Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday credited former Deputy Prime Minister “Tau” Devi Lal for shaping his political journey, recalling how the veteran leader encouraged him to transition from being a lawyer to a political leader.
“I was not his relative… I remember the day when I saw him for the first time. When he asked me to contest the election, I replied that I was a pleader. He said to remove the ‘P’ and become a leader,” said Dhankhar, who practiced as a senior advocate before assuming the role of West Bengal Governor in July 2019.
Speaking at a convocation ceremony at Mata Harki Devi Educational Institute in Odhan village, Sirsa district, Dhankhar also visited Jan Nayak Chaudhary Devi Lal Vidyapeeth (JCD) in Sirsa. He described Devi Lal as not just an individual but a visionary whose ideas gave a historic direction to Indian politics.
“His thinking and philosophy were dedicated to the villages, the poor and the farmers.”
Reflecting on his political journey, Dhankhar stated, “My political education, political initiation and philosophy have come from Chaudhary Devi Lal… Coming here is like a pilgrimage for me. The institution in the memory of Chaudhary Devi Lal’s wife has a deep significance for me.”
He further emphasized the late leader’s influence on his career, saying, “Whichever post I served — a Union minister, West Bengal governor and today the Vice-President of India — behind all these there has been a complete contribution, not just contribution, of Chaudhary Devi Lal ji.”
Devi Lal, then Haryana’s Chief Minister, had supported Dhankhar’s candidacy when the Janata Dal fielded him from the Jhunjhunu parliamentary constituency in Rajasthan in 1989. Dhankhar won and served as Minister of State (Parliamentary Affairs) in the V P Singh government, while Devi Lal became the Deputy Prime Minister.
Recalling Dhankhar’s loyalty to Devi Lal, the veteran leader’s son, former Haryana minister Ranjit Singh Chautala, had earlier shared, “Following their differences, V P Singh had dismissed Devi Lal in 1990. Then, Dhankhar was the only minister who resigned from the Union Cabinet and stood by Chaudhary Devi Lal. It impressed Chaudhary Devi Lal, who called Dhankhar a man of commitment.”
Later, when Chandrashekhar formed a minority government, Devi Lal once again assumed the role of Deputy Prime Minister, with Dhankhar serving as a minister.
Dhankhar expressed his continued admiration for Devi Lal’s philosophy, saying, “When there is a doubt in my life… I tilt completely towards the philosophy of Chaudhary Devi Lal, keeping the interests of the farmer and village at the top of all.”
Discussing India’s progress, the Vice-President told students, “No nation in the world has grown as fast with such a big leap as Bharat in the last decade.”
He cited data showcasing India’s technological and economic advancements: “The per capita internet consumption in Bharat is more than that of China and the US taken together. If we go about our digital transactions, the digital transactions are four times the combined transactions of the US, the UK, France and Germany.”
Referring to India’s economic rise, he said, “If you examine our economy, which was very fragile a decade ago… You are lucky to be living in times when Bharat is dotted with hope and possibility. There is an ecosystem in place of affirmative government policies, hand-holding policies that allow you full legroom to exploit your talent and potential and realize your ambitions and aspirations.”
Addressing the students, Dhankhar encouraged them to pursue their dreams fearlessly. He advised them not to let others dictate their choices and to embrace failures as learning experiences. “An occasional failure only improves you,” he said, adding, “Many of the greatest accomplishments in history have never succeeded in the first attempt.”
Before concluding, Dhankhar extended an invitation to the students to visit Parliament, saying he would be pleased if they attended the upcoming session.