He is no more; this was told to me by Shri Baldev Raj Bhardwaj (our respected brother -in-law) on 06 July,2023. Same morning, I spoke with my beloved father who told me nothing to worry, just cough and fever. He also told he took medicine and it would take few days to recover completely. For a moment I could not believe this disastrous news. How can this happen, my great father was fine a few minutes ago. How can he leave us? All these questions still haunt me. I am unable to sleep well since the day my beloved father left this world. I always look at the window of my flat in Delhi and feel like calling him at 4pm. This was the time when, without fail, I used to call him every day to know about his health.
He was a great writer, speaker whose heart and mind throbbed for the deprived section of the society. He was a true Ambedkarite and Buddhist who fulfilled his promise given to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in 1956 at his Delhi residence. He never thought of anything else than how to spread the message of Dr. Ambedkar among the oppressed sections of the society.
He memorized all volumes of Writings and Speeches of Dr. Ambedkar. I know this because I had a chance to edit LIFE & MISSION of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, English edition, with him. I travelled a number of times from Delhi to Jalandhar to consult him for this book. Whenever I had a doubt he would tell me, go and fetch that volume and refer this page number. Even at the age of 92 his memory was sharp. I was amazed to understand his sincerity and honesty to the mission of Dr. Ambedkar. He gave a prime youth of his life for Baba Saheb Mission.
He was a voracious reader. He had a big library covering almost all subjects viz politics, economics, philosophy, poetry so and so on. He widely read the life and work of world-renowned leaders like Leo Tolstoy, Bertrand Russell, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mao Tung, Vladimir Lenin, Karl Marx, Maxim Gorky, Bhagat Singh, Dr. Muhammad Iqbal. Granth Sahib, Bhagwat Gita, Manu smriti are among the books in his shelf. He subscribed to 10 daily newspapers (Hindi and English). He used to get pasted newspaper cuttings by his assistant in a meticulous way for further reference. He also subscribed to Mainstream, Illustrated Weekly, India Today, the Economist and Economic and Political Weekly. He was a critic of M.K. Gandhi and Gandhism but with substance. He had good command over Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and English. He also knew Parsi language. He used to type letters on manual typewriter which is still lying in his library at Jalandhar (Punjab). My father was a literary giant. He authored more than 200 books.
I would like to cite an example which was told to me by his Canadian follower who left India and settled there permanently. He told me in a public function that my respected father typed a letter to the Railway Minister in those days about promotion of Dalit candidates. He and his colleague were promoted after my father took up their case. This Canadian friend of my father showed me a copy of that letter (1984) when I met him in Delhi. There are several such cases. My father got employment in Government hospitals for many Dalit candidates with the help of Dr. R. D Nar who was Director of Health Services in Punjab. Dr. Nar used to stay with him in his room. I remember how they used to discuss poems and literature and laughed together.
Here, I would like to mention that Dr Surinder Ajnat and Mrs. Soma Sablok (his wife) has a special role in the life of my father. The day they met my father, they become his literary associates. They never falter from Ambedkar Mission. Both wrote articles and books for Bheem Parrika and Bheem Patrika Publications. Balley family would never forget their contributions.
In Punjab, at Tahltan village when a Dalit woman was raped by an upper caste Jat, my father formed ‘Dalit Action Committee’ and launched agitation along with Retd Judge RC Paul, Prof GC Kaul and many others leaders and activists, workers. My father escaped bullet narrowly. In the last the culprit was arrested. Out of respect and love, the people of Punjab address my father as “Lion of Punjab”. In Jalandhar along with my uncle Bihari Lal Khar, my father launched an agitation to get Dr Ambedkar statue stalled and finally the local government bowed to the demand and Dr. Ambedkar statute is placed. It is now famously called “Ambedkar Chowk”. Dr. Ambedkar Bhawan is a training center for budding leaders. This contribution with the support of other Ambedkarites and Buddhists from all over the world is now an institution.
In Delhi, Shri Bheeshampal Singh stood by father like a true friend and follower. He organized many public functions where my father was the chief guest.
In Maharashtra, Shri Chandankhere and his wife Mrs. Bimla, Shri Harish Chahande and his family stood by father and organized Samata Sainik Dal (SSD). Once upon a time, I happened to accompany my father to Nagpur, I found that people came from far flung areas to see my father and kissed hands of my father as if he is Dr. Ambedkar. When I asked them, they told me that “your father met our emancipator and kissing his hands means for us as we are kissing hands of our great leader Baba Saheb Dr. Ambedkar. My father was the first one along with others in Mumbai to pressurize the government of Maharastra to publish the volumes of Writings and Speeches of Dr. Ambedkar. State wide agitation was launched and ultimately government of Maharashtra started publishing Baba Saheb Dr. Ambedkar volumes.
In England, Chanan Chahal, Harbans Lal Virdi, Sample family, the members of Dr. Ambedkar Memorial Committee, Wolverhampton and many others always supported my father and invited him to deliver lecture in England from time to time.
My father was appointed President of ‘Buddha` Light International Association (BLIA)’. He travelled to Taiwan and Australia and England to attend BLIA conferences. He also got two 20ft containers of books and used clothes for free distribution in Delhi. I distributed these books and clothes with my father and other local Ambedkarites.
My father was graced with Life Time Achievement award by USA organization. The Government of Madhya Pradesh awarded him with a cheque of one Lakh rupees.
Four students from different universities are currently doing PhD on Life and contributions of my father. They came and took his interview when he was alive.
There is a very old and famous saying, behind every successful man, there stands a woman. My beloved mother Mrs. Ajit Kaur Balley died before my father played a significant role in running the family when he was touring India and abroad. She stood by father through thick and thin. She was also a fearless woman. She could better understand the nitty gritty of politics in the company of my father. She was in jail during 1964 agitation. I was also in jail along with my mother and other workers. Before death she asked me to take care of father, so I did. She used to prepare Halwa (pudding)on every social occasion to be served in Ambedkar Bhawan, Jalandhar. She was so excited to celebrate the birthday of Baba Saheb Dr. Ambedkar. There was deep love, coordination, understanding between my parents. My father loved her dearly. She was sick and my father never left her room till the last day. After death of my mother, I could imagine my father was broken and lonely inside but he never showed us. After her death, my father told all brothers and sisters that he would prefer to live and die in Jalandhar, come what may, so we all religiously followed his instructions but kept on visiting him time to time.
My younger sister Mrs. Sujata Sallan who lives in Canada with his family played unforgettable role in the life of my father. She was young when she went to Canada and married Mr. Mohinder Sallan. She worked day and night and used to take care of parents when myself was just a kid. Both husband and wife helped financially Bheem Patrika and Bheem Patrika Publications. Mrs. Sujata Sallan asked one day my father what is his last wish. My father told her to support financially the publication of Punjabi book- ‘Kalam Da Kamal”. She, without any question, gave money to my father and the book was printed. This book is being distributed free of cost to the Ambedkar and Buddhist Libraries in Punjab.
Mr. Baldev Raj Bhardwaj, our respected brother -in -law, now living in Jalandhar, took physical care of my father. Had he been not there with my father I would have not completed my PhD. I am personally indebted to him. He is supporting Bheem Patrika and Bheem Patrika Publications. He stood by father like a son.
My beloved father was fearless man. He was the one and only one who fought more than 86 false court cases made against him by his political opponents. He won almost all. I recall when a policeman came to him with a FIR copy. On that evening, I had to board a train for Delhi. I was afraid what policeman would do. My father came from his bed room and met the policeman. On the face of the policeman, he told me to go and catch the train. My father was a courageous man. He was fearless because he remains honest and dedicated till the last moment. He lived dangerously. There are hundred of hundred stories of his heroic acts. There are thousands of thousands people whose names can not be cited here.
My beloved father always gave preference to people not to God. He was an atheist. He never went to any Hindu temple expect a Buddhist temple. Religion for him was an opium (in Karl Marx words) which obstruct the development of scientific temper among the people. He used to tell the people during his speech that in the gracefulness of Buddhism one can achieve salvation. In his own words, “If you become a Buddhist, you are welcome in the whole world”. By nature, he was deadly against traitors who try to dodge or deceive the people in politics and in society.
On 16th July 2023, we all completed last ceremony of a great mentor, guardian, friend. In the cremation ground, volunteers of Samata Sainik Dal gave a salute to their beloved leader. A few prominent persons delivered a speech in his praise. In the last, a song written by Sandhu was played in the cremation ground. My heart and mind were sinking like a ship in the cremation ground. The burning pyre of my father still haunts me in night. I get sad when I see his video lying on the bed. I do not have the guts to visit his room in Jalandhar.
I cannot forget my beloved father over just shedding few tears. My father has given me a duty to fulfill his mission. I promise my father that till the last breath of my life I would carry out his work. My father `s honesty, dedication and simplicity and contributions would be judged by the history. My father used to refer books to me for reading. He asked me to read thoroughly the volumes of Writings and Speeches of Dr. Ambedkar, so I did. Not only this but also, I preserved all volumes in my flat in Delhi. I see my father sitting beside me every day. I love you DAD- my superhero. Robert Benchley rightly said, “Death ends a life, not a relationship”.
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