Ambala: Rattan Lal Kataria was a man of masses

Geetanjali Gayatri

Chandigarh, May 18

Better known for his warm ways and amiable nature, three-time Ambala Member of Parliament (MP) and veteran BJP leader Rattan Lal Kataria, who breathed his last at the PGIMER here at 3.30 am, was a people’s person all the way. He was 72-year-old and is survived by his wife, Banto Kataria, two daughters and a son.

A man of humble beginnings, Kataria, the party’s Dalit face, was born to cobbler Jyoti Ram and would wear his background like a badge of honour, never shying from owning it. He would sometimes even join his father and help repair shoes at the latter’s shop in Ladwa even after he became MP and was inducted into the Narendra Modi Cabinet as Minister of State for Jal Shakti.

A native of Sandhali village in Yamunanagar district, Kataria did his schooling and college at Ambala cantt before pursuing masters in political science and LLB from Kurukshetra University.

While he joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at an early age and remained a pracharak for over five decades, he developed interest in politics and Dalit causes when he met Dalit leader Babu Jagjivan Ram while he was still in college. This meeting changed the course of his career.

The life of most BJP meetings and gatherings, he was always ready to sing patriotic songs or recite his own poems. There was never a dull moment with him around, as he enjoyed animated conversations as much as he enjoyed entertaining those around him.

Kataria contested his first election from the Raduar Assembly segment in 1982 and lost. He won from the same seat in 1987. He made his debut in the Lok Sabha in 1999 when he contested from the Ambala Lok Sabha seat, lost in 2004 and 2009 to Congress candidate Kumari Selja. However, he won the 2014 and 2019 elections. He served as Minister of State in the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment from May 2019 till July 2021.

Kataria was the Haryana BJP chief from 2000 to 2003 and held various offices in his political life.