale to the immediate past incidents. In September 1938, the Industrial Disputes Bill was taken up by the Bombay Legislative Assembly. Dr. Ambedkar and Jamnadas Mehta opposed the Bill tooth and nail. Ambedkar described Bill as bad, bloody and bloodthirsty inasmuch as it made a strike under certain circumstances illegal and affected the right of the labourer to strike. Ambedkar stated that according to him strike was a civil wrong and not a crime, and making a man serve against his will was nothing less than making him a slave. He continued that the Bill ought to have been called ‘the Worker’ “Civil Liberties Suspension Act”. Ambedkar then teased the Government by saying that it was a Government, which claimed to be elected on labour votes; but it did not stand by its election pledges. It was a democracy, he added, that was enslaving the working class, and therefore it was a mockery of democracy. But the Congress Ministry was determined to pass the Bill, which they ultimately did despite massive rally at Kamgar Maidan (on 6 & 7 November) and strike (on 7 November) were organized by Independent Labour Party. Also on 25 December, Swami Sahajanand, the Peasant leader from Uttar Pradesh, saw Dr. Ambedkar at his residence in Bombay and had a talk with him about the labour problem in Bombay and the agrarian reforms in general. He tried to persuade Ambedkar to join the Congress to form a united front against imperialism.
6 -01-1940:     Periyar met Dr. Ambedkar in Mumbai.
                    By 10.00 a.m, Periyar arrived at Dadar station with his colleagues (Justice T. A. V. Nathan, P. Balasubramaniam – Editor of Sunday observer, the mouth piece of Justice Party, C. A. Annadurai, the General Secretary of Justice Party, T. P. S. Ponnappan and C. Panjatcharam). He was given a reception and taken by a decorated coach fitted with two white horses! Evening, he met Dr. Ambedkar and latter took the former to his residence. Both discussed on various social and political issues from 9.00 to 10.30 p.m.
6 January 1949:    Dr. Ambedkar wrote to Pune Collector to purchase land to set up a University inTalegaon
                               The Pune Mirror newspaper dated 4 August 2011reported:
 Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s dream of setting up a university in Talegaon remains unfulfilled to this day. Inspired by the universities of Nalanda and Takshila, Dr, Ambedkar had bought 87 acres of land and a bungalow at Talegaon and Wadgaon in Pune district of Maharashtra. Today, all that remains of the dream is one plot of land and the Vishwaratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Smarak Samiti is struggling to find enough land to build a memorial.
 “Ambedkar held meetings with Sant Gadge Baba and Acharya P K Atre in Talegaon. Ambedkar first purchased 65 acres of land at Harneshwar Tekdi at a price of Rs 16,000 and later, he purchased 22 acres at Wadgaon.”
6 January 2010:
        Public interest litigation from the All India Christian Federation (AICF) was filed with the Supreme Court of India seeking reservations for all Dalits irrespective of their religious faith.
The PIL (WP Civil # 579/2009) sought reservation for converted Dalits of all faiths on the same footing as extended to Scheduled Castes following Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice K. G. Balakrishnan and Justice B. S. Chauhan issued a notice to the Ministry of Social Justice and Ministry of Minority Affairs for its response on the implementation of the recommendation of the National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities (NCRLM) headed by former Chief Justice of India Rangnath Misra.
Senior advocate K. K. Venugopal and D. Vidyanandam submitted the recent statement by Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid that the report of NCRLM was not made public and there was a difference between the manifesto of Congress party and the recommendation by the Commission was an attempt to defeat the claims of converts.
     Mr. Venugopal said the Centre had referred the NCRLM report to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes which also supported the reported recommendation for 15 per cent (10 per cent for Muslims and 5 per cent for others) reservation without disturbing 50 per cent ceiling set by the Supreme Court.
     The PIL said paragraph three of the Presidential order of 1950 under Article 341 of the Constitution, which empowers the President to specify Scheduled Castes, was coming in the way of extending the benefits of reservation to Dalit converts and was upheld by the NCRLM’s seven-member committee. It sought striking down of paragraph 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order 1950 on the grounds that it is ultra vires of the Constitution. The NCRLM has prepared its report after visiting various states and among the terms of reference was to examine whether the Scheduled Caste converts suffer from social disabilities like untouchability even after embracing Christianity. The Ranganath Mishra Commission earlier declared that non-inclusion of Dalit Christians and Muslims in the SC ambit was a discrimination based on religion and goes against the Constitution of India. After a brief hearing, the Bench tagged the petition with other PILs on the issue which has been pending since 2004.The Centre had in January 2008 told the apex court that it would study the report of Misra commission which examined the issue of granting Scheduled Caste status to Dalit Christians for extending benefits of reservation to them.
     The NGO had also submitted that it was the right time that the court should strike down the order requiring all Dalits to belong to a particular religion if they were to avail the SC reservation benefits as it goes beyond the mandate of Article 341(1) and violates the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution.
     All India United Christians Movement for Equal Rights, had said the Congress Government had in 1996 brought a Bill in Lok Sabha to amend para three of the “Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order 1950” for extending reservation benefits to Dalit Christians. There are about 20 million dalit Christians.
     The PIL had claimed social standings of Dalits even after converting to Christianity has not changed and they have to face discrimination in churches also.
      The demand for granting Scheduled Castes status to the Dalit Christians has been opposed in several quarters, including the SC/ST Commission which contended that they cannot enjoy two rights – that is of minority and SCs.
     Citing a 2005 ruling of the apex court, in which it was said even if a tribal converted to Christianity, he or she could still avail reservation benefits as his/her status as ST remained unchanged, PIL had said the same law should be applicable to Dalits after their conversion.
7 Jan 1998:
         Manyawar Kanshi Ram addressed a conference of Dalits at the Roshan Ground at Hoshiarpur, Punjab
        Mr. Kanshi Ram, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo said that social transformation and ecomonic emancipation of Dalits could only be possible through power. Social justice alone was not required for Dalits. They could survive only if they shared power in the country, He said the main aim of his life was social and economic reforms of Dalits. He said that he had succeeded in uniting the Dalits and that was why a Dalit lady, Ms. Mayawati, became the Chief Minister of UP the largest state in the country. He said he would now concentrate on making a person from Gujjar community a Chief Minister of Rajasthan and an Adivasi a Chief Minister of Punjab. Mr. Romesh Dogra, Congress MLA from Dasuya, Mr. Naresh Thakur, former Deputy Speaker of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha and Mr. Ram Rattan, general secretary, District Congress Committee, Hoshiarpur shared also the dais with the BSP .
12-01-1598                                         Jijabai  Jyanti
                             Revered Jijabai was  the worthy mother of Shiva Ji the Great , founder of the Maratha Empire. Jijabai was born on January 12, 1598 as the daughter of Lakhojirao Jadhav of Deulgaon near Sindkhed in present-day Buldhana district of Maharashtra State. Her mother's name was Mhalsabai. As per the customs of that age, Jijabai was married at an early age to Shahaji Raje Bhonsle, son of Maloji Bhonsle of Verul village, a military commander serving under the Adil Shahi sultans of Bijapur Sultanate in present-day Karnataka. The wedding was held in Sindkhed on 5 Nov 1605, when Jijabai was eight years old; her husband was hardly twelve years old, and she was his first wife. As per custom, Jijabai remained with her parents for several years before joining her husband. Jijabai bore Shahaji as many as eight children, six daughters and two sons. All the daughters died in infancy and only the two sons, Sambhaji and Shivaji, reached adulthood. In 1630, three years after Shivaji's birth, Shahaji re-married  withTukabai, daughter of Sardar Bajirao Mohite Pongwadikar of Bijapur, who was Shahaji's close friend and, like him, also a commander serving the sultan of Bijapur. Jijabai was a very pious and intelligent woman with great vision for independent kingdom. She inspired Shivaji by telling stories from Ramayana, Mahabharata and Balaraja. Inspired by her, Shivaji took the Oath of Independence (SWARAJYA) in the fort temple of lord Raireshwar in 1645 when he was 17. In Shivaji's impeccable, spotless character and courage, Jijabai's contribution is enormous. She died soon after coronation of Shivaji on June 17, 1674. Shivaji was heartbroken by her death.
12-1-1953     
       Osmania University conferred on Dr. Ambedkar honorary D.Lit. Degree.




14-01-1886   
   Mangu Ram, Magowalia (14 January 1886 – 22 April 1980) known popularly as Babu Mangu Ram Chaudhry, was born in Muggowal, Hoshiarpur district.  An Indian Dalit  freedom fighter and politician from Punjab who founded of the Adi Dharmi Samaj( Religion of aboriginals) an organisation dedicated to attaining equality for Untouchables. He openly declared that Scheduled Castes are neither Hindu nor Sikh. They are also neither Muslim nor Christian. They are the original inhabitants of this ancient land called Bharat. Their real religion (Ad Dharm) was much older than Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and Sikhism. He immigrated to Amrica in 1909 where   he  became associated with the Ghadar Party. on his return to India in 1925, he became a leader of the low-caste( Untouchable,more so Ravidasias or Chamars. He organised his people  against the then existing system of hate on caste basis.  untouchability in the Hindus  for low caste people existed in a big way .,. He  succeeded in getting elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly in 1946 and in 1952   . Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia’s movement was not only confined to Punjab. He stood like a rock with Dr. Ambedkar. During Dr. Ambedkar’s fight with Mr. MK Gandhi at the Roundtable Conferences in London (1930-32) Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia Ji sent telegrams in support of the former as the leader of the untouchables in India against the latter (MK Gandhi). He got special rights from the Britishers by adding Ad Dharm to the Census list as a separate religion of the Depressed Classes in Punjab in 1931. He was instrument in the winning  7 out of all the 8 reserved seats in Punjab  by the Ad-Dharma of the Depressed class people. Babu Ji also became the pioneer of seeking political power as a key to all the problems of the community .In 1946, Babu Mangu  Ram Mugowalia was elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly and remained in legislature till 1952. He was awarded  freedom fighter pension  in recognition as freedom fighter for Indian Independence. The award was given to him by Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi  in 1972. He was He passed away on 22nd April,1980
15th January 1907 
         Roham , Prabhakar Janardan (1905-1991) was born on 15th January 1907 Shri Prabhakar Janadhan (PJ) Roham an agriculturist Mahar was born on 15th January 1907 at Akole, Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. He had studied at Nasik up to Matriculation. He was married to Shrimati Meerabali in 1931 and the couple was blessed with six sons and three daughters.  He was introduced to Dr Ambedkar by Dada Sahib BK Giakward and was inspired by Dr.  Baba Sahib Ambedkar’s Movement in 1927 for equality of status and opportunities.  PJ Roham took part in the famous Choudar Tank Satyagraha at Mahad in 1927and in Kalaram Temple entry Satyagraha at Nasikstarted on 3March 1930. In this temple entry Satyagraha besides Dr Ambedkar, Dada sahib Giakward, Subedar Ghatge, Amritrao Rankhambe and P.J. Rohan besides many Dalit leaders participated. He was imprisoned for two months for Satyagrahaa at Nasik He served as the General Secretary of the Youth League, Nasik from 1931 to 1934 When Shri Dadasaheb B.K.Gaikwad was imprisoned, PJ Roham was called upon to serve as the Secretary of the Nasik Kalaram Temple Entry Satyagraha Committee in 1931 and he accepted the offer. His Karam Bhumi was Ahmadanagar area and served as Superintendent Shri Shahu Chhatrapati Boarding, Nasik from 1932 to 1935, a nominated member of the Sangamner Municipality from 1934 to 1936 and member of the District Local Board, Ahmednagar since 1935. He also seved as  the General Secretary of the  Youth League of Nasik from 1931 to 1934.
         Being a close confidant of Dr B.R. Ambedkar, Shri Roham he was present at Yeola in Nasik when Baba Sahib declared to leave Hinduism on13th October 1935   and got converted to Buddhism along with his leader on14th October 1956 at Nagpur. There after he worked for the spread of Buddhism in districts of Nasik, Ahmednagar and Pune.When Baba Sahib formed the Independent Labour Party (ILP) on 15 August, 1936, Shri Roham joined it and was elected President of The Independent Labor Party (ILP) or Swantra Majdoor Pakasha of Ahmadnagar district unit. He was called to contest on ILP ticket for the Bombay Provincial Legislative Council from Ahmadnagar (South) in 1937 and he got elected. In all fourteen candidates of IPL won for the Mumbai Legislative council election held on 17th February 1937 along with Dr. Ambedkar. He presented the “Family Planning Bill” framed by Baba Sahib in the Assembly on 10th November 1938. He again contested but unsuccessfully the elections in 1946 and in 1952 from Rahurl. When Republican Party of India then under Dada Sahib B.K Giakward launched a Satyagraha in 1964 Roham took very active part in organizing it. At an age of 83 years this loyal son of Indian Dalit movement left his mortal body frame on 21st February, 1990.
15-01-1929                      
                                  Morter Luther King a great Liberator of Black was born.
                                   In the eleven-year period between 1957 and 1968, King travelled over six million miles and spoke over twenty-five hundred times, appearing wherever there was injustice, protest, and action; and meanwhile he wrote five books as well as numerous articles. In these years, he led a massive protest in Birmingham, Alabama, that caught the attention of the entire world, providing what he called a coalition of conscience. and inspiring his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail", a manifesto of the Negro revolution; he planned the drives in Alabama for the registration of Negroes as voters; he directed the peaceful march on Washington, D.C., of 250,000 people to whom he delivered his address, "l Have a Dream", he conferred with President John F. Kennedy and campaigned for President Lyndon B. Johnson; he was arrested upwards of twenty times and assaulted at least four times; he was awarded five honorary degrees; was named Man of the Year by Time magazine in 1963; and became not only the symbolic leader of American blacks but also a world figure.
At the age of thirty-five, Martin Luther King, Jr., was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. When notified of his selection, he announced that he would turn over the prize money of $54,123 to the furtherance of the civil rights movement.


15-01-1956                                 Behan Mayavati was born
              Behan Mayawati, a four-time Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, is chief of Bahujan Samaj Party which is, at present, main opposition party in the Assembly of Uttar Pradesh. She is leading BSP in the UP  Vidhan Sabha elections scheduled to be held in Febuary-March in 2017.                                    
18-1-1934             
      Dr. Ambedkar delivered speech in Gokhale Institute Pune which was later published  in a book form     titled  Ranade, Gandhi, Jinah.
26-1-1950   
         Constitution of Free India came into force, granting  equality before Law to all its citizens irrespective of the             caste, creed, sex or place of birth
29-01-, 1904   
       Shri J.N.Mandal(1904-1968) was born He was First Law and Labour  Minister of Pakistan.He presided briefly the constitution Drafting Committee of Pakistan. He single handily  got  Elected Dr. Ambedkar  from Bengal with the support of Scheduled Caste and Muslim members. There after  Dr. Ambedkar became a member of Constituent Assembly of India. Subsequently Dr. Ambedkar was selected as the chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee, thanks to the vision of Shri Joginder Nath Mandal was a trusted lieutenant of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and became the first Law Minister of Pakistan and also the Chairman of Constitution Drafting committee of Pakistan after the partition of India. Prior to the partition of India Shri Joginder Nath Mandal gained national prominence for winning the election in 1946 on SCF ticket and for being included in the interim Ministry of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru with Law Portfolio. Then Babu Jagjivan Ram was another prominent Dalit leader of Congress party and a minister in the Interim Ministry. In free India Babu Jagjivan Ram served in different capacities including Deputy Prime Minister .
Shri Joginder Nath Mandal was also fondly called Mahapran. Shri J.N. Mandal was born in Namashudra caste of Scheduled Castes on January 29th, 1904. He was born to a farmer Shri Ramdayal Mandal and Shrimati Sandhaya Devi of village Maister Kandi in Barisal district of undivided Bengal. He was admitted to a school when he was eight years old. He was meritorious and passed his Matriculation examination securing First Division in 1924. After passing his B.A. from B.M. College at Barisal in 1929 he secured admission for M.A. in Dacca University. Due to his weak financial position, he discontinued studies at Dacca University. However later he passed Law Degree in 1934. He was aware of the suppression of the Scheduled Castes by the upper Caste Hindus, who were denying them their due share in political, educational, social, religious and economical fields. He thought that only political power can mitigate the Shudras from their man made miseries. So he entered politics and contested his maiden election as independent candidate for the Bengal Legislative Assembly in 1937. He defeated congress candidate, a very powerful and rich landlord. Therefore he became the member of the Legislative assembly when he was only 33 years old. There were 20 other Independent Scheduled Caste party leaders. Shri J.N. Mandal was elected as secretary with Shri Hem Chander Naskar as President of the Independent Scheduled Caste Party. The joint effort of the M.L.As succeeded in securing 15% reservation in services for Scheduled Caste candidates in Bengal. Observing sincerity, intelligence and organizational qualities of J.N. Mandal, Jenab Khawaja Nizamudeen, the Chief Minister of Bengal, inducted him as a minister in his cabinet along with two others from Scheduled Castes. So Shri J.N. Mandal became undisputed political leader of Scheduled Castes in Bengal.
The Independent Labour Party (IPL) formed by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar on15th August 1936 had got itself engaged in the welfare and the struggle to secure political power for Scheduled Castes. When in 1942 Dr. Ambedkar tried to broaden IPL’s base so changed its name to The Scheduled Castes Federation (SCF). Units of SCF were established in several states including Bengal. The unit in Bengal was given the name of Bengal Provincial Scheduled Caste Federation. Meanwhile Shri J.N. Mandal started a weekly paper called “Jagran” through which he continued the crusade to enlighten the Dalits about their just rights. This paper could not last long. He also started another weekly paper “The People’s Herald” in 1943 and in its inaugural function Dr. Ambedkar was present to bless the project.On defeat of the ministry in 1935, fresh elections were ordered in 1946. Shri J.N. Mandal contested as a SCF party candidate from a general seat and won. After the elections, a new ministry under Jenab H.S. Surahawardy of Muslim League was formed. Shri J.N. Mandal was again included in the Ministry. Under Cabinet Plan in 1946, the Muslim League also joined the interim ministry formed by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru and Shri J.N. Mandal was included from Muslim League quota and allotted Law portfolio . The SCF in its convention held at Agra passed a congratulatory message to congratulate Shri Mandal on his selection to the interim ministry. The Provincial assemblies had the right to choose their representatives to form Constituent Assembly. Since Dr. B. R. Ambedkar had failed to win a seat from Bombay on SCF ticket, the prospects of his election to the Constituent Assembly were blocked. Sardar Patel said that all doors and windows of the Constituent Assembly were closed to Dr. Ambedkar and now he cannot enter it. Here stepped in Shri J.N. Mandal to suggest that Dr. Ambedkar should contest for Legislative Assembly from Bengal. Dr. Ambedkar agreed and so with the support of Scheduled Caste and Muslim members, he was elected from Bengal Legislature to be a member of Constituent Assembly of India. Subsequently Dr. Ambedkar was selected as the chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee, thanks to the vision of Shri J.N. Mandal.
Shri J.N. Mandal had clear vision of the rights of the Scheduled Castes, but declared that congress leaders were adamant not to give any such rights to the Scheduled Castes in free India, so the rights will have to be secured by dint of their unity. He was a strong supporter of united Bengal. He pleaded that political turmoil of partition was temporary and shall pass off soon.
Things changed with the formation of the new country Pakistan on 14th August1947. Every individual was given the right to choose the country of his or her choice to live in. Shri Mandal opted to be a citizen of Pakistan to oversee the interests of the Scheduled Caste people left over there. Jenab Liaquat Ali Khan became first Premier of Pakistan. Sh. J.N Mandal was included in the first Pakistan government as the Law ,Justice and Labour Minister. He was also the second minister of commonwealth and Kashmir affairs. So in the divided India both countries had the first law Ministers from among the Scheduled Castes. Shri J.N. Mandal as Law Minister had the honour to preside over the first meeting of the Pakistan Constituent Assembly. Since Pakistan Government was not prepared to grant constitutional rights to scheduled casted in Pakistan, so Shri J.N. Mandal decided to come back to India. He resigned on October 8, 1950 as Law Minister and as President of Pakistan's Constitution Drafting Committee. He came back to India in 1950 to continue his struggle for the rights of Dalits.
After returning back to India he continued his work for the up liftment of Dalits. He played an important role in Dr. Ambedkar’s dream project of establishing the Republican Party of India (RPI). Shri J.N. Mandal contested for Lok Saba as an RPI Candidate from a general constituency in West Bengal in 1967 but lost.
This son of the soil, one of the important and brave soldiers of Dalit cause passed away in Calcutta (now Kolkata) on 5thOctober, 1968. He shall be long remembered for his life long fight for the Dalit cause
30—01--1944:      All India Scheduled Castes Federation Conference was held at Kanpur under the chairperson-ship  of     N Shivraj. This was the second such conference of the federation and it went on till the next day i.e. 31 January 1944.
30 January 2000: Press release by Manyawar Kanshi Ram on the review of constitution.
    The press release was on the backdrop of the Warning given by the President of India (K R Narayananan) to the Nation and Government while speaking in the Central Hall of Parliament on 27 January 2000, the 50 year of framing of Indian Constitution. He had advised the Government of India not to go in for a review of the Constitution, but to study and analyse the way the successive Governments were working to implement the Constitution and various provisions there in. The Government of India was headed by A B Vajpayee (Bhartiya Janta Party). The press release by Manyawar Kanshi Ram (Bahujan Samaj Party) is as follows:“I welcome the warning sounded by the President about the Government’s move to Review the Constitution.  It is strange that instead of clearly identifying the areas where Review or Amendment is needed, the Government is keeping everything under the cloak of secrecy, by proposing a Review of the whole Constitution.
    The Constitution of India as drafted by Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, although not fully accepted still, reflected the aspirations and hopes of the vast millions, who were made to live degraded sub human lives for centuries.  As a result of the change in the Political and Social Scenario brought by the Constitution, the shackles of the old social system have weakened, and now there is tremendous awareness and awakening in the Bahujan Samaj.  In fact, the political instability which has been witnessed in the last few years is the result of social mobility and dynamism of the Weaker Sections which has been generated by the constitutional framework.  The political stability of yester years, was the result of not strong popular base of the political parties, but the strict political control exercised by the socially dominant groups over the Bahujan Samaj.
31 -01-,1920           Mooknayak Fortnight news paper launched by Baba Sahib. For this paper 
                                Shatarpati  Sahu J Maharaj donated   Rs 2500/-
January  1909                      Choudhary Sadhu Ram was born
        Sadhu Ram later known as  Choudhary Sadhu Ram Mastere, a Punjabi Dalit leader was born to a well known (Chamar) Shri Jawahar Mal of Village Domeli in Kapurthala in January 1909.  As a child Sadhu Ram was admitted in the Khalasa High School Domeli. On achieving adulthood Shri Sadhu Ram established his good business. From the very childhood Sadhu Ram decided to work for the welfare of his community. The condition of the Dalits in those days was no good and majority of them worked as farm labour for Land holders at minimum wages. These poor Dalits were under age-old debt of the local Banias (Business men and money lenders). Poverty, illiteracy and hate were forced upon them by manmade religious norms. So Sadhu Ram decided to dedicate his life to remove these manmade miseries and free his brethren from the centuries old slur. Later he prefixed his surname as “Choudhary” meaning village headman, landlord, Local leader, Chieftain or foreman. He worked with Mangoram Magowalia for establishment of Ad-Dharam in 1926. To put this movement on the firm footing its aims and objectives were to establish a separate religious identity for untouchables other than Hindus on the Philosophy of Dalit Saints particularly Guru Ravidas. Discrimination on account of castes was discarded saying it was manmade as God created every one equal. Sikh way of worship was adopted declaring following of the Hindu religious books likes Shastri, Spiritless, Prams and Vedas as sin.  Jai Guru Dev was adopted as a wish for greeting. Later he broke away from Ad Dharma and joined Dr.Ambedkar’s movement SCF. Again Master Sadhu Ram broke away from SCF and joined Indian National Congress in 1946. He met Babu Jagjivan Ram, who was a prominent Congress leader with nearness to Mahatma Gandhi. Babu Jagjivan Ram and other Dalit leaders had established in 1935, a pro-Congress Dalit organization named “All India Depressed Classes League”. Master Sadhu Ram joined this organization and was made convener of PEPSU State in 1954. Master Sadhu Ram was nominated by Congress Party in 1952 for General Election to contest his first election from Phagwara (G and SC) constituency for the PEPSU Legislative Assembly and got elected. He was made Deputy Home Minister for PEPSU. This opened the destiny doors for Master Sadhu Ram. In the second general elections held in 1957 he got elected in Lok Sabha from Jallandhar (G and SC) constituency. He got elected in 1962, 1967 and1971 for the Lok Sabha from Phillaur (R) constituency. Master Sadhu Ram continued serving in different capacities till he expired on 1st August, 1975. He shall be long remembered for his good work for the welfare of his people. Although he broke away from Dr. Ambedkar politically, but he continued to keep his ideals as his guide.
17 January 2016   Rohith Chakravarti Vemula suicide
          Rohith Chakravarti Vemula was an Indian PhD student at the University of Hyderabad and author of the book Caste is Not a Rumour. An activist with the Ambedkar Students' Association (ASA), he committed suicide on 17 January 2016 following a controversy that had begun in July 2015 when the university reportedly stopped paying him a fellowship of Rs25,000 per month because an enquiry found he had been "Raising issues under the banner of Ambedkar Students Association". Rohith Vemula killed himself after being expelled from the university following a complaint made by one of the leaders of India’s ruling Bharatiya Jananta Party (BJP). Along with four other Dalit students, Vemula was protesting against the capital sentence given to a suspected terrorist, which angered the BJP. Vemula and the other four students were suspended by university authorities in August 2015. The galvanising force has been a statement in Vemula’s suicide note – “My birth is my fatal accident” – drawing attention to the status of many other rural Dalit students.  His death sparked protests and outrage across India and gained widespread media attention as an alleged case of discrimination against Dalits. Vemula’s death and has admitted the four other students back into the university. After Vemula’s death the university has admitted the four other students back into the university.  As per one report Vemula’s death has once again exposed the deep-seated caste discrimination in higher education institutions – both among students and teachers. In similar higher education institutions in India, there have been 23 deaths of students from Dalit backgrounds. Educational institutions that are supposed to be centres of excellence and social transformation instead perpetuate social segregation and caste-based discrimination. Elite educational institutions have been purportedly seen as hotbeds of caste-based discrimination against students belonging to lower castes.  A quote from Chennai  based Writer Meena Kandasamy ‘s note in  the conversation  web site:
  “Education has now become a disciplining enterprise working against Dalit students: they are constantly under threat of rustication, expulsion, defamation, discontinuation. In a society where students have waged massive struggles to ensure their right to access higher educational institutions through the protective, enabling concept of the reservation policy, no one has dared to shed light on how many of these students are allowed to leave these institutions with degrees, how many become dropouts, become permanent victims of depression, how many end up dead”.
      Words 8178                 Compiled  By:- Er.H. R. Phonsa Jammu
                                             The writer can be contacted on hrphonsa @ 
gmail.com or zenithrs@yahoo.com M-09419134060
References:-
     [1] Bhakta Das, A Glimpse of Scheduled Castes in Assam, book p 26. 1986
     [2] Kshirsagar R K, Dalit Movement in India and Its Leaders, 1857-1956, book page 384-385. 1994
     [3] Dhananjay Keer, Dr. Ambedkar: Life and Mission book, Pg 318
        [4] K V Ramakrishna Rao, The Historic Meeting of Ambedkar, Jinnah and Periyar, A paper presented during the 21st session of South Indian History Congress held at Madurai Kamaraj University from 18 to 20 January 2001 and published in the proceedings, pp.128-136
    [5] Nitin Brahme, Pune Mirror, Newspaper dated 4 August 2011
       [6] The Hindu, Newspaper
     7)  The Pune Mirror newspaper dated 4 August 2011     
     8) Dr.Ambedkar and His Associates  by  Er.H.R.Phonsa  Jammu
     9) Chamarjati Ka Goravshali Etihas by Satnam Singh
    10) Bharat Main Dalit Jagaran aur Uskey Agardoot   By  Mata Prashad( Former Governor Arnuchal Pradesh)
     11) the conversation  web site
     12) Dr Ambrdkar and His Associates by “ Er.H.R.Phonsa”.Jammu