Skip to main content

How the slogan Jai Bhim gained momentum as movement of popularity and revolution

By Dr Kapilendra Das* 

India is an incomprehensible plural country loaded with diversities of religions, castes, cultures, languages, dialects, tribes, societies, costumes, etc. The Indians have good manners/etiquette (decent social conduct, gesture, courtesy, politeness) that build healthy relationships and take them ahead to life. In many parts of India, in many situations, and on formal occasions, it is common for people of India to express and exchange respect, greetings, and salutation for which we people usually use words and phrases like- Namaskar, Namaste, Pranam, Ram Ram, Jai Ram ji, Jai Sriram, Good morning, shubha sakal, Radhe Radhe, Jai Bajarangabali, Jai Gopal, Jai Jai, Supravat, Good night, Shuvaratri, Jai Bhole, Salaam walekam, Walekam salaam, Radhaswami, Namo Buddhaya, Jai Bhim, Hello, and so on.
A soft attitude always creates strong relationships. A relationship should not depend only on spoken words. They should rely on understanding the unspoken feeling too. So when we meet people we shake hands, embrace each other, and express a variety of gestures.
As such ‘JAI BHIM’ is also one of the greeting phrases being used by Indian Buddhists and the inspiration of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. It has become of symbol of all kinds of identities.
Today the JAI BHIM slogan/phrase has gained popularity all over India. A question arises in everybody’s mind How Why and What for “JAI BHIM”?
There are many interpretations and meanings of JAI BHIM explained in this article.

HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF THE "JAI BHIM” SLOGAN

Throwing light on the origin of “JAI BHIM” Vivek Kumar, Professor, JNU Delhi said, “The first time, when JAI BHIM was uttered, it was used as ‘War Cry’ during the famous battle of Bhim Koregaon on January 1, 1818”. Further Vivek Kumar stated that during the war, when the Mahar sepoys (as a part of the British East India Company) used to cross the Bhima River, they shouted “JAI BHIM” to galvanize themselves.
In the twentieth century, “JAI BHIM” words/ Slogan usually refers to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, a multidimensional personality of all the times. He is a symbol of knowledge, an immense source of inspiration even today, and a torch bearer of social justice, equality, liberty, and fraternity.
Babu Hardas Laxmanrao Nagrale (1904-1939). General Secretary of the Independent Labour Party, a politician, and social reformer was an ardent follower of
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. Babu Haridas L.N. was the pioneer of the practice of exchanging the greeting “JAI BHIM” and he was the real originator of the word “JAI BHIM” in 1935 which refers to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. Babu Haridas L.N was also one of the signatories to the “Poona Pact”.
How “JAI BHIM” originated is narrated by P.T Ramteke in his research paper titled “JAI BHIM” (PUBLISHED IN January 2000). It was his dissertation for his M.A. He describes how Hardas conceived and developed the idea of JAI BHIM. So he (Babu Hari Das) is considered the father of “JAI BHIM”.
In 1946, on the occasion of the Birthday celebration of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar for the time in the presence of Dr. Ambedkar, "JAI BHIM" was proclaimed by a Dalit poet Bihari lal Harit (1913-1999) through a poem in Gandhi Ground, opp. Old Delhi Railway Station.
The salutation “JAI BHIM” started during Dr. Ambedkar’s Life time. Activists of the Ambedkarite movement used to call each other “JAI BHIM” but some activists also directly saluted Dr. Ambedkar as “JAI BHIM”.
After the death of Dr. Ambedkar in 1956, the slogan “JAI BHIM” gained momentum as a movement of popularity and revolution.
Narendra Modi Prime Minister launched a paid app whose acronym “BHIM” (Bharat Interface for Money) on 30 December 2016. It is intended to facilitate e- payments directly through banks and encourage cashless transactions and “BHIM” beamed a political message to the socially disadvantaged.
At a joint election rally in Uttar Pradesh Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India began his 30-minute speech by raising the slogan “JAI BHIM” and “ BHARAT MATA KI JAI” as Poll Cry slogans. Addressing the gathering of party workers Modi recalled Dr. Ambedkar as an economist and even went on to utter “Bahujan Hitay Bahujan Sukhay”.

MEANING OF “JAI BHIM”:

‘JAI’ means “Long Live!” and ‘BHIM’ refers to Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar. ‘JAI BHIM’ literally means “Long live the legacy and inspiration of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.”
“JAI BHIM” means
- Dignity, Pride, Humanity
- Revolution, Progress, Victory
- Liberty, Equality, Fraternity
- Wisdom, Compassion, Morality
- Faith, Inspiration, Chastity
- Gratitude, Enlightenment, Integrity
- Strength, Justice, Honesty
- Educate, Agitate, and Organise
The slogan “JAI BHIM” contextually means “Victory to Baba Saheb Ambedkar and Victory to Ambedkar’s ideals, ideology, and principles”. “Victory for BHIM” “Long live BHIM”.
The reason for using the "JAI BHIM” slogan is that the noble ideal of Dr. Ambedkar’s life, the indomitable spirit which enabled the greatest humanitarian to work for the human society to build the nation on the edifice based on Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, and Social Justice for all.
Whatever might be the meaning and interpretations of the slogan- “JAI BHiM” in terms of researchers and others, it is to be noted that “JAI BHIM” is not only the phrase which is used for greeting but it also gives inspiration to all those people who have been humiliated for years and all those who believe in revolutions and it is a beacon of hope for the oppressed and marginalized.
Proud to say “JAI BHIM"...
---
Educationalist and Social Activist. Daskapilendra2012@gmail.com.

Comments

PPP said…
It's really good blog and relatable from today's condition.

TRENDING

Green Revolution’s reliance on chemical fertilizers, pesticides contributing to Punjab's health crisis

By Bharat Dogra, Jagmohan Singh*  Punjab was once synonymous with robust health, particularly in its rural areas, where farmers were known for their strength and vitality. However, in recent years, reports from these villages tell a different story, with rising cases of serious health issues, including cancer. What led to this decline? The answer lies largely in the erosion of good nutrition, once a hallmark of Punjabi village life. The health of a population is closely tied to its nutrition, and Punjab's reputation as a provider of high-quality nutrition has suffered greatly. The loss of biodiversity in agriculture has led to a decrease in the variety and quality of crops, resulting in poorer nutrition. Pulses, a key source of protein, have seen a steep decline in cultivation due to the disruption of traditional farming practices by the Green Revolution. This has had a detrimental effect on both soil and human health. Although pulses are still available in the market, they are exp

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Will Left victory in Sri Lanka deliver economic sovereignty plan, go beyond 'tired' IMF agenda?

By Atul Chandra, Vijay Prashad*  On September 22, 2024, the Sri Lankan election authority announced that Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) alliance won the presidential election. Dissanayake, who has been the leader of the left-wing JVP since 2014, defeated 37 other candidates, including the incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe of the United National Party (UNP) and his closest challenger Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya. 

Bid to isolate India globally 'to drive it even closer' to long-time ally, Russia

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  The relationship between India and Canada has plunged to unprecedented lows, with both governments seemingly exploiting the situation for their domestic political gains. Canada has long been home to several anti-India elements, with little action taken against them. When Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated on October 31, 1984, some of these secessionist groups openly celebrated and issued further threats, particularly from Canada and Britain.  While Britain eventually acted to contain such elements in the interest of maintaining ties with India, Canada did not. Over the years, India has sought the extradition of 23 criminals residing in Canada, but the Canadian government has mostly dismissed these requests, claiming these individuals have no criminal records in their country.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah  The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Will Bangladesh go Egypt way, where military ruler is in power for a decade?

By Vijay Prashad*  The day after former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka, I was on the phone with a friend who had spent some time on the streets that day. He told me about the atmosphere in Dhaka, how people with little previous political experience had joined in the large protests alongside the students—who seemed to be leading the agitation. I asked him about the political infrastructure of the students and about their political orientation. He said that the protests seemed well-organized and that the students had escalated their demands from an end to certain quotas for government jobs to an end to the government of Sheikh Hasina. Even hours before she left the country, it did not seem that this would be the outcome.

Influence of mining corporations on policy makers 'leading to' erosion of democracy in Odisha

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  Odisha is rich in high-quality natural resources, including iron, bauxite, chromite, and manganese ore, as well as a variety of other valuable minerals like coal, limestone, dolomite, tin, nickel, vanadium, lead, graphite, gold, and gemstones. This resource-laden state is responsible for 57% of India’s iron ore production, hosting over 60 operational mines and more than 150 square kilometers under exploration for further mineral deposits. 

How pseudo-liberals 'went wrong' in judging DY Chandrachud as Chief Justice India

By Shamsul Islam*  DY Chandrachud took charge as Chief Justice of the Indian Supreme Court (SC) on November 09, 2022. On this occasion many of the pseudo-liberals who claimed to be defenders of the democratic-secular polity of India manifested great happiness. They declared that the time of SC being an appendage of the RSS-BJP government headed by PM Modi was over as Justice Chandrachud was a liberal judge committed to the democratic-secular polity of India. 

NHRC failing to 'effectively address' human rights violations: NGO groups tell UN-linked body

By Rajiv Shah  In a joint submission to the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions' (GANHRI's) Sub Committee on Accreditation (SCA), two civil society groups -- All India Network of NGOs and Individuals working with National and State Human Rights Institutions (AiNNI) and Asian NGO Network on National Human Rights Institutions (ANNI) --  have said that the  National Human Rights Commission's (NHRC's) accreditation, deferred in  2016, 2023, and 2024, fails to find space on its website.