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Author: Vivek Deshpande
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: January 23, 2007
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/story/21451.html
Introduction: Tuesday will be an occasion to remember the historic entry of over 2,000 Dalits into the Laxminarayan temple and Jamnalal Bajaji - the man behind the revolution
July 17, 1928. Around 8 a.m., a group of Dalit men and women, singing bhajans to the accompaniment of taal and mridang, entered the Laxminarayan temple here, an act that was considered sacrilegious in those orthodox times. But strongly backed by champions of social harmony like Mahatma Gandhi and Vinoba Bhave, a man was able to take his mission to fulfilment, no matter if that led to his being declared an outcaste by his own religion.
Tuesday, January 23, will be the occasion to remember that historic entry of over 2,000 Dalits into the temple - the temple completes 100 years of existence. The man, who scripted the social revolution, was Jamnalal Bajaj, considered by Gandhi as his "fifth son". Said Vinoba Bhave on that day: "Till yesterday, I had never seen the image of God the way I perceived it in the idols of Laxminarayan today. The ecstasy I experienced looking at Shri Vishnuji's feet can't be described in words."
Gandhi wrote in Young India: "I congratulate Jamnalalji and his fellow trustees for the courageous step and hope the example will be followed all over India."
Of course, the radical success had come with a price attached. The marwari community had thrown him out of Hinduism. Nobody dared to invite him for religious or any such programmes. Jamnalalji had no regrets.
Jamnalalji himself said, "Many of our saints were from the so-called lower castes considered untouchable. They tell us no human being is lowly for us. A fire had been burning in my heart for the past three years - it has now been cooled."
The man is long dead, but his descendent have organised a fitting commemoration on the day. A slew of social and religious programmes have been organised. On July 17, a programme of inter-caste marriage, involving Dalits, will be held.
"We are too humbled by the great act of courage by our grandfather. We would be trying to live up to his ideals by helping the cause of social harmony in our own small way," say chairman of the temple trust Shekhar Bajaj. Shekhar is the son of Ramakrishna Bajaj, one of the two sons of Jamnalal, the other being Kamalnayan, whose son Rahul Bajaj is the chief of the Bajaj group. Shekhar, who chairs Bajaj Electricals, has been camping at Wardha, to oversee the celebrations.
"It's a proud recollection for the whole family," says his wife Kamala. "This is perhaps the only temple in the country where the Gods have been adorned with khadi vastras. In 1944, when the golden ornaments on the idols of Laxmi and Narayan were stolen, Gandhi had remarked that it was good riddance, the God is now unfettered," she said.
The beautiful temple, originally built by Jamnalalji's father Bachharaj in Rajasthani style, has been suitably decked up for the occasion. It has been repainted in its original colour. "Our effort will be to take up socially-relevant programmes in the days to come," Bajaj said. "We want it to become a tirthastahli of not only religious but social cause too," he adds.
vivek.deshpande@expressindia.com
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