Jayaprakash Narayan

Jayaprakash Narayan (जयप्रकाश नारायण; October 11, 1902 - October 8, 1979), widely known as JP, was an Indian freedom fighter and political leader.

Related Topics:
October 11 - 1902 - October 8 - 1979 - India

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He was born in Sitabdiara, Bihar, and did his higher studies on politics and sociology in the United States. He adopted Marxism while studying at Madison, Wisconsin under Edward Ross; he was also deeply influenced by the writings of M. N. Roy. After returning to India, JP joined the Indian National Congress on the invitation of Jawaharlal Nehru in 1929; M. K. Gandhi would be his mentor in the Congress. During the Indian independence movement, he was arrested, jailed, and tortured several times by the British. He won particular fame during the Quit India movement.

Related Topics:
Sitabdiara - Bihar - Politics - Sociology - United States - Marxism - Madison, Wisconsin - Edward Ross - M. N. Roy - India - Indian National Congress - Jawaharlal Nehru - M. K. Gandhi - Indian independence movement - Quit India

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

JP married Prabhavati Devi in October 1920; she stayed in Sabarmati ashram while JP was abroad and became a devoted Gandhian; she often held opinions which were not in agreement with JP's views, but JP respected her independence.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After being jailed in 1932 for civil disobedience against British rule, he was imprisoned in Nasik Jail, where he met Ram Manohar Lohia, Minoo Masani, Achyut Patwardhan, Ashok Meta, Yusuf Desai and other national leaders. After his release, the Congress Socialist Party, a left-wing group within the Congress, was formed with Acharya Narendra Deva as President and JP as General secretary.

Related Topics:
Civil disobedience - Nasik - Ram Manohar Lohia - Minoo Masani - Achyut Patwardhan - Ashok Meta - Yusuf Desai - Congress Socialist Party - Acharya Narendra Deva

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

During the Quit India movement of 1942, when senior congress leaders were arrested in the early stages, JP and Lohia were at the forefront of the agitations.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After independence and the death of Mahatma Gandhi, JP led the CSP out of Congress to become the opposition Socialist Party, which later took the name Praja Socialist Party.

Related Topics:
Socialist Party - Praja Socialist Party

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Initially a defender of physical force, JP was won over to Gandhi's position on nonviolence and advocated the use of satyagrahas to achieve the ideals of democratic socialism. Furthermore, he became deeply disillusioned with the practical experience of socialism in Nehru's India.

Related Topics:
Nonviolence - Satyagraha - Nehru

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On 19 April 1954, JP announced in Gaya that he was dedicating his life (Jeevandan) to Vinoba Bhave's Sarvodaya movement and its Bhoodan campaign, which promoted distributing land to Harijans (untouchables). He gave up his land, set up an ashram in Hazaribagh, and worked towards uplifting the village.

Related Topics:
Gaya - Vinoba Bhave - Sarvodaya - Bhoodan campaign - Harijan - Untouchables - Hazaribagh

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1957, JP formally broke with the Praja Socialist Party in order to pursue lokniti , as opposed to rajniti . By this time, JP had become convinced that lokniti should be non-partisan in order to build a consensus-based, classless, participatory democracy which he termed Sarvodaya. JP became an important figure in the India-wide network of Gandhian Sarvodaya workers.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

JP returned to the prominence in State politics in the late 1960s. In 1974, he devoted himself to the peasants' struggle known as the Bihar movement, which demanded the resignation of the provincial government. He founded, together with V. M. Tarkunde, the Citizens for democracy in 1974 and the People's union for civil liberties in 1976, NGOs to uphold and defend civil liberties.

Related Topics:
1960s - 1974 - Bihar movement - V. M. Tarkunde - Citizens for democracy - People's union for civil liberties - 1976

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When Indira Gandhi was found guilty of violating electoral laws by the Allahabad High Court, JP called for Indira to resign, and advocated a program of social transformation which he termed Sampoorna kraanthi . Instead she proclaimed a national Emergency on the midnight of 25 June 1975, immediately after JP had called for the PM's resignation and had asked the military and the police to disregard illegal and immoral orders; JP, opposition leaders, and dissenting members (the 'Young turks') of her own party were arrested on that day.

Related Topics:
Indira Gandhi - Allahabad - Emergency - 25 June - 1975

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

JP was kept as detenu at Chandigarh even after he had asked for a month's parole for mobilising relief in areas of Bihar gravely affected by flood. His health suddenly deteriorated on 24 October, and he was released on 12 November; diagnosis at Jaslok Hsopital, Bombay, revealed kidney failure; he would be on dialysis for the rest of his life.

Related Topics:
24 October - 12 November

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After Indira revoked the emergency on 18 January 1977 and announced elections, it was under JP's guidance that the socialist-leaning Janata Party was formed. Janata Party was voted into power, and became the first non-Congress party to form a government at the Centre.

Related Topics:
18 January - 1977 - Socialist - Janata Party

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

JP also wrote several books, notably Reconstruction of Indian Polity. He promoted Hindu revivalism, but was deeply critical of the form of revivalism promoted by the Sangh Parivar.

Related Topics:
Hindu - Sangh Parivar

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Not long before his death, it was in fact erroneously announced by the Indian prime minister, causing a brief wave of national mourning, including the suspension of parliament and regular radio broadcasting, and closure of schools and shops.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1998, he was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna award in recognition of his social work. Other awards include the Magsaysay award for Public Service in 1965.

Related Topics:
1998 - Bharat Ratna - Magsaysay award - 1965

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

His great nephew Ashoka Jahnavi-Prasad is a scientist of international repute who introduced sodium valproate as a safer alternative to lithium.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

JP is sometimes referred to with the honorific title Lok nayak (लोक नायक) or 'guide of the people'.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~