This story is from April 18, 2016
Chronologically ‘Jai Bhim’ is older than ‘Jai Hind’: Experts
LUCKNOW: The ‘Jai Bhim’ term in the ‘Jai Bhim-Jai Bharat’ slogan, which Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati asked Dalits, her party workers and supporters to raise instead of “Bharat Mata ki Jai” traces its origin to the days of freedom struggle. Chronologically, Jai Bhim precedes Jai Hind, with one school of thought even stating that the slogan is nearly 200-year-old.
Throwing light into the origin of Jai Bhim, Vivek Kumar, Professor Centre for the Study of Social Systems, School of Social Sciences at Jawaharlal Nehru University, said, “The first time, when Jai Bhim was uttered, it was used as a war cry during the famous Battle of Koregaon (fought between the Peshwa and British East India Company) on January 1, 1818.”
He further stated that during the course of the war, when the Mahar sepoys (as part of the British East India Company) used to cross the Bhima River, they shouted Jai Bhim to galvanise themselves. Eventually, the army of Mahars defeated the Peshwa. “Ambedkar used to visit this battle field -- located in Pune – every year, and pay floral tributes to the exemplary valour displayed by the Mahars,” Vivek Kumar said.
Giving another anecdote, Vivek Kumar, said, “After the formation of the Independent Labour Party (ILP) in 1936, when the birthday celebrations of Ambedkar were being held in a Mumbai chawl, one of the supporters of Ambedkar shouted Jai Bhim to greet him on his birthday, and since then it’s usage has increased. “As a movement, the popularity of Jai Bhim gained momentum after death of BR Ambedkar in 1956,” the JNU professor said, and added that in any case Jai Bhim emerged before Jai Hind.
Dalit litterateur and scholar Kanwal Bharti, said, “Jai Bhim became popular in the Hindi Heartland in 1960s thanks to the efforts of poet Biharilal ‘Harit’. The poet used the words for the first time in Delhi.”
Citing a letter written by K Jamanadas (published on a website pertaining to Ambedkar), Bharti said, “How Jai Bhim originated, is narrated by PT Ramteke in his research paper titled ‘Jai Bhim’ che Janak – Baboo Hardas LN published in 2000. The paper describes how Hardas conceived and developed the idea of Jai Bhim.”
Hardas was not comfortable with Jai Rama-pati with which he was greeted after being elected as a legislator. “A maulvi explained him the meaning of Salam Alekum (a greeting among Muslims),” Kanwal Bharti said, and added that it was from here that Hardas got the idea of Jai Bhim.
Hardas then decided that ‘Jai Bhim’ should be responded with ‘Bal Bhim’. This slogan was used as a mode of greeting among the workers of Bhim Vijay Sangh. “Later ‘Bal Bhim’ was dropped, and it was decided that Jai Bhim should be used to greet,” said Bharati, and added that Hardas is considered to be the originator of Jai Bhim.
Hardas died in 1939 at the age of 35 years, and before this he had coined the term called Jai Bhim, the Dalit scholar said, and added, “It would therefore be safe to assume that Jai Bhim had originated well before Jai Hind.”
He further stated that during the course of the war, when the Mahar sepoys (as part of the British East India Company) used to cross the Bhima River, they shouted Jai Bhim to galvanise themselves. Eventually, the army of Mahars defeated the Peshwa. “Ambedkar used to visit this battle field -- located in Pune – every year, and pay floral tributes to the exemplary valour displayed by the Mahars,” Vivek Kumar said.
Giving another anecdote, Vivek Kumar, said, “After the formation of the Independent Labour Party (ILP) in 1936, when the birthday celebrations of Ambedkar were being held in a Mumbai chawl, one of the supporters of Ambedkar shouted Jai Bhim to greet him on his birthday, and since then it’s usage has increased. “As a movement, the popularity of Jai Bhim gained momentum after death of BR Ambedkar in 1956,” the JNU professor said, and added that in any case Jai Bhim emerged before Jai Hind.
Citing a letter written by K Jamanadas (published on a website pertaining to Ambedkar), Bharti said, “How Jai Bhim originated, is narrated by PT Ramteke in his research paper titled ‘Jai Bhim’ che Janak – Baboo Hardas LN published in 2000. The paper describes how Hardas conceived and developed the idea of Jai Bhim.”
Hardas was not comfortable with Jai Rama-pati with which he was greeted after being elected as a legislator. “A maulvi explained him the meaning of Salam Alekum (a greeting among Muslims),” Kanwal Bharti said, and added that it was from here that Hardas got the idea of Jai Bhim.
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Hardas died in 1939 at the age of 35 years, and before this he had coined the term called Jai Bhim, the Dalit scholar said, and added, “It would therefore be safe to assume that Jai Bhim had originated well before Jai Hind.”
Top Comment
Vijay Kumar
1447 days ago
In Delhi, Bihari Lal Harit was the first to announce JAI BHIM in 1946 through a poem in the presence of Dr. Ambedkar at Gandhi Ground in front of Old Delhi Railway Station on the occasion of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar's birthday.Nav yuvak kom ke jut javen sab milkar kom parasti me,Jai Bhim ka nara laga kare, Bharat ki basti-basti meRead allPost comment
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