My Life's Journey- An Autobiography

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

The IMC Ladies' Wing Rural Entrepreneur of T the Year award was instituted in honour of my grandmother, Jankidevi Bajaj, in 1992. Since then, the idea for a translation of this book had been brewing in my sister-in-law Kiran Bajaj's mind. After all, Jankidevi was one of India's first rural and social women entrepreneurs. While sifting through the pages of history, Kiran was delighted to find nuggets of information and anecdotes about Dadiji, which are so relevant today.

Here was a story about an inspiring and enterprising woman, who, without much formal education but with sheer grit, courage and commitment, went on to empower women in the first half of the 20th century. She gave up all her luxuries and chose to live a life of purpose; her agenda was simple: the betterment of the people of her country. Her story had to be told.

If Dadiji were alive today, she would have taught us a thing or two about living life to its fullest capacity; about steering clear of the current trends to be seen rather than understood. She would have scoffed at the race for recognition on social media and got us to focus on a simple formula for success-plenty of hard work and some sacrifice. She became the nation's role model by being bold, yet courteous; committed to her cause but connected to her people and influencing people by walking the talk.

I remember Dadiji as an affectionate, unassuming woman, who was always busy. Her activities ranged from something as mundane as managing a large kitchen in Wardha to delivering impassioned speeches to thousands in Mumbai (then Bombay) to awaken the spirit of patriotism. She was undoubtedly one of the biggest champions of conservation. There was not a single scrap of paper to be thrown away if it merited any future use! I can hear today's environmentalists say the same things Dadiji informally drilled into our minds more than 50 years ago!

Then you translate someone's life story from W their original language, the biggest challenge is to not lose the original emotions, to recreate the spontaneity of imagination, to capture the flow of storytelling, and in Jankidevi's case, represent her passion for life with sincerity. I was guided by the sheer simplicity of her style. There was no ambiguity or confusion about what Jankidevi Bajaj wanted from life and the sacrifices she made for her family and her nation. She did this with ease and immense strength of character. I hope the book reflects this. Jankidevi, who wrote as spontaneously as she felt, often broke into Marwari language in Meri Jeevan Yatra, her published autobiography in Hindi.

At times like these, I owe my gratitude to Kiran Bajaj, who came to my aid. Another person who contributed to my understanding of the milieu was Mukul Upadhyaya, with his wealth of knowledge about the role played by the Bajaj family in India's struggle for independence. He later helped establish the IMC Ladies' Wing Jankidevi Bajaj Puraskar for the Rural Woman Entrepreneur in 1993.

I must admit that it was hard to write as an onlooker and remain distant from the magnitude of the events and Jankidevi's actions. Some of India's key historic moments such as the Dandi March and Mahatma Gandhi's assassination jumped out of the pages. I easily became part of the group applauding speeches of our revolutionary freedom fighters and it was hard to lie down on the cold stone floor that was Jankidevi's bed in prison. I felt the silent courage of a mother as she raised her children to be not just good people, but great Indians. Most of all, I rejoiced with her when she nervously delivered her first speech, strove tirelessly to empower women and banished one social evil after another.

Chapter after chapter, I wrote on, led by Jankidevis's lovable charm, her inimitable zest for life and most of all, her love and respect for her people, her country, her husband Jamnalal Bajaj and her gurus, Mahatma Gandhi and Vinoba Bhave.

I could not refuse Jankidevi's request to write an I introduction for this book. I have been very close to Jamnalalji's entire family. The credit goes to Jamnalalji's extraordinary love for me.

Jankidevi has acquired all her knowledge through experience. She did not have much formal education and therefore, her story is told in a simple and uncomplicated language. It was narrated rather than written and hence it has the quality of a tale. I feel it will gain popularity and interest among family circles.

The child in Jankidevi has never left her. Which is why she never hesitates to speak her mind. Her speeches are effective entirely due to this reason. She reasoned that Jamnalalji wasn't keen on public speaking as he believed in 'do as you say'. He wasn't fond of using hyperbole. Jankidevi says she felt no such restriction.

Jankidevi's analysis of Jamnalalji as a person is very touching and real. Those who know him will appreciate her perspective. She was also fully aware that one had to do as one promised. Her plea for 108 wells to be donated is a good example.

An incident during the Bhoodan Yagna is not mentioned in this book and should be shared with readers. We were entering Bengal after completing our Bhoodan Yatra in Bihar. There was a huge crowd with many young men. I made way through the crowds by running through it, holding hands of these men. We left the older people behind. But this one 62-year-old woman was also running, not far behind. Jankidevi fell and badly bruised her knees, which ache to this day. She does not run anymore, she can barely walk. However, her mind is agile and insists on sprinting.

I pray to God Almighty that Jankidevi retains her childlike quality till the very end and we can all sense this simplicity.