Babu Jagjivan Ram:
The nation paid rich tributes to Babu Jagjivan Ram on his 119th birth anniversary. Dignitaries, including former President Ram Nath Kovind and former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, gathered at Samta Sthal (his memorial) in New Delhi to honor his legacy.Popularly known as Babuji, Jagjivan Ram was a towering national leader, a veteran freedom fighter, and an unwavering crusader for social justice. He holds the record for being a Union Cabinet Minister for 35 years—the longest tenure in Indian history—and served as the Deputy Prime Minister of India.Born on April 5, 1908, in Chandwa (Bihar) to a Dalit family.Despite facing severe caste-based discrimination, he excelled academically. He attended Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and later Calcutta University, where he organized students against social inequalities.In 1935, he was instrumental in foundation of the All India Depressed Classes League, an organization dedicated to attaining equality for untouchables.He was actively involved in the Quit India Movement (1942) and was imprisoned by the British for his participation. He served as a bridge between the Dalit community and the Indian National Congress, ensuring that the struggle for independence was also a struggle for social reform.In 1946, he became the youngest minister in Jawaharlal Nehru’s interim government, handling the Labour portfolio.He introduced several landmark legislations for workers’ rights, including the Minimum Wages Act and the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) scheme.
