Jamnalal Bajaj, the Father

Late Sh Jamna Lal Bajaj was accepted by Mahatma Gandhi as his fifth son. Like most marwari seths of his time, he was thoroughly cultivated in Indian value system. Other than routine business, he found time to make marital matches and also for social gatherings. Jamna Lal Bajaj frequently visited Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram for his advice. He liberally donated money for Indian Freedom movement.
Kamal Nayan Bajaj was his eldest son, most uninterested in studies. This worried Jamna Lal sometimes because son’s failure in the exam might cause a dent to his personal reputation. What impressed me most about this man, that he was a very wise father.

He did not force Kamal to study. Rather he attached lot of value to his son’s independent opinion, often contrary to his own. Kamal was spendthrift and believed in material luxuries. Sometimes he refused to accompany the family to Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram. Father still honoured his opinion.

Such type of handling made all the difference. Indian families in his times had strong paternal control. A disagreement from father was almost impossible to think. Kamal became most enterprising of all his sons.

This is a good lesson to all the fathers who try to impose their ideas on children. This practice invariably backfires. You end up loosing your child. Children have their own ideas and if any help is possible, that is only through trying to understand their point of view. I know many children who hate their fathers for the raw treatment given to them in their childhood.

We don’t need dye cast kids. We must grow responsible citizens guarding their identity.