Today, October 11, is the birth anniversary of Jayaprakash Narayan, who shook the Indira Gandhi government. He was an Indian freedom fighter and politician. He is known for leading the opposition against Indira Gandhi in 1970. To remove Indira Gandhi from the post, he launched a movement called ‘Complete Revolution’. He is also known as ‘Loknayak’. In 1999, he was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna. In such a situation, let us know why he stayed away from politics? On the occasion of his birthday, read the stories of JP’s struggle and sacrificial life.
This was a movement of complete revolution. The slogan was for system change and it was JP’s leadership. A crowd of students and youth were behind him. Bihar was the laboratory of this movement. Soon the flames spread to the rest of the country and then emergency. 1977 elections. The scattered opposition bowed before JP’s aura and moral authority and the Janata Party was formed. Got power at the Center, but within a few months JP was saying that this government is also on the path of Congress. The party disintegrated and the government fell, but holding the fingers of JP and riding on the shoulders of the old man, a group of youth got entry from the Parliament to the Legislative Assemblies.
Nitish and Lalu came out of JP movement
The students and youth of Bihar were at the forefront of the movement. He also got maximum political benefits. Many famous names of Bihar politics including Lalu, Nitish are products of JP movement. This time, election dates in Bihar have been announced before JP’s birthday. While Nitish is making every effort to regain power, ailing Lalu is making a comeback through his son Tejashwi.
On the other hand, JP’s other favorite Ram Vilas Paswan is no more, but his son Chirag is fighting for more seats in the NDA alliance. Amidst the caste manipulation, rain of promises to woo voters and mutual accusations, there is no mention of that JP, from whom many famous faces of Bihar politics climbed the ladder of progress with the promise of changing the system.
Appeal to sick JP to take charge of the movement
The student movement that started from Gujarat had reached Bihar. On March 18, 1974, students staged a protest in front of Vidhan Bhavan in Patna in support of their 12-point demands. The Governor could not even deliver his address. There was a fierce conflict between the students and the police. Tear gas shells were fired. The police also opened fire and curfew was imposed. Next day violence spread in many parts of Bihar. The news of ten people dying due to police firing further created a sensation.
On March 19, student leaders like Lalu Yadav, Nitish Kumar, Sushil Modi, Ram Bahadur Rai, Narendra Singh etc. met JP and once again requested him to lead the movement. JP said that my moral support is with you. But I am unwell, how to lead? The news of the death of five students and injury of 25 in police firing on 12 April 1974 disturbed JP. Meanwhile, JP had to go to Bellur for treatment.
Then on the path of struggle for total revolution
Even after illness, JP was no longer ready to remain silent. On June 5, 1974, he was leading a several kilometer long procession towards the Raj Bhavan in Patna demanding the dissolution of the Bihar Assembly. The same evening he was speaking at Gandhi Maidan, “You will not hear a roar from my mouth, but the thoughts that I will tell you will be full of roars. It will not be easy to implement them. For this, sacrifices will have to be made. Jails will have to be filled and suffering will have to be endured. Bullets will be fired and there will be confiscations. Friends, this is a revolution, a complete revolution. This is not just a movement for dissolution of the Assembly.
This is just a destination on the way. Don’t know how far we still have to go. To achieve that Swaraj, for which thousands and lakhs of youth of the country made sacrifices, but today after 27-28 years of independence, the people are groaning in the Swaraj. There is hunger, inflation and corruption everywhere. No work is done without bribe. Educational institutions have become corrupt. Slavery is being taught. The future of the youth is in darkness. We want a total revolution… nothing less than this.
Increasing distance from Indira Gandhi
The movement in Bihar continued to expand. JP was in demand everywhere. His distance from Prime Minister Indira Gandhi increased. On June 12, 1975, after the Allahabad High Court canceled Indira’s election to the Lok Sabha from Rae Bareli, the pressure for her resignation from the post of Prime Minister increased significantly. On June 25, 1975, in a huge meeting of the opposition at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, JP appealed to the security forces and government officials and employees not to obey the illegal orders of the government. The same night the central government declared internal emergency.
Including JP, all the big and small opposition leaders, workers and students and youth were arrested. For the next 21 months the entire country was an open jail. There was a ban on writing and speaking. The courts were paralysed. There was a series of atrocities everywhere. The tenure of the Lok Sabha was extended by one year. JP’s illness worsened in jail. His kidneys stopped working.
JP is needed by everyone, but far from their way.
Even though JP was ill at the time of announcement of 1977 elections, JP, the hero of the 1942 struggle, also had the responsibility of winning the second war of independence. He united the scattered opposition and formed the Janata Party. After the victory, amidst the tussle for the post of Prime Minister, somehow the leaders fighting among themselves agreed in the name of Morarji. Soon, ill JP was once again admitted to Jaslok Hospital.
On the hospital bed, he was getting to know about the actions of those governments and leaders, whom he had brought to power in the name of complete revolution and system change. Disappointed JP said in a statement on June 5, 1978, “The Janata Party government is also following the path of the Congress governments. People are losing hope.” His health was deteriorating day by day. The fights between the Janata Party and its government were increasing for the sake of power. JP was desperate to reach out to the people once again. But his health was no longer capable of doing so.
always stay away from power
JP never contested any election, never became a part of any government. After Pandit Nehru, his name was also discussed for Prime Minister. By the time the Lok Sabha elections of 1957 came, he distanced himself from party politics. Further, he remained active in efforts for Sarvodaya, Indo-Pak unity, peace measures in the North-East, surrender of dacoits and constructive development. After independence, there were ideological differences between JP and Lohia for a few years, but Lohia kept repeating that JP was the only person who could shake the country. Both of them met in 1967.
Lohia once again asked JP to come forward. Even in his last moments in the hospital, Lohia kept repeating that only JP can shake the country. Not immediately but seven years later in 1974, JP once again took to the streets. He had proved that even at this age the youth have immense faith and enthusiasm towards him. There was a reason for this also. Throughout his life he continued fighting for the welfare of the country and society. He was one of those warriors of the freedom struggle who had no fear of confronting any authority and had no desire for anything for himself after victory.
Differences with Gandhi regarding underground movement
On 8 November 1942, on a dark moonless night, Jaiprakash Narayan and his five comrades Shaligram Singh, Yogendra Shukla, Suraj Narayan Singh, Ram Nandan Mishra and Chandragupta alias Gulali Sunar escaped from Hazaribagh jail in Bihar and directly challenged the British government. Facing all the hardships on the way, he made Nepal his home and defeated the British. After his release, Gandhi praised JP’s bravery and patriotism, but expressed disagreement with the activities of his underground movement.
On criticism of the underground movement and violence led by him, JP had said, ‘If we have made mistakes, we will correct them, but was it not the fault of the leaders associated with the big movement of 1942 for not giving any definite program?’
I bow my head before Mahatma Gandhi, but I do not have the self-confidence like him. That’s why it seems easier to fight with the help of guns. Gandhi’s point is different. Apart from him, other Congress leaders believe in violence or non-violence as much as I do. Can Swaraj ever come through negotiations? The public has to be prepared for that. In my understanding the country has not yet achieved that strength.
Jaiprakash who is not afraid of death!
The escape from Hazaribagh jail and the vigorous underground movement for the next two years made JP a big hero of the 1942 movement. Once again, after his arrest, he was subjected to inhuman torture by the British, but he remained unperturbed. 15 days after his release, on 11 April 1946, people gathered at Bankipur Maidan (now Gandhi Maidan) in Patna to see and hear him. The crowd was staring at him and the roar of national poet Dinkar was echoing there,
The storm is sleeping, the storm has stopped, the flood is going on the banks.
Everyone’s glory is alive, but still in your roars
The base of the mountain shook for two days, the tide of Indus went down
But handed over to the country, he got a new sword.
Jai ho new sword of India, Jai young fighter of the country
Jai Nayi Aag Jai Nayi Jyoti, Jai Naye Lakshya Abhiyan
Welcome Kaal Sarp, the one who climbs the hood
Welcome, come, jump into the fire pit, self-burners.
He is called Jaiprakash who is not afraid of death.
Seeing the flame extinguishing, he jumps into the pond himself.
Jaiprakash is the one who can remain confined in the circle sometimes
The torch that burns, spreads light in the darkness.
Jaiprakash is the one who is the feet of the cripple and the language of the mute.
Jayaprakash is the hope on which the hope of the country rests.
Yes, Jaiprakash is the name of the turning point of time.
Of youth filled with claims of earthquake and whirlwind.
Jaiprakash is the name whom history respects.
grows up and leaves its footprints imprinted on the body
The wise salute the one to whom we sacrifice our lives.
To increase the fire of speech, whose praises the singers sing.
Whose attention the talent gives wings to Deept as soon as he arrives
Imagination stirred by the tide, the mind trembles on the shore
Listen, the future is calling, it is the voice of Dalit country.
Jaiprakash, the seer of dreams, is the fortuneseller of India.
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