Ram Kishore Shukla

Pandit Ram Kishore Shukla (Pronounced राम किशोर शुक्ल) (September 4, 1923 - December 11, 2003) was an Indian politician and a former activist for Indian independence. He was a pre-eminent political and ideological leader of his region during the Indian independence movement and even after that for more than half of a century(1951–2003). Ram Kishore Shukla represented  the Indian National Congress as an M.L.A in the Legislative Assembly of the state of Madhya Pradesh from Beohari constituency,     where he served as Speaker, Deputy Speaker, whereas  as a part of Cabinet he served as Minister Of Finance, Minister Of Separate Revenue, Minister Of Law & Legislative, Minister Of Excise, Minister Of Parliamentary Affairs in Government Of Madhya Pradesh to Government Of India. Arts graduate in political science thereafter did earn a bachelors degree in law. Presided more than five house committees of Legislative Assembly of Madhya Pradesh, in many five year plans. First to express his views to start live telecast of meetings of Parliament of India & Legislative Assemblies of India on Doordarshan in Commonwealth Parliamentary Association convention in England. During his tenure as Cabinet Minister for Law he started Lok Adalat sittings in Madhya Pradesh (first amongst other Indian states & union territories) & thereafter received personal appreciations from Hon'ble Prafullachandra Natwarlal Bhagwati then Chief Justice of India for the same. Visited England, Japan, United States of America, Kenya(various other republics of Africa) Italy, Germany, Soviet Union, Isle of Man etc. to participate in Commonwealth Parliamentary association & many other similar conventions. Awarded several times for his constitutional and societal reforms.

Early life and education
Ram Kishore Shukla      was born as eldest son to his father Ram sundar Shukla who was a patwari and mother Budhhi Shukla a housewife. Since, his family was an agriculture based family, there were no such conditions which could be understood as favorable for his studies, still completed his education anyhow on his will. He was brilliant student who always found a position in first class and proven himself several times in his primary education only when he was awarded free-ship and scholarship eruditely 1942 for his high school examination result. Later he was forced by the bad economical condition of his family to official full time work, as he was the eldest son in the family. Two years afterwards got an scholarship from rewa state and did B.A.(Political Science) thereafter got appointed as a teacher in martand higher secondary school, rewa. Immediately after this he took admission in law college to complete his L.L.B. and started practicing in 1950. Collegiate education mark sheets were also full of distinctionary and meritorious figures.

Freedom Fight
Pandit Ji even after descended from farming ancestors from the beginning only kept a radical view against Britishers. Although, he was always willing to be a part of moves of congress against the Feudalistic English government, he found his thought process very compatible to philosophy of Socialism on backdrop of Russian Revolution when he caught his conscience, so only he stood and won very first election of 1951 under the banner of Socialist party. He had entirely indulged himself in Quit India Movement (भारत छोड़ो आन्दोलन) on Gandhi Ji's call for immediate independence with passive resistance. He also attended the mass meeting held at Gowalia Tank Maidan in Bombay, where Do or Die was coined by Gandhi Ji. He held a firm grip in all passive protests in his region until the date of independence. He played a pivotal role to guide people of his region who were refugees residing in then formed Pakistan and were ordered to move here after partition for their rehabilitation and how to correspond with temporary form of government in his region.

Early Days
His political journey starts when first time he kept his foot in student politics and chosen secretary for student union, later President of Law society. In between then during his studies in college he organised a play Dumb Court (मूकअदालत) and received appreciation for the same that was the moment when he realized to become lawyer which he did in not too distant future. He became an influential, successful and popular lawyer in not only his region but far surroundings, because these qualities only he succeeded in the elections of early '50s at first. He was a keen observer of Cooperative movement in India that is why after freedom he was elected as president of rural cooperative committee of Beohari, marketing co-operative committee, central co-operative banks of Shahdol district.

Vindhya Pradesh
Panchayats were first of all setup and elections were held for the same in then Vindhya Pradesh in 1950, in these elections he was elected as first president of gram panchayat and sarpanch for nyaya panchayat. He was initially an exponent of Socialism, often counted in the establishment of Socialist Party in his region, he won beohari constituency seat in the very first general elections of Vindhya Pradesh in 1951 from socialist party only, although Indian National Congress was in majority, he was one of the few who were in Legislative Assembly of Vindhya Pradesh from Socialist Party.

Madhya Pradesh
The undivided Madhya Pradesh was founded on 1 November 1956 he won 1957 general elections as an independent candidate. Although, on call of First Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru that all people of socialist cerebration should join Indian National Congress for effective establishment of socialistic society he joined congress party and continued his winning saga in general elections of 1962, 1967, 1980, 1985 and 1993, he remained representative of his region for a total of seven times. He was known to be a sharp speaker and prime apprehender of parliamentary system. He presided more than five house committees of vidhansabha for long tenure.

Speaker-ship and Ministerial Tenure
He served as a deputy speaker of the assembly for two times in 1968-1972 and 1980-1984. After the resignation of Yagya Datt Sharma who was speaker then, he took charge of executing Speaker and represented in Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conventions of Kenya, Italy, Germany and other African republics in and after September 1983. In march 1984 he took charge of Speaker officially, then again was called to represent in Common Wealth Parliamentary Association conventions of Isle Of Man and in England, United States, Japan like countries. He was the first person to express his views to start live telecast of meetings of Parliament of India & Legislative Assemblies of Indian states on doordarshan in Commonwealth Parliamentary Association convention in England, so that the peoples of the constituencies can see the official workings of assemblies and Parliament and representatives will also take care of their performance before them. Since he was a part of panel of chairman from along time he never found that difficult to proceed the meetings as Speaker. In spite of at times when did not represented his constituency he presided more than five house committees of Legislative Assembly of Madhya Pradesh, in many several five year plans, whereas during his seven time spell as an M.L.A      some of departments held by him as a cabinet minister were, Minister Of Finance, Minister Of Separate Revenue, Minister Of Law & Legislative, and Minister Of Parliamentary Affairs. He was known to be an efficient Finance Minister.

Public Image and Interests
Panditji was always known to be down to earth leader and person generally had been found in Dhoti Kurta (धोती कुर्ता) and a rubber slippers in feet. people not only from his constituency but far away also interacted him regularly and he always treated them regardless of time and place. His main emphasis was always towards peasants and farmers of rural areas and awareness of political cognizance in them as he himself was farmer's son. He believed only widespread expansion and campaigning of education could strengthen the country. He had been a member of secondary education board and court of sagar university in early days. Also had been deputy president of directorial board of Shahdol law college and Executing president of directing committee of Arts and Commerce college Beohari. Panditji always had been dedicated towards the multidimensional development of his constituency, he kept a keen interest in cultural and literature programmes was conservator of martand club, nehru bal mandir, udghosh kreeda evam sahitya parishad and president of Gandhi smarak samiti beohari. He worked with deep dedication for Beohari, Railway line, Bansagar Dam like many big and small irrigation projects, several government primary hospitals, ayurvvedic medication centres, many higher secondary and primary schools, establishment of Arts & Commerce college in beohari which was later named after him and A.D.J court building are his works for his region which did in no time. Wherever and whichever office he held he did his part with deep dedication and introduced his intellectual capability and abilities at same time all the way present with them who move ahead with creative ideas then and by his works today also. Vikas yatra katha (विकास यात्रा कथा) a magazine published by Congress committee Beohari is altruistic mirror of his services. The text cannot be ended here for more accomplishments any one can read thesis works which have been done by numerous pupils on his works for their Ph.Ds then and now also.

Personal Life and Family
Pandit Ram Kishore Shukla was married to a farmer's daughter Kalavati Shukla in 1944, he left behind him five sons and two daughters. Among which Santosh Kumar Shukla is known as his political successor of Congress party and others are officers in various State/Central cadres, like Vindhyeshwari Prasad Shukla who is Deputy Secretary of Legislative Assembly of Madhya Pradesh, Vinod Shukla is Assistant Commissioner in Bhopal Municipal Corporation, his daughter in law Urmila Surendra Shukla has been a notable additional district magistrate of Bhopal and deputy secretary of Government of Madhya Pradesh is nowadays Deputy Commissioner of Bhopal and has been nominated to become a conferee of Indian Administrative Service, his first daughter Kavita Shukla who is married to the first son of Bhagwan Datt Sharma is a high-school principal nowadays in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh other one is a house wife. His personal belongings, possessions and Awards can still be observed at Kishore Kala Mandir which is private residence of the family. According to the poetic lines from a poem on him -