Describing late Congress leader Jagjivan Ram's life as a "modern epic", Human Resources Development Minister Kapil Sibal has said he fought battles on his own merit and helped others overcome challenges.
Sibal released a biography on Jagjivan Ram, written by eminent Hindi writer Dr Mangal Murthy in New Delhi on Monday. The book's first copy was presented to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, the late Congress leader's daughter.
Paying glowing tributes to Babuji, Sibal said that he was a man of extraordinary talent.
"It is a great privilege for me to release the book on an illustrious personality like Jagjivan Ram. I must thank Rajendra Prasad Trust for giving me the opportunity," Sibal said.
Sibal said, "Though I had never met Babuji in person, but I always kept abreast with the developments in his life. He was clearly a man beyond politics. Babuji put the nation before himself and said the nation's progress is my progress and the nation's emancipation is my emancipation."
Recalling her father's love for languages, Meira Kumar said that while addressing her, her father would speak only in Bhojpuri.
"Babuji had enormous respect for the languages and said that if you are working in Hindi you should have complete command over the language and the same is true for other languages as well, including English."
"I sometimes wonder how did my father did manage such command over English when he had been educated only in village or town schools and did not have the convent education. But that is what Babuji is all about," she said amidst thunderous applause from the audience.
The Speaker said though it was too late, Babuji learnt Bengali to enjoy the book 'Anandmath'.
"He believed that unless the book is read in the language it is written, one cannot enjoy the book," she said.
Published by Anamika Publishers, the book is priced at Rs 450.
