20 Facts About Jagjivan Ram

Jagjivan Ram, popularly known as Babuji, was an Indian independence activist and politician who served as a minister with various portfolios.

Jagjivan Ram served as the Deputy Prime Minister of India from January 1979 to July 1979.

Jagjivan Ram played a pivotal role as the Defence Minister of India during the Indo-Pak War of 1971, which led to the creation of Bangladesh.

Jagjivan Ram was instrumental in the foundation of the All India Depressed Classes League, an organisation dedicated to attaining equality for dalits, in 1935 and was elected to Bihar Legislative Assembly in 1937, after which he organised the rural labour movement.

Jagjivan Ram went on to serve as a minister with various portfolios till 1979 as a member of the Indian National Congress.

Jagjivan Ram was born on April 5,1908 in Chandwa village near Ara, the headquarters of Shahabad district of Bengal Presidency into a family belonging to the chamar community.

Jagjivan Ram had an elder brother, Sant Lal, and three sisters.

Jagjivan Ram became a Mahant of the Shiv Narayani sect, and being skilled in calligraphy, illustrated many books for the sect that were distributed locally.

Jagjivan Ram joined Aggrawal Middle School in Arrah in 1920, where the medium of instruction was English for the first time, and joined Arrah Town School in 1922.

Jagjivan Ram drank water from the Hindu pot, and because he was from an untouchable class, the matter was reported to the Principal, who placed a third pot for dalits in the school.

Jagjivan Ram broke this pot twice in protest, until the Principal decided against placing the third pot.

Jagjivan Ram passed his matriculation in the first division and joined the Banaras Hindu University in 1927, where he was awarded the Birla scholarship, and passed his Inter Science Examination.

Jagjivan Ram criticized Ambedkar as a "coward" who could not lead his people.

Jagjivan Ram was among the principal leaders who publicly denounced India's participation in the World War II between the European nations and for which he was imprisoned in 1940.

Jagjivan Ram was member of the Constituent assembly that drafted India's constitution.

Jagjivan Ram worked as the Minister of Defence making him the virtual No 2 in the cabinet, Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation.

Jagjivan Ram was the Deputy Prime Minister of India when Morarji Desai was the prime minister, from 1977 to 1979.

Jagjivan Ram remained a member of Parliament right from the first election in 1952 till his death in 1986, after over forty years as a parliamentarian.

Jagjivan Ram was elected from Sasaram parliament constituency in Bihar.

Jagjivan Ram's uninterrupted representation in the Parliament from 1936 to 1986 is a world record.