Ravi Kiran Jain, senior advocate in the Allahabad bench of the High Court, author and scholar apart from being a keen and vociferous defender of human rights passed away in the early hours of Monday, December 30 at the Nazareth hospital, Allahabad (Prayagraj). Ailing for some months, he had been admitted to the hospital when a bad viral fever coupled with a deteriorating kidney condition took a turn for the worse. He was 78 years old and survived by his wife and two daughters. News of his passing brought a representative section of Allahabad’s social and legal fraternity to his residence to pay respects. The cremation was held at 3 p.m., Monday. Surendra Rahi, Yash Malaviya, Vishwa Vijay, Seema Azad, KK Raisahab, Ashish Mittal, Anshu Malaviya, Avinash Mishra, Anil Ranjan Bhaumik, Utpala Shukla and Zafar Bakht were among those from Allahabad (Prayagraj) who expressed their grief at his passing.
Associated since 1977 with the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) —he was national president in the past– Ravi Kiran Jain was also an erudite legal scholar who wrote regularly for Communalism Combat and Sabrangindia. Committed to a Lohiaite ideology, Ravi Kiran Jain was straightforward, eschewing anyone addressing him as ‘Vakil Sahab’, preferring the direct use of his name, recalls Aflatoon Desai from Varanasi, a long-time associate and founder of the Samajwadi Jan Parishad who mourned the loss of a close associate. Stalwarts like Kishan Patnaik and Surendra Mohan found their home at Ravi Kiran Jain’s residence whenever they visited Allahabad.
In the battle to save Gandhi Vidya Sansthan (Gandhian Institute) in Rajghat, Varanasi –that was cruelly bull-dozed by the orders of the union and state governments’ double engine sarkar in 2023—in court or as an advisor, Ravi Kiran Jain stood by the institute and its employees and stake holders. Jai Prakash Narain had established the Gandhi Vidya Sansthan. Recalling his words, Dr Muniza Khan, former Registrar, who valiantly fought to save the Gandhi Vidya Sansthan after authoritarian forces eyed its violent takeover since 2008, recalls, “I remember his words when he said this government is targeting a rare and extensive library in Uttar Pradeh’s Purvanchal region. Libraries such as these are the sites for reflection and writing, like how and when E.F. Schumacher wrote Small is Beautiful seated in a library like this.” Aware of the crude and brute targeting of the institute by the government– shutting it down without payment of dues to its employees—Jain gave freely of his talent and advocacy in the battle led by erstwhile employees, recalls Khan. “All those associated with the Institute remember him fondly with respect and salute him at his passing,” she told Sabrangindia.
Teesta Setalvad, secretary of Citizens for Justice and Peace paid this tribute on X:
हम सबके रहनुमा रविकिरण जैन साहब
नहीं रहे Iजैन साहब जिंदाबाद Iअभी कुछ देर पहले नाज़रेथ अस्पताल में उन्होंने अंतिम सांस ली I Indian #HumanRights
Movement hs lost a Mentor, Scholar,Advocate:Ravi Kiran Jain Sahab,Allahabad!Saluts Sir!Rest in Power! @cjpindia #Constitution@PUCLindia pic.twitter.com/uo9beSRLm6— Teesta Setalvad (@TeestaSetalvad) December 30, 2024
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Senior Advocate and PUCL National President Ravi Kiran Jain writes open letter to the Bar