Lakshmi Chand Jain Biography 
Lakshmi Chand Jain was a Gandhian activist and social worker who participated in freedom struggle movement. He was a writer too. His wife Devaki Jain is an Indian economist and writer, who has worked mainly in the field of feminist economics. Lakshmi Chand Jain was a diplomat who held many administrative positions such as Indian High commissioner to South Africa. He was a member of the Planning Commission and World Commission on Dams, and many other elite positions. He was awarded the 1989 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service, and government of India posthumously honoured him with Padma Vibhushan in 2011. But as he was against the concept to receive such honours, his family declined it.
Lakshmi Chand Jain was born on 13 December 1925 in Bahadurpur, Rajasthan. As a youth he participated in Quit India movement, and was fully active in freedom struggle movement till independence. During partition, he was given the charge of the refugee camp at Kingsway Camp in North Delhi. During that time he began cooperative societies for farming and cottage industries in rehabilitation camps. He later helped Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay to organise the Indian Cooperative Union.
He applied modern marketing techniques to promote handicrafts sales abroad. He was known to be a pioneer in this field. Known for his progressive thinking and development of rural areas, he closely worked with several development agencies as well as government committees and boards. He also helped set up the Central Cottage Industries Emporium and Super Bazaar cooperative stores. Thus he gave some amazing contributions towards the field of cotton industries and handicrafts, post-independence. He was serving as Indian High Commissioner to South Africa, while India conducted nuclear tests in Pokhran. He opposed the move. He passed away in New Delhi on 14 November 2010.
Published: October 30, 2018
Updated: October 30, 2018
