Jagjivan Ram’s rich legacy recalled during book release

Meira Kumar said her mother used to diligently write down notes of the political happenings along with photos and newspaper clippings.

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar said her father and former Union Minister Babu Jagjivan Ram left behind a rich legacy on account of his stellar role during the freedom struggle, his contributions in making the independent India self-sufficient in food production through the Green Revolution, and by ensuring national security as the Defence Minister during the 1971 war with Pakistan.

Releasing the Telugu translation of her mother Indrani Jagjivan Ram’s book Milestones – A Memoir or Jnapakalu by Chandrasekhar Reddy and S. Anand Babu by EMESCO Books here on Monday, the Congress leader said her mother used to diligently write down notes of the political happenings along with photos and newspaper clippings.

“Her autobiography is also the biography of my father and the story of India during the freedom struggle and aftermath when social churning was taking place [in the] midst of political and economic upheaval. My mother experienced untouchability in Lucknow University and my father in Banaras University. They were at the receiving end of social discrimination, but they overcame it,” she said.

Stating that she loves Telangana, could understand Telugu and speak a little, she said she was grateful and proud of the book and was sure it was going to be an inspiring story for all those engaged in social, economic and political struggles. The former Speaker said that freedom of speech and expression and a media that is free and unbiased is crucial for getting a sense of history without getting a coloured version.

Dean of the School of Humanities, University of Hyderabad, V. Krishna said Dr. Ambedkar and Jagjivan Ram strived for social justice and reformation of society even while being part of the freedom struggle.

Congress spokesperson and Mrs. Kumar’s son Anshul Avijit said the book was about his remarkable grandmother, who was with her husband through his ups and downs.

Senior journalists K. Ramchandra Murthy and Mallepalli Laxmaiah spoke of Jagjivan Ram’s role in bringing about the agrarian revolution, the Land Redistribution Act, and, how he had quit the Congress by opposing the Emergency. “It was a loss to the country that he was denied the PM’s post,” said Mr. Laxmaiah.