Samata Diwas 2025: Observing Birth Anniversary Of Babu Jagjivan Ram

Hyderabad: The Samata Diwas is celebrated on April 5 to mark the birth anniversary of Babu Jagjivan Ram, a prominent socialist leader. This day is an official holiday in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Popularly known as 'Babuji', Jagjivan Ram was a national leader, freedom fighter, crusader for social justice, champion of depressed classes, outstanding parliamentarian, true democrat, distinguished Union Minister, an able administrator and an exceptionally gifted orator.

History of Samata Diwas

Jagjivan Ram was a great advocate for equality and social justice. So, it was decided to celebrate his birthday as 'Rashtriya Samata Diwas' to honour him. Through this day, people are motivated to raise voices against injustice, discrimination and inequality.

Early Life and Education of Babu Jagjivan Ram

Jagjivan Ram was born in a Chandwa village in Shahabad district, now Bhojpur, in Bihar on April 5, 1908, to Sobhi Ram and Vasanti Devi. Jagjivan Ram imbibed his idealism, humanitarian values and resilience from his father, who was of a religious disposition and the Mahant of the Shiv Narayani Sect. He was still in school when his father passed away leaving young Jagjivan in the care of his mother. He was subjected to untouchability and social prejudice from an early age.

Jagjivan Ram passed the Arrah Town School, securing first-class in the matriculation exam. He earned a BSc. degree from the University of Calcutta after passing the Inter-Science Examination at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in spite of discrimination based on caste. He participated in Mahatma Gandhi's anti-untouchability campaign while in college and hosted seminars to raise awareness against discrimination.

After his first wife died due to illness in August 1933, Jagjivan Ram remarried in June 1935. His wife, Indrani Devi was the daughter of Dr Birbal, a well-known social worker of Kanpur. The couple had two children, Suresh Kumar and Meira Kumar.

Contributions of Jagjivan Ram

Jagjivan Ram's father served in the British Army before he left to become a farmer in his native place. He experienced discrimination for the first time during his school days. He was deemed 'untouchable' and had to drink water from a separate pot. This unfair treatment led him to protest by breaking the pot, forcing the school principal to remove the separate pot.

In 1925, Jagjivan Ram crossed paths with scholar Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, who had a profound impact on him. Accepting Malaviya's invitation, he joined the Banaras Hindu University. At the university, he faced discrimination, which sparked his drive to protest against the social boycott of certain sections of society. He also mobilised the scheduled castes to rally against injustice.

After his tenure at BHU, he attended the University of Calcutta, where he earned a BSc degree in 1931. Jagjivan Ram had organised a number of Ravidas Sammelans and had celebrated Guru Ravidas Jayanti in different areas of Calcutta now Kolkata. In 1934, he founded the Akhil Bharatiya Ravidas Mahasabha in Calcutta and the All India Depressed Classes League.

Subhas Chandra Bose recognised his organisational skills and in 1935, he played a key role in establishing the All-India Depressed Classes League. He joined the Congress Party and was lauded as a powerful spokesperson for the depressed classes. In 1935, he proposed at a session of the Hindu Mahasabha that drinking water wells and temples should be accessible to untouchables.

Jagjivan Ram played a very active and crucial role in the freedom struggle. Inspired by Gandhiji, Babuji courted arrest on December 10, 1940. After his release, he entrenched himself deeply into the Civil Disobedience Movement and Satyagraha. Babuji was arrested again on August 19, 1942, for his active participation in the Quit India Movement launched by the Indian National Congress.

When Jawaharlal Nehru formed the provisional government, Jagjivan Ram became its youngest minister. After independence, he was appointed as the country’s first labour minister. He also held various other portfolios including railways, food and agriculture, transport and communications, irrigation and defence. He was the defence minister during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971.

When Morarji Desai became the Prime Minister after the Emergency, Jagjivan Ram was appointed as India's Deputy Prime Minister. He became a member of the Bihar Legislative Council in 1936 at the age of only 28 years.

Jagjivan Ram served as a member of the Parliament from 1936 to 1986 without interruption, a record in itself. He was also the longest-serving cabinet minister in India (30 years). He has a world record of being an MP for 50 years. He was a stalwart advocate for social equality and equal rights for the Depressed Classes.

In 2008, his birth centenary was celebrated all over the country.

Jagjivan Ram died on July 6, 1986. His memorial at his cremation place is named ‘Samata Sthal’.