"In the progress of the country lies our progress; in its salvation our salvation and in its emancipation, our emancipation."
—Babu Jagjivan Ram
Highly inspired by the life and works of Babu Jagjivan Ram, who was a freedom fighter and a crusader of social justice, Narayan wished to immortalise the leader in Mysore. This became the foundation for the installation of a statue of Babuji, as he was endearingly called, in front of the City Railway Station in the year 2000.
The bronze statue of Babuji was sculpted by V.A. Deshpande, a renowned sculptor and the present Dean of Chamarajendra Academy of Visual Arts (CAVA). The imposing statue is 9 feet tall and cost around Rs. 8 lakh. Another Rs. 2 lakh was utilised for the construction of the platform.
Narayan, speaking to Star of Mysore, said that initially the statue was to be inaugurated by the then Chief Minister J.H. Patel who could not fulfill the same. Then it was scheduled to be inaugurated by the next Chief Minister S.M. Krishna. This too did not happen due to unavoidable circumstances. The statue was finally inaugurated by the present Opposition leader Siddharamaiah in the presence of Narayan, M.Shivanna, former Minister and others. The funds for the statue sculpting and installation came from Mysore City Corporation's 18% SC/ST reservation, said Narayan.
At present, a Babu Jagjivan Ram Bhavan is being built in the city at a cost of Rs. 4.5 crores.
Babuji was a popular political leader who devoted his entire life working for the welfare of his country. As a national leader, Parliamentarian, Union Minister and cha-mpion of oppressed classes, he played a long innings spanning half-a-century in Indian politics.
Hailing from a Backward Class family of Bihar, he was instrumental in founding the 'All-India Depressed Classes League', an organisation dedicated to attaining equality for untouchables, in 1935 and was elected to Bihar Legislative Assembly in 1937. He also organised the rural labour movement.
In 1946, he became the youngest Minister in Jawaharlal Nehru's provisional government, the First Union Cabinet of India as a Labour Minister, and also a member of Constituent Assembly of India. He went on to serve as a Minister with various portfolios for more than forty years as a member of Indian National Congress (INC).
Apart from this, he was also instrumental in enacting the Minimum Wages Act, 1946; Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 etc., also laying down the foundation of social security by passing the Employees State Insurance Act, 1948 and the Provident Fund Act, 1952.
Most importantly, he was the Defence Minister of India during the Indo-Pak war of 1971, which resulted in formation of Bangladesh. His contribution to the Green Revolution in India and modernising Indian agriculture, during his two tenures as Union Agriculture Minister, are still remembered, especially during 1974 drought when he was asked to hold the additional portfolio to tide over the food crisis. He later served as the Deputy Prime Minister of India (1977–1979), then in 1980, formed Congress (J).
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