Dalit pioneer who stood for equality
IN the mid-20th century, India's young democracy found one of its most steadfast champions in Jagjivan Ram-affectionately called Babuji. Born on April 5 at Chandwa village, near Arrah, Bihar, into a Dalit family, he attended high school at Arrah Town School, where he got the opportunity to interact with Madan Mohan Malviya. Young Jagjivan Ram confronted caste discrimination early in life. His defiant act of smashing an ‘untouchables’ water pitcher at his school sparked the end of segregated drinking water there — an early sign of his lifelong fight for equality. In the face of hardship, he achieved academic success and was awarded the Birla scholarship to pursue studies at Banaras Hindu University. At BHU, he mobilised members of the Scheduled Castes to stand up against social discrimination. As a Dalit student, he faced humiliation — he was refused meals in the hostel, local barbers declined to cut his hair, and only occasionally would a Dalit barber come for him. These experiences ultimately led him to leave BHU and complete his graduation at Calcutta University. The discrimination he had encountered at BHU pushed him towards atheism. In 1931, he earned a BSc degree from Calcutta University, where he continued to hold conferences highlighting discrimination and took part in Mahatma Gandhi’s anti-untouchability movement.
