Ram Vilas Paswan: Successful Leader in Dalit Empowerment
-Lalit Garg-
The life of Shri Ram Vilas Paswan, an extinguished leader of Indian Dalit politics and former Union Food Supply Minister, who created miracles in Bihar politics, has been an inspiration for creating new standards in politics. He remained active in politics for more than five decades and played the responsibilities of MLA, MP and even Union Minister very well. Paswan is considered a leader who received love and support from people of every religion and community and he was known as a development man in the country. Paswan played an important role in implementing the recommendations of the Mandal Commission. During his tenure as Railway Minister, many projects were started in Bihar and in whichever ministry he was, the poor and marginalized people were always at the centre of his concerns.
The life of Ram Vilas Paswan is a living document of his commitment towards Dalit empowerment. His 78th birth anniversary is being celebrated at the national level on 5 July 2024. Ram Vilas Paswan founded the Lok Jan Shakti Party in the year 2000 and his political journey started with the United Socialist Party. He was the only political personality who got the opportunity to work with many Prime Ministers and he was also the leader of the House in the Lok Sabha twice. He created a unique history by winning the election from Hajipur with record votes in 1977. He always fought like a karmayogi for the Dalits and the proletariat class.
Ram Vilasji, who started his political journey from 1969, played an active role in the JP movement and emerged as a firebrand socialist. He was a public servant who gave voice to the deprived classes and constantly fought for the marginalized people. His life in politics was not only a great hero who promoted the Dalits and the deprived but also an inspiration of high character and moral values.
Paswanji was born in Shaharbanni village of Alauli block of Khagaria district of Bihar. He was born on July 5, 1946 in a Scheduled Caste family to father Jamunji Paswan and mother Siya Devi. He first married Rajkumari Devi in the 1960s, whom he divorced in 1981. He has two daughters Usha and Asha from his first wife Rajkumari. In 1983, he married Reena Sharma, an airhostess and Punjabi Hindu from Amritsar. He has a son and a daughter from her. His son Chirag Paswan is an actor turned politician, currently the national president of LJP and after winning the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections with a huge margin, he is the Union Minister of Food and Supplies, following in his father's footsteps. He is the confidante of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi as his 'Hanuman'.
The political life of Shri Ram Vilas Paswan has been a combination of many specialties and peculiarities. He contested elections 11 times and won nine of them. He once again became the Consumer Affairs Minister in the Modi government in the 17th Lok Sabha. Paswan, who could never become a major force in Bihar, kept himself a force in Delhi politics and remained a necessity for various Prime Ministers of the country for three decades. He also held important positions in the governments of Vishwanath Pratap Singh, HD Deve Gowda, Inder Kumar Gujral, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi. This combative and resilient leader of Indian politics lived his life like a Karmayogi in politics. It is true that he was from Bihar, it is also true that he was from LJP, but the bigger truth is that he belonged to the nation, he was a national leader. He was a gem personality in the country's politics. There were many characteristics of the personality and work of this extraordinary politician who became the voice of the poor, the deprived and the Dalits; those noble values, such closeness to public life, such simplicity, such love for religion and culture and so much truth had made his personality very high. He continued to serve the country and the downtrodden till his last breath. His death was the end of a great leader with a nationalist mindset and a messiah of the proletariat.
He was a symbol of a series of people who lived by principles and ideals. His life was unique and exemplary of purity in political life, values, culture, Dalit politics, and struggle for the proletariat, the inspiration of not bowing down or compromising by remaining firm on principles. He was always different from others, untainted in corrupt politics, Fearless in thoughts, Firm in the face of crumbling values and Dignified in the crowd that broke through the fence. The positive perception and realistic thinking associated with his life were such powerful weapons whose attack never went in vain. For Bihar, he was truly 'Ram', that is loved by everyone. As a young leader, he presented his independent political thinking and viewpoint by strongly and effectively opposing the atrocities and attack on democracy during the Emergency.
While helping the needy, creating new political faces, smiling and laughing, behaving affectionately with the younger ones and having a lot of fun and laughter with people of his age, the life of Shri Ram Vilas Paswan will be considered inspiring, unique and extraordinary in the sense that he touched all the concerns of life. When he was a politician, he raised his voice for the Dalits and the deprived, cared for the proletariat class, and fought for their rights. His outlook was broad and he was committed to the interests of the Dalits. He was also a Dalit agitator and the architect of political events. He was always seen connected with the concerns of revolutionaries and senior freedom fighters. Despite being a big and busy politician, his spontaneous participation in various religious and cultural activities were various aspects of his life. As much as he cared for the welfare of the Dalits, he was equally ready for the upliftment of the tribals. He got full support in the activities conducted under the leadership of Gani Rajendra Vijayji and Sukhi Parivar Foundation in the tribal areas of Baroda-Chhota Udaipur in Gujarat. He had a big plan for the welfare of Jain Tirthankaras in Bihar. He was counted among the strong leaders associated with the soil of Bihar and he had good relations with all the parties.
Ram Vilas Paswan ji was a very aggressive leader, his feelings towards everyone were always creative, and this always made him different from others. His attitude was always towards positive politics. His suggestions were so serious that they attracted everyone’s attention. He used to give suggestions to move one step ahead of politics in the direction of development. He was not only an ally of the NDA alliance, but was also the main architect of its success. He was an important character in alliance politics. He tried to ensure that the deprived section of the society gets justice and its rights are respected.
Ram Vilas Paswan gave a new direction to politics with his coordination policy, simplicity and straightforwardness. He was one of the distinguished leaders who gave life to the cultural heritage of Bihar and raised his voice for the Jain-Buddhist culture of Bihar and fought for its rights. He was a politician who ruled the hearts of the people, he could stay anywhere like an ordinary worker. Bihar and its people were always in his heart and mind. The politicians who are stuck in the arrogance of power, corruption and ego would take lessons from him. He defeated the darkness of despair, inaction, failure and indifference with his self-confidence and the hopeful lamps of life. His life’s endeavour was that people should not feel his presence; rather he worked in such a way that people remember him even when he is not among them. In this way, he gave a new dimension to his life and remained in the hearts of the people. His personality is such an ideal political personality that it can be called an inexhaustible source of development, culture, service and reformism of the proletariat class.
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