GROWING UP WITH Dr. AMBEDKAR
Kamal and NG Uke
A book by Varsha Uke Nagpal
There are two reasons why it took me such a long time to go through this book. The first was due to unavoidable personal inconveniences and the second and more important reason was that as I started reading the book it took me some time to wade through the labyrinth of characters and make connections to integrate myself with the flow. In the process I was astonished at the minute details etched out whether it be of the individual characters or the places involved. I would term this work of Varsha as a labour of love delving deep into understanding her roots. I myself have tried to do that but found the process tedious and found myself lost in making connections and so it lies incomplete. That is where Varsha’s attempt to go back nearly a hundred years and stitch together in a cohesive manner the biography of her parents - Kamal and NG Uke. and the relationship they enjoyed with Dr. Ambedkar.
I have a question for Varsha -
What was her motivation to attempt such a work? At some point in our lives there comes an yearning in us to understand where we came from and and authenticate our identity. Motivation is one thing and sustaining that urge requires a commitment. Most of us give up midway through the process. That is where Varsha stands out. I am astounded at the extent of commitment and perseverance she has displayed in completing what she started. I am sure that it must have taken her number of years to compile the data especially the family tree, not in any sense an easy job, for after completing the book you get a feeling that she has lived through the entire period of her forefathers lives as an observer to every single event. The description is so authentic that though the number of people who inhabit the book is large, as you read they come alive in front of you. This requires a high degree of sensitivity and kudos to Varsha for having been true in her narration without melodrama or exaggeration.
It would be necessary for me to quote the very first paragraph of Chapter 1 BEGINNING -
‘It was a fine morning, just like any other morning when the sun rises from the east in all its majesty. The sky turned pink, then a shade of orange, and then with a golden glow, suddenly a ball emerged from the horizon and announced to the whole world that another day had just begun. The birds chirped all around and having plenty of time to myself, I decided to embark on a leisurely journeyto the place where I belong- Kurud’
A perfect beginning, lyrical and and the intent made clear. I presume that it took her three to four years chronicling not only the lives of her ancestors but travelling to the places where her parents, grandparents and other relations lived. She describes Kurud as a very tiny village located in the Naxalite infested district of Gadchiroli in Maharashtra.
In fact the story starts nearly 275 years ago around the year 1740 CE when one of her ancestors Kaho and two of his brothers left Kondha Kosara village of Bhandhara district and moved southwards in search of employment. They travelled along the Wainganga river. That is how Kaho and his brothers reached a dwelling area named Kurud. While both his brothers moved on, Kaho decided to settle down at Kurud. And that is where our story starts.
It was Gomaji her grandfather who grew up to be a nonconformist, with an inquisitive nature and a questioning attitude, traits he seem to have passed on his third son Narayan. While it is not my intention to trace the life of Narayan here, there is enough information in the book to help one to travel along with him and admire his sheer persistence, hard work, and support from the family, Narayan was able to a secure a scholarship from the British Government to go to London for higher studies, a rare privilege for a boy from a Primary school in Kurud. In fact in the Preface to the book Varsha describes her father Narayan as a staunch atheist and would discuss the existence of God.
While much is written about Narayan and his family and like I said earlier, one tends to get lost in the slew of characters, I have found many portions of the book fascinating, especially Narayan’s journey to London by ship, his life in London and the life changing meetings with Dr. Ambedkar.
Chapter 13th of the book details the journey of Narayan to London. It is Varsha’s master stroke to reproduce the notes in the Blue Diary maintained by her father. This pushes the reader to experience the travel of 15 days to London along with Narayan. Each day during the journey has been chronicled in detail. All the 14 days 0f the journey in fact reads like a Captains log. The description of the journey is a highpoint in the book, for as you read you feel you are also on that ship ‘
It is the Blue Diary that meticulously chronicles the life led by Narayan in London, the people he met, the friends he made. And it is this diary that introduces us to Dr. Ambedkar.
In the the chapter ‘Musings of a Young Heart’ Narayan gives us a glimpse of the emotions while leaving after having spent his first summer vacation in the UK and where he had formed close friends and relationships and experiencing the pain of separation. He writes ‘All memorable things in this world end soon. They are a matter of some moments and seconds only. What is life? Nothing but a bubble of air in water, As to when it will finish no one knows’. This chapter brings out the sentimental and empathetic side of Narayan.
But perhaps the most important portion in the book are the meetings he had with Dr. Ambedkar and coming under his tutelage. His views on life and and politics being shaped by him.
For me and to a vast majority of us, we have known Dr. B.R. Ambedkar as the chief architect of the Constitution of India, a visionary leader who championed social justice, equality, and human rights, especially for India's marginalized communities (Dalits). He served as India's first Law Minister, fought against untouchability, advocated for women's rights, and led mass conversions to Buddhism, leaving a profound legacy as a jurist, economist, social reformer. But it is through this book one gets a peek into the person Babasaheb was through Narayan’s Diary.
The second part of the book details the life of Kamal Uke, the author’s mother. In the Preface to the book Varsha says that her parents were as different as chalk and cheese with respect to their background. Narayan was from a remote tiny village while Kamal was born in the urban city of Nagpur. Whereas Narayan was a staunch atheist, Kamal believed in one superstition. So it is of interest to note that their union was brought about by Dr. Ambedkar who was close to both the families.
Varsha’s book not only tells the story of her parents but covers the entire Uke and Meshram family. It is a book that covers not only their lives but also the political, social and cultural history of those times. Written in a simple and structured narrative, the book motivates the reader to go in search of one’s own roots and understand the great achievements and sacrifices of their ancestors. Summing up it is a classic work of genealogy.
