Jagdish Chandra Jain

Jagdish Chandra Jain (20 January 1909 – 28 July 1993) was a scholar, indologist, educationist, writer, and freedom fighter during the freedom struggle of India. He authored over 80 books on a variety of subjects, including Jain philosophy, Prakrit literature, and Hindi textbooks for children. Jain was the chief prosecution witness in Gandhi's murder trial. He repeatedly tried to warn the government of the conspiracy to assassinate Mahatma Gandhi, which became to known to him after Madan Lal Pahwa, a Punjabi refugee and one of the conspirators of the murder of Mahatma Gandhi, confided to him of their plan. Jain's attempts to warn the government met deaf ears. He recounted his personal experiences in two books: I Could Not Save Bapu and The Forgotten Mahatma. He died from cardiac arrest in July 1993 in Bombay at the age of 84.

Early childhood Jagdish Chandra Jain was born in 1909 in a village called Basera situated in the Doab region of western Uttar Pradesh, about 12 miles from Muzaffarnagar. He belonged to an educated Jain family. His father, Sri Kanjimal Jain, owned a small shop selling the traditional Unani medicine. Jagdish Chandra was the youngest of the two brothers. His one brother and sister died at a young age.

In 1911, when Jagdish Chandra was two-and-a-half years old, disaster struck when his father died, a victim of the plague, leaving his mother as sole care-taker of the two boys. After a few stormy years, his elder brother, Gulshanrai, who lost one of his eyes due to smallpox, began to look after the family. At the age of six, Jagdish Chandra was sent to the village Pathashala (school), where he attended primary school. It was a very small school where Muslim students also read. At the age of nine, he completed his studies in Pathashala, after which his elder brother admitted him to a gurukula. The rigorous discipline of the ashram life left a tangible impact on his subsequent life. was known to him. The man was grateful to Prof. Jain because the latter had helped him secure occupation. Once in a weak moment, Madanlal told Prof. Jain that they were planning to assassinate the Mahatma. At once, Prof. Jain informed the Chief Minister and the Home Minister of Bombay of this conspiracy and suggested that proper security measures be taken. However, the government did not take up the matter seriously and Morarji Desai, who was then the Home Minister of Bombay, rudely shouted saying, “In that case, you are the conspirator and I will arrest you.” On 20 January 1948 Madanlal blasted a bomb during the prayer meeting of Mahatma Gandhi at the Birla House, Delhi. The attempt failed and Madanlal was arrested. Prof. Jain repeatedly urged the government to give him a chance to interrogate Madanlal since he was confident that he would be able to persuade Madanlal to give up the names of the other conspirators and disclose the nature of the conspiracy. But the government remained stout and the assassination of Mahatma took place ten days later. Subsequently, Jain appeared in the Gandhi murder trial at the Red Fort in Delhi as the chief prosecution witness on behalf of the government of India. He exposed the callousness

Government issued stamp In July 1993, Jain died from cardiac arrest in Bombay (Mumbai). To pay tribute, the government of India released a commemorative postal stamp in his memory. The Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC) also named the street of his residence after his name.

Books authored Jain wrote over 80 books on a variety of subjects, including Jainism, Prakrit literature. Some of his books have been used in various Indian universities. He has also contributed numerous research articles in Hindi and English magazines and journals. Jambusvāmicarita in Sanskrit, edited from manuscript. 1936. Shrīmad Rājacandra. 1937. (Revised edition: Shrimad Rājachandra Bhaktaratna, 1967). Mahāvīra Vardhamāna. 1945, 68 pp. Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries; an administrative, economic, social, and geographical survey of ancient India based on the Jain canons. 1947, 420 pp. The Forgotten Mahatma. 1987. Jain's account as a prosecution witness of the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi by Nathuram Vinayak Godse, and the trial; includes his views on Gandhi's role in India's independence, and the relevance of his philosophy today. I Could Not Save Bapu. 1949, 241 pp. Amidst the Chinese people. 1955, 152 pp. The Murder of Mahatma Gandhi: prelude and aftermath. 1961, 175 pp. Do hazāra varsha purānī kahāniyām̐. 1965, 188 pp. Prācīna Bhārata kī śreshṭha kahāniyām̐. 1970, 140 pp. Prākr̥ta Jaina kathā sāhitya. 1971, 196 pp. The Gift of Love and other Ancient Indian Tales about Women. 1976, 99 pp. Prakrit Narrative Literature: origin and growth. 1981, 240 pp. Women in Ancient Indian Tales. 1981, 110 pp. Life in Ancient India as Depicted in Jaina Canon and Commentaries (6th Century B.C. to 17th Century A.D.) . 1984, 531 pp. Prākr̥ta sāhitya kā itihāsa, Īsavī san ke pūrva pāncāvīṃ śatābdī se Īsavī san kī aṭhārahavīṃ śatābdī taka. 1985, 690 pp. History and Development of Prakrit Literature. 2004, 520 pp.