THE ASIAN INDEPENDENT UK
Bal Ram Sampla
Geopolitics
“Jai Bhim” is one of the most powerful slogans in Indian history. It means “Victory to Bhim”, where “Bhim” refers to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar — the great social reformer, jurist, and architect of the Indian Constitution.
Today, this slogan is used as both a greeting and a symbol of dignity, resistance, and hope for millions of Dalits and marginalized communities across India.
The slogan was coined in 1935 by a young Dalit leader named Babu Hardas L.N. (Laxman Nagarale). He was a close confidant of Dr. Ambedkar and served as General Secretary of the Scheduled Castes Federation.
At the time, Dalits used common greetings like “Ram Ram” or “Namaskar,” which were rooted in Hindu tradition. Hardas felt that Dalits needed their own unique salutation — one that expressed self-respect, brotherhood, and loyalty to Ambedkar’s vision of equality. Inspired by the Muslim greeting “Salaam Alaikum,” he conceived “Jai Bhim.” Initially, the response was meant to be “Bal Bhim,” but over time both sides settled on simply saying “Jai Bhim” to each other. He spread this greeting through the workers of the “Bhim Vijay Sangh.”
Sadly, Hardas died at the young age of 35 in 1939, but the slogan he gave lived on. In 1938, activist Bhausaheb More had already begun encouraging people at a meeting in Makranpur, Aurangabad, to adopt “Jai Bhim” as their common greeting. Then, in 1946, Dalit poet Bihari Lal Harit proclaimed “Jai Bhim” for the first time in the presence of Dr. Ambedkar himself, through a poem at Gandhi Ground in Delhi, making it an even more historic moment.
After Dr. Ambedkar’s death in 1956, the slogan gained even greater momentum. It became a rallying cry for Dalit political parties, movements like the Dalit Panthers. Over time, “Jai Bhim” transcended caste boundaries and became a universal call for constitutional rights and social justice.
Today, “Jai Bhim” is far more than a greeting. It is a cultural identity, a political statement, and a beacon of hope for all those who believe in the values of equality, dignity, and justice that Dr. Ambedkar stood for.
References
1.https://theprint.in/opinion/jai-bhim-jai-samvidhan-slogans-that-non-dalits-wouldnt-touch-have-now-entered-parliament/2154662/
2.https://www.ambedkaritetoday.com/2019/04/origin-and-history-of-jai-bhim-slogan.html
3.https://en.themooknayak.com/dalit-news/jai-bhim-coined-by-hardas-ambedkars-confidante-surpasses-inquilab-zindabad-and-lal-salaam
4.https://www.deccanherald.com/india/maharashtra/jai-bhim-slogan-that-energised-dalits-was-first-given-at-this-central-maharashtra-village-3821835
5.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jai_Bhim
