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| Dogra Rattan Babu Parmanand, as I know him | | | Er.H.R.Phonsa | 4/23/2011 10:48:17 PM |
| (Babu Ji’s 3rd Smiriti Diwas which falls on 24 the April, 2011)
Dogra Rattan Babu Parmanad, rose from a mud hut in Sarore, a small village of Jammu and Kashmir to Haryana Raj Bhawan Chandigarh.He was born on the 10 th August 1932 to revered Sh. Jaggu Ram & Smt Matyan Devi . His parents were deeply religious souls, having deep faith in Sant Mat as expounded by Saints of Radha Soami Satsang Beas, Distt Amritsar. Sarore is largely in-habited by the followers of Radha Soami Satsang, following strict norms of Sant Mat. It is perhaps first village in the J&K State to have started regular monthly sat sang much before 1947 turmoil. Sh. Mangoo Ram, Ramdasia by caste and then panchayat member was the first Satsang Karta of Village Sarore. This Village has the distinction of being the birth place of present spiritual Master Sant Rasila Ram Ji, who Heads the Radha Soami Satsang Saidpur , Distt Amritsar, Punjab.
I met him first time in 1955, and remained in his contact till his last breath which he breathed in the Wee- hours of 24th, April 2008. Luckily we have family linkage and our ancestors were distant cousins. Also our wives are real sisters. So I had the chances to see him very closely. He visited my village in 1957, when he was a teacher in Govt, High School Ramgarh, and Tehsil Samba and advised me to go for higher studies at all costs.
I found him very industrious, hard working, energetic and punctual. He had great interests in teaching. His elder sister was married near Ramgarh and whenever he went to see her,he would come to our school and take voluntary classes. His love for higher education and for his follow villagers was reflected in his putting efforts to get sanctioned scholarships to poor Dalit students studying in college. He took me to Zenab Bakashi Gulam Mohd., then Prime Minister Of J&K State to get me admission in the Regional Engineering college Srinagar in 1961. Then there was no competitive Examinations for the admission to even technical colleges. However Bhagat Chhajju Ram then Minister and another prominent Dalit leader of our state also helped me in admission in the REC Srinagar. Babu Ji did not believe in caste distinctions, particularly when dealing with Scheduled Castes persons of different sub castes. He got admitted Late Sh. Som Nath Muniyal, a Mahasha by caste in Regional Engineering College Srinagar who later on rose to the rank of Superintending Engineer. Babu Ji supported our efforts to get admission in both Engineering College and Medical colleges at Srinagar to as many as thirty two students belonging to Scheduled caste communities. These students made mark in their respective departments and some retired as Chief Engineers and HOD’s in Medical profession. Bhagat Mangat Ran an IAS, then director Social Welfare , also lend helping hand. Babu Ji got rules relaxed to get Scholarship as well as education loan for S/C students studying in Technical Colleges as earlier only one facility out of the two was allowed. This shows Babu Ji’s continuous efforts for empowerment of the weak and deprived communities. Later as founding President of the J&K Unit of all India Bhartiya Dalit Sahitya Academy, Babu Ji planned to open an institution for all India Services Competitive Examination including IAS,IPS in Jammu . The building was got partly completed but the sudden demise of Babu Ji has put this project in difficulties.
Babu Ji was practicing law at Samba. He was pleading a law. Both the parties involved in the case were from village Ban Galar Tehsil Samba. Babu Ji deputed me to get settled the case in the village panchayat to help out the poor litigants .I followed his advice and got the case settled out of court. Despite being an advocate himself Babu Ji always advised people to avoid unnecessary litigations.
Babu Ji stood for values. When Babu Ji was contesting election from Bishnah Constituency. He was Finance and Power Minister. A controversy had been raised about Bill No 09 (Tenancy Act). One of his lady sympathizer shrimati Mello Devi, who was blind from both eyes, asked Babu Ji that her village was likely to boycott election, but she wants to cast her vote. Babu advised her to cooperate with her village people, as she has to live there and social contacts should be valued by every body. Many border villages then boycotted the election and Babu Ji lost the election.
The signals of his losing grounds had started coming some time earlier. An influential person of the area approached me with a suggestion that Babu Ji can still over turn the wind blowing against him, if he distributes wine and bribes the local head men. I rejected the idea, but still discussed it with Babu Ji. Babu Ji said that he cannot compromise with his Principals of refraining from intoxicants and unfair means. He may win or lose matters less to him than his life principles. Thus he valued his principles more than the Cabinet Ministry, which he was sure to have, had he won that election.
Babu Ji’s marriage was ceremonies on 6th May 1962 with Sudesh Kumari, daughter of Lala Munshi Ram of Jalandhar town in Punjab State ,who was a well to do sports businessman. Babu Ji was blessed with two equally brilliant sons. His elder son Dr. Rajinder Parsad is serving as Professor of Surgery in country's prestigious All India Institute of Medical sciences New Delhi & second son Gagan Jyoti is an Executive Engineer Mechanical in J&K Engineering services. Babu Ji was also blessed with four grand children.
Babu Ji was included in the Cabinet of Zenab G.M. Sadiq in 1967 as Dy.Minister Transport. They were allotted official accommodation in Gandhi Nagar His wife a teacher and was posted in T. T School Dogra Hall . Babu Ji never allowed his wife to travel in his official car to her school. They engaged on regular basis a taxi with number 5555 and at times she even traveled in the public transport. Babu Parmanand never allowed unnecessary telephone calls from his official telephone and always checked the authenticity of telephone bills.
As Deputy Transport Minister Babu Ji observed acute disparity in services matters with Jammu Province. Babu Parmanand appointed 60% drivers and conductors in the Transport department as present day SRTC was known then.Babu Ji’s action no doubt violated the guide lines of recruitment quota limit of 40% to Jammu province as per Gajenderkar Commission. Valley peoples complained to the Chief Minister , who called Babu Ji to explain the basis of recruitment. Babu Ji explained with facts and figures of prevailing very low representation of the Jammu people in his department which compelled him making good the discrepancy. Babu Ji further said that his action arrested unrest brewing in Jammu Province. Babu Ji was then criticized as strict “Jan Sangi” in the valley circles. Sadiq Sahib got satisfied and the orders so issued by Babu Ji remained in tact.
In Syed Mir Qasim cabinet ,Babu Parmanand was upgraded as Minister of State for Social Welfare, Housing and Urban Development, Local Bodies, Co-operative etc. One day I was sitting with Babu Ji in his office. He called for the Director Social welfare, who was an IAS officer and belonged to Rajput community, once rulers of the state. Babu Ji asked the officer that he will have to change his working attitudes so long Babu Ji was the Minister. The Officer got confused and asked if, he had committed any mistake. Babu Ji said he wants full utilization of the funds earnmarked for the welfare of the deprived sections of the society and it created history that no welfare funds got lapsed during the Minister ship of Babu Ji as Social welfare Minister.
Under the Indra-Sheikh Award Zenab Syed Mir Qasim had to hand over reigns of Chief Minister ship to Zenab Sheikh Sahib. Majority of Congress party political leaders from the state had gone to Delhi to canvass for their adjustment in the new political set up. Babu Ji remained busy in distributing residential plots to the weaker section people in Janipur Housing colony Jammu, This well planned colony was the brain child of Babu Ji and he said, “ If I leave plots distribution in the midway, the balance plot may never reach to the deserving persons”Thus he distributed free 450 residential plots to the needy persons from the weaker section of the society. Conserted efforts of Babu Parmanand and Choudhary Guran Ditta Mal, then M.L.A. and Vice Chairman S/C Development Board got alloted 40 plots in the Shastri Nagar Housing colony Jammu to the Scheduled castes employees.. So he displayed exemplary qualities of sacrificing his self interests for the interests of the common persons. Under Indra Awash Yogna he took interests to get established new colonies for poor population living in slum areas of the villages. He privately got developed “Babu Parmanand Residential Colony” in Kalali Tibba RSPURA Jammu for the weaker section of the society. This colony has over forty plots. But with the untimely passing away of Babu ji development of this colony has slowed down.
Babu Parmanand took many land mark decisions as Minister and Governor. As finance Minister Babu Ji passed orders for equal bi- annual Durbar Move Traveling Allowance, for all employees from Class IV to the Chief Secretary, as earlier the Durbar Move T. A. had three different slabs linked with pay scales & ranks of the officers, officials. His efforts as a mature leader & finance Minister regularized services of 25000 daily wage employees in one go. As finance Minister he ordered opening up of Grameen Banks in the Rural areas , now having a large net work of Banking.
Babu Ji’s had deep love for religious matters particularly in Sant Mat. He never differentiated between different religion saints or peers. Babu Ji kept himself associated long with Guru Ravidas mission. His efforts as a college student got sanctioned holiday on the Birthday of Guru Ravidas in J&K. All Guru Ravidas temple in the state have Babu Ji’s contribution. Major chunk of land for Shri Guru Ravidas temple Krishana Nagar Jammu was got sanctioned from Sheikh Sahib by Babu Ji out of the adjoining Government Cultural Academy land. Babu Ji got constructed one big hall in the premises, whose structural design work was assigned to me by him. Land at RSPURA for the Guru Ravidas temple was given by Shri Duni Chand then Chairman of TAC on the instructions of Babu Ji who was Local Bodies Minister. Babu Ji stood awarded Saroopa at Golden Temple Amritsar by the SGPC. Babu ji ordered to clean in phased manner the Brahm Sarover at Kurukhreshtra , Haryana. He had met almost all religious Heads in India and attended their Satsangs.
While Babu Ji’s was Governor Haryana many religious heads including Sant Baba Ji of Radha Soami Satsang Beas Punjab, Sant Rasila Ram of Saidpur, Punjab Kesri Jain Acharya Vimal Muni Ji, Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev etc visited Raj Bhawan.
Babu Parmanand Ji was sworn as the Governor of Haryana on 19th July 2000. On very next day Babu Ji ordered trees trimming and fungi treatments paddy plantation in cultivable land During his stay of about four years in Raj Bhawan, all needs of cereals, vegetables, and cow’s milk were met from the production from with in the Raj Bhawan. Babu Ji distributed fruits from Raj Bhawan fruit trees and vegetables to the Raj Bhawan Staff particularly lower staff. While in Raj Bhawan a long list of the needy, poor persons, students, ill &, destitute including women can be drawn who received cash Awards, tools, medicines, clothes ; sewing machines for their rehabilitation from Babu Ji. Babu Ji worked for the principles dear to him setting examples to the future occupants of Raj Bhawans. Babu Ji also helped financially some needy persons from Jammu, while as Governor of Haryana. If Dr K.R. Narayanan (1920-2005) 10th President of India is known as a working President, Babu ji proved as a working Governor. Babu Parmanand toured almost to Block level of Haryana State to see for himself the developmental activities.
Babu Ji’s valued books and got constructed a separate library building in Raj Bhawan to keep books systematically He also collected a large stock of books for the Bhartiya Dalit Sahitya Akademy Roop Nagar Jammu.
One day I visited the office of his personal staff and casually enquired what was going on. I was told that there was not much to do for them in the Raj Bhawan as Mahamahim (Governor) attends personally to almost all activities here. They told me that the Protocol norms allow non below the rank of Deputy Commissioner to meet the governor, that too with prior appointment. Here every body enjoys the hospitality of the Mahamahim. Any body can see him by appointment. He is always available to meet his guests. All visitors from different shades of society, high or low, to Raj Bhawan are treated as esteemed guests. I advised them to keep aside British Times Protocol rules. Babu Ji is a public man will to meet all those who wish to see him. He cares little for his personnel discomforts.
Babu Ji kept personnel relations with all shades of people. When Babu Ji was gravely ill Abdul Rahim Rathor, J&K finance Minister called on him. Rathor sahib with a grief said, “Babu Ji, in troubled times we sought for your mature advice, but now we do not find a substitute to your caliber. May Allah cure you soon, else we shall be marooned”.
Once a group of RSPURA people stayed in Raj Bhawa.When they were taking their lunch, Babu Ji went to dinning hall , as if, he lacked faith in his staff in service of his guests. One of those visitors narrated to me that Babu Ji told them “ I am one from among you. He said he is alive to the situation that to what ever the heights a man may rise on a tree; after all he has to touch the ground again. While living in Raj Bhawan his heart lives in Sarore and Bishnah villages”.
Babu Ji had faced poverty from a close angle so was ever ready to needy people. An old Brahmin from Marh Gajansoo Jammu got his son admitted in PGI Chandigarh. No body known to him there. He got confused by the circumstances. He enquired from a rickshaw puller if he, know any thing about Babu Parmanand and where he lives. The Rikasha Pullar took him Raj Bhawan. On hearing the tale of problem faced by the visitor, Babu Ji got made all necessary arrangements, for medicines for his son, stay and meals for the old man.
Babu Parmanand was not only intelligent but an extremely jolly person. He would coined epigrams( Chutkalas, Latifa ) matching circumstances to create a laughter, besides conveying his mind on the subject. Babu Parmanand was helping Dr. Karan Singh in one of his Parliamentary Election contest. Dr. Karam Singh was allotted Bi-cycle election symbol. They had put a Bi-cycle on the top of their car for demonstration. Both of them were going towards RSPURA, discussing that Dr Karan Singh Heir Apparent to Dogra Raj,, Ex Sader-e- Rayasit ( now Governor), Central Minister was a world class scholar, but now finding difficult to make his point express in the public, as public was not listening to them then due to political compulsions. Babu Ji immediately said, “Sir, still we are lucky. Had it struck to the mind of ruling party to put us to more trouble, they would have allotted an elephant symbol. Then how difficult would it have been to arrange an elephant calf and then how to display it on the car top”.
On the demise of Dr. Karan Singh’s Mother Tara Rani, I accompanied Babu Ji when he went for condolences. As per customary norms Babu Ji asked Dr Karan Singh to assign him some duty for conduction 10th day ceremony ( Sharadh). Dr. Karan Singh said that all arrangement including arranging over 15, 00 Brahmins for worshiping and feeding them have been finalized. Upon this Babu Ji took a long breath. Dr. Karan Singh asked Babu Ji what was the matter. Babu ji exclaimed “It is fate accomplice. You have to ask for votes from, Chamars, Meghs, Mahashas, dooms, Batwals etc. but feed and worship only Brahmins”. To his mind the feeding should have been to mixed class of peoples”. Dr Karan Singh laughed it away. So Babu Ji never hesitated to convey his mind on the matter before him even if on the other side was any high dignitary.
What Jammu politicians are unsuccessfully planning now against regional bias, Babu Ji conceived it decades back. Babu Ji was for a Jammu regional based united political party to counter Kashmiri supremacy. Being a great visionary, he convinced Dr. Karan Singh to form a Jammu political party to contest Elections on regional basis. But plan did not succeed when Dr. Karan Singh lost his parliamentary election.
Babu Ji was very punctual. In his private dealing too he was very punctual. When we went to marry his elder son at Udhampur, the Barat (marriage party) was fifteen minutes in advance. In all functions whether he was host or invitee, he was found in time.
Babu Ji was a living example of honesty. Babu Ji was against suppressive attitudes of officers and politicians. Pundit Trilochan Dutt a powerful politician of his times tried to down play Babu Ji. So rumors were spread that Babu Ji had amassed wealth in short time and constructed a palatial house in Gandhi Nagar Jammu worth lacs. Upon this Babu Ji offered to sell house malba for just rupees forty thousands, his cost of construction. He had raised government loans and the house plot legitimately allotted to him as an M.L.A. Thus his opponents were silenced.
Although Babu Ji was a very courageous person but took his electorates in confidence as a democrat, while taking political decisions. In Janta Dal wave of 1977, even Indra Gandhi lost her seat, Babu Ji was one among 11 congresses M.L. A’s who won. Sheikh Abdulla’s National Conference had secured 46 seats by itself. Even then Babu Ji was called by sheikh sahib to help him running a just and mature principled government. Babu Ji asked Sheikh Sahib if it was his mental desire to seek his association. On Sheikh Sahib’s revelations that he always had stood for united State of Jammu & Kashmir and he still desires so. Upon this Babu Ji called a meeting of his trusted workers, electrorates & put the matter before them for decision. All workers gathered, allowed Babu Ji to join hands with Sheikh sahib to contribute his administrative expertise for the welfare of the state So Babu Parmanand joined the National conference once again.
In 1980 the differences cropped up between Sheikh Sahib & Mirza Mohd. Afzal Beg, both long time associate. Assembly speaker Sh Malik resigned on the floor of the house in the absence of the Deputy Speaker from the House. This was Constitutional crises. After long deliberations Chief Minister with his cabinet colleagues requested Babu Ji to discharge the responsibilities of an Interim Speaker being the senior most member. Babu ji courageously offered himself for this prestigious office. Later on Babu Ji was elected unopposed as regular Speaker. Babu Ji successfully conducted the business of the House till the sad demise of Sheikh Sahib on 8thSetember 1982. There after new government was formed under the chief Minister ship of Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Babu Ji was made Finance and Power Minister with rank two in the cabinet.
Babu Ji dedicated his entire life for the welfare of the down trodden. He conceived and constructed Bhartiya Dalit Sahitya Academy building Roop Nagar Jammu. The Governor J&K and former Indian Army Chief Gen. KV. Krishna Rao PVSM laid the foundation stone of the Akademy on 14th April 1994. He termed Babu Ji as extremely conscious, totally dedicated and deeply involved in taking care of the people in general and the Dalits in particular. Former governor of Himachal Pradesh Late Suraj Bhan while explaining the head & heart qualities of Babu Ji wrote “Babu Ji is an excellently experienced administrator, dedicated social worker and committed political leader. His services for the weaker sections of the society are worth admiration and adaptation by others” His Excellency Girish Chander Saxena former Governor of J&K while describing commitments of Babu said “ I found him a widely experienced and intelligent active person. While performing his duties as an MLA, Minister or a committed sentry to protect democratic fiber, he performed his duties with dedication and honesty for the political, economic and social enlistment of the society. Babu Parmanand always remained ready to render help to the poor, helpless and needy persons. His example can be a torch bearer for our young generations”.
Babu Parmanand himself honest to core, discouraged corrupt means in administration or in private life. While on tour , Babu Ji would normally take meals with his workers instead of putting burden on the Government officers. In a private meeting with Farooq Abdulla Babu Ji said termed corruption eradication in the State an uphill task. However if the Chief Minister seriously wants to make a beginning, he should start with corruption free “Recruitments, promotions, transfer and posting in Police and education departments”. As these two departments were most prone to corruption, particularly in Militancy infected areas. But alas nothing concrete has happened in this direction in the state.
Babu Ji’s popularity was demonstrated by the Government and People of the J&K State, when a Government Holiday was declared on unfortunate death of Babu Ji on 24th. April, 2008. Over 10,000 peoples from all shades of life including Chief Minister, State Cabinet members, Governor, leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and former Dy. Prime Minister L.K. Advani, All India President of the Bhartiya Dalit Sahitya Akademy Dr. S.P sumnakshar, many religious Heads of Deras, joined Babu Ji’s last rights. Thousands paid their visits to the residence of the Babu Ji to console his family members, Hundreds of letters of condolences were received.
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