THE GREATEST MASS LEADER EVER : JAI PRAKASH NARAYAN

THE GREATEST MASS LEADER EVER :

 

 

                   Shri Jaiprakash Narayan was born on October 11,1902 in Sitabdiara Village of Chhapra district in Bihar. He was the son of Shri Harsood Lai and Smt. Phool Rani. When Narayan was 9 years old he left his village to enroll in 7th class of the collegiate school at Patna. While in school, Jayaprakash read magazines like Saraswati, Prabha and Pratap, books like Bharat- Bharati, and poems by Maithilsharan Gupta and Bharatendu Harishchandra which described the courage and valour of the Rajput kings. Jayaprakash also read the Bhagwad Gita.  His essay, “The present state of Hindi in Bihar” won a best essay award.He excelled in school and by 1918 completed school and undertook the ‘State Public Matriculation Examination’ and won a District merit scholarship to Patna college.

In 1922 he went to San-Francisco where he did his graduation with his own ef­forts. Thus he was a self made student. In 1929 he returned to India. He made up his mind to live and die for his country in 1921. He dedicated his life to the struggle for freedom in 1934.

                  

 In 1934 he became the Secretary of the Socialist Party. Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru offered him the membership of Congress Working Committee in 1946 but he rejected it. On Nehru’s second request, he joined Congress. Committee with Ram Manohar Lohia. But both of them left the Con­gress Working Committee. Shri Jaiprakash Narayan became the Gen­eral Secretary of the Socialist Party which got itself separated from the Con­gress.

                 

Most of the leaders at the helm of affairs today in Indian politics are products of a movement created by a man named Jayaprakash Narayan. He was the one who galvanised people to protest against the corrupt Congress Government at a time when the nation was reeling from corruption, unemployment and high inflation.

 

It is interesting to note that JP movement propelled many leaders into mainstream politics and leaders like Morarji Desai, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Charan Singh, HD Deve Gowda and Inder Kumar Gujral went on to become Prime Ministers of India, where as Bhairon Singh Shekhawat became the Vice President of India. Lal Krishna Advani, Sharad Yadav and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar owe their political careers to the JP movement.

                 

To put down J.P.’s movement she declared Emergency on 25th June, 1975. She put the leaders of the opposition along with J.P. Narayan in the prison. He came out of the jail with his broken health in 1976 to take part in the Elections. The great leaders of five opposition parties joined hands under the guidance of Shri Jai Prakash Narayan. They made a party calling it Janata Party to contest the election against the Congress Party. Lok Nayak did great work for his party and won the election.

                  

 Shri Jai Prakash Narayan was selfless worker. Once Pandit Nehru offered him the post of a minister in the Union Cabinet. He refused it. He was the true follower of Gandhian principles. People called him “King without crown”. He was a symbol of light for ruling Janta Party.

                  

Narayan died in Patna, Bihar, on 8 October 1979, three days before his 77th birthday, due to effects of diabetes and heart ailments. In March 1979, while he was in hospital, his death had been erroneously announced by the Indian prime minister, causing a brief wave of national mourning, including the suspension of parliament and regular radio broadcasting, and the closure of schools and shops. When he was told about the gaffe a few weeks later, he smiled.

   
  He was awarded with:

Bharat Ratna, 1999 (Posthmus)for Public Affairs

Rashtrabhushan Award of FIE Foundation, Ichalkaranji

Ramon Magsaysay Award