(Samajweekly) Pandit Bakshi Ram Ji is honored as beacon of success and is respected as ANMOLIK HEERA BY THE VALMIKIAN COMMUNITY. He passed away on 26th November 1992, accordingly on 26th November 2021 services in his remembrance will be held world-wide.
Late Pandit Bakshi Ram Ji, in Punjab is remembered for his closeness with Subash Chander Bose and Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar. He canvassed for Dr. Ambedkar Ji by conveying his messages into remote areas in Punjab. In those days media coverage for lower end of the society was virtually none. Massages had to be personally conveyed.
In some areas, the messengers sent by Pandit Bakshi Ram Ji came under attack and have resulted in deaths. He was at the time was known as the NETA (meaning the leader) of the Valmikian community and he used his authority to help Dr. Ambedkar Ji in promoting his movement in Punjab.
His closeness with Dr. Ambedkar and Subash Chander Bose plus his devotion towards welfare of the Valmikian Community, came into notice of the Indian Government and on the 25th Independence Day, celebrated in the year1972, late Mrs Indra Gandhi honored him for his services. He had also received from the (Bhartiya Dalit Sahitya Akadami – Bharat Ratan – Baba Sahib Dr. B.R. Ambedkar – National Award for the year 1992 – 1993).
There are similarities between upbringing of Pandit Bakshi Ram and Dr. Ambedkar. They were both born in very poor families. Dr. Ambedkar used a lamp to study and Pandit Bakshi Ram instead used a deepak. Dr. Ambedkar studied law to bring changes but Pandit Bakshi Ram went into religious studies to bring back lost pride and dignity for the Valmikian community. He studied 175 scriptures for his research.
They have both put enormous amount of effort to free deprived people from the chains of caste system laid by the Brahmin Organizations and have been successful. Also through the drafted Constitution by Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar India was on its way to become one of the super powers of the world.
Through Constitution, the caste system lost its momentum and marriages in agreement between the higher and the lower castes were taking place. But since BJP takeover in 2014 establishing of Hindu Rashtra has become a priority.
The Hindu Rashtra is being introduced to stop these marriages taking place. The organizations who are promoting Hindu Rashtra are totally against this and are also behind torturing, murdering and atrocities against the Adhivasi population.
They cannot tolerate progress of the Dalits and to stop this they have privatized education in India. They are blocking all the sources to Dalit progress in order to liaise with Manusmirity. Behind introduction of Hindutva is a very sinister ideology.
In the past they had withdrawn all the learning facilities and want to do the same now because they are seeing inter-caste marriages are result of Dalit progress. They think that they are superior to all by birth and inter-caste marriages are not acceptable because they harm their purity.
Pandit Bakshi Ram has managed to bring back pride and dignity for the Valmikian Community. In the year 1920, he voiced for recognition of the Bhagwan Valmiki Ashram in Amritsar but was jailed.
This drew a lot of attention towards this historical Valmiki Ashram where Sita Ji and her children Luv and Kush had spent a good part of their life.
Following his call and through contribution of Mahatma Gian Nath Ji, legal proceedings by the Bhagwan Valmiki Central Sabha U.K. and through cooperation of the Valmikian Sabhas in Punjab, finally has resulted in building of the Bhagwan Valmiki Ashram in Amritsar by Sardar Prakash Singh Badal.
By building this Ashram, the Punjab Government, has set an example for others to follow. Since our Independence, various ruling parties have taken control but have failed to give any attention to Valmikian issues. They have used them for their votes and forgotten after success. This has been a general practice since Independence and Sardar Prakash Singh Badal has broken the taboo.
It is a blessing that today Bhagwan Valmiki Ashram in Amritsar is present for the future generation to look upon. Different opinions are held towards building of this Ashram by honorable Sardar Prakash Singh Badal. The fact remains, he was chosen by Bhagwan Valmiki Ji for this purpose and we should be thankful for the generosity he has shown.
On the opening day of the Bhagwan Valmiki Ashram, all the Government Officials highly praised Pandit Bakshi Ram Ji and credited him for his research to be the key factor to this achievement. Should he have not researched then the possibilities are that there would have been no knowledge about this historical place.
At one stage Pandit Bakshi Ram, Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar and Babu Mangoo Ram all worked as one group and because of them, the Aadi-Vaasis especially from Punjab are today all over the world.
Gurdas Ram Alam, a highly renowned poet of Punjab was very close to Pandit Bakshi Ram. He knew of sufferings endured by Pandit Bakshi Ram for deprived people and expressed them in poems and his poetry even today is highly ranked.
It would be worth noting that the Indian Government honored Pandit Bakshi Ram with Indian Flag and eleven gun salute as final gesture.
The Valmikians must not forget that the pride and joy they are enjoying today is result of hard research done by PANDIT BAKSHI RAM JI. He lived for ninety years and out of which he served forty years in jail. He was often locked in prison to stop him from raising the Valmikian issues. He fought for the rights for his people till his last breath.
The times now under the BJP Government are taking a bad turn. The Valmikians, the Ravidassians and the Ambedkarites need to unite and act as one unit, only then they have any chance to retaliate.
The Punjab Government has build Bhagwan Valmiki Ashram in Amritsar but here in Delhi the BJP has knocked an ancient Guru Ravi Dass Mandir down and now have also started to target Hindu Mandirs, Muslim Masjids and Christian Churches.
Taking these latest developments into account in India, it seems to survive all the communities will have to immediately unite to fend off uprising of this inhuman Hindu movement. Now, UNITY matters most because the future of India looks very bleak if Manusmirity takes over..
It must be remembered that Babu Mangu Ram and Babu Chuni Lal Thapper who sat on death fast in oppose to Mahatma Gandhi’s fasting were from Punjab..
Babu Mangu Ram was a Ravidassian and Babu Chuni Lal Thapper was a Valmikian. We stood together then and will have to do it again.
My late father Shree Hazara Ram Teji Ji held high regard for Pandit Bakshi Ram Ji and I do the same. I salute to Pandit Bakshi Ram for his tireless devotion given towards Valmikian progress.
Jai Bharat.
Mitej Teji
