Jaipur, April 15, 2025.
Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot followed a Socialist agenda in his last term unlike his predecessors.
This observation has been made by a centurion Socialist leader Pandit Ramkishan in his book released here today. The book titled “mein zinda hun: shatabdi ka sakshi – samajwad ka prahari ” says that the same Congress had rejected our Socialist schemes before Gehlot.
Gehlot could be among pioneers in north Indian states even before the Congress at national level could embrace such schemes. With the launch of the book Pandit Ramkishan is a claimant to a world record of the oldest man to launch his debut book in the 100th year.
The book was released by a three generation Socialist and renowned sociologist professor Anand Kumar who taught at Jawaharlal Nehru University. While releasing the book professor Kumar said, “It shocks geneartions after that of Panditji as to how he still fights for public causes, how he fought for Socialist values and programmes despite attempts to lure him to power and browbeat him through jail terms”.
Pandit Ramkishan is a 1942 Quit India fighter.
Pandit Ramkishan is already known to be a world record claimant to have his knees replaced through a robotic surgery at the age of 97.The five time legislator from Bharatpur in Rajasthan is also one of the oldest in the world to be active on the ground as a Socialist, environmental, water rights activist and artificial intelligence awareness champion. His campaigns are in rural areas.
Pandit Ramkishan is also credited to have demanded water from Chambal to Bharatpur which led to the state knowing it’s first national river water scheme in the name of Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) which will supply water to 21 districts and is estimated to cost rs 50,000 crore.
Pandit Ramkishan floated this idea in 2007 along with a blue print as to how much water could be harvested and from where. He still keeps on suggesting improvement in the scheme that is now known as Ram Link Jalsetu. This is also a kind of record that a national level water scheme of this level is partly on the ground in the lifetime of a person who first demanded such a water supply scheme.
Pandit Ramkishan was also the first registered member of the Congress Socialist Party pre-Independence in Bharatpur or maybe Rajasthan as the Uttar Pradesh unit of CSP that is now completing 90 years this year, initiated membership of Panditji. Probably there was no Rajasthan unit then.
Panditji also became the first president of the Socialist Party in Rajasthan in 1958.
Panditji has already been recognised as “Man of the Century of Socialist Movement” in 2023.
The book is also a first document on Socialist Movement in Rajasthan, it’s movers, desertrers, attempts to win them over and coerce them.
The book is an inspiration for political and social activists who want to contribute in different roles.
The book brings out panditji’s armed and peaceful freedom struggle, his jail terms fighting the toughest battle for freedom from the royal regime as Bharatpur was ruled by a popular king whose majority population was his castemen. Pandit ji was among the young freedom fighters in the Matsya State Prajamandal.
The book captures this journey and more. Another interesting part is the centurian leader has seen regimes of all chief ministers in Rajasthan and all elections.
