Jayaprakash Narayan was popularly referred to as JP or Lok Nayak. JP, short form, was said to mean ‘People’s leader’ in Hindi. As an Indian independence activist, theorist, socialist and political leader, JP was a towering figure in Indian politics. He is famously known as a mass leader who called for a total revolution to overthrow the authoritarian regime of Indira Gandhi whose infamous Emergency declaration in 1975 had numbed the nation. He was posthumously awarded Barat Ratna, Indian’s highest civilian award, in 1999. Earlier in 1965 he was awarded the Magsaysay award for Public Service.
Narayan was born on 11 October 1902 in the erstwhile Balia district (today’s Saran district) during the British regime and belonged to Kayasta family. His father was a government functionary. His wife Prabhavai Devi was attracted to Gandhiji’s freedom movement. On Gandhiji’s invitation, she joined his Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat. After completing his college studies, he enrolled at Berkeley University in the United States. He supported his studies by working at small jobs. Such experience gave him an idea about the working class. Due to fees hike he shifted to different universalities. In Wisconsin he got a taste of Karl Marx’s Das Kapital. He saw Marxism as a way to alleviate the sufferings of the working class. As he was pursuing MA in sociology he submitted a paper on ‘Cultural Variation’ which was declared the best of the year. He obtained MA in Sociology from Wisconsin university and BA in Behavioural Science from Ohio State University.
Narayan was said to have returned to India in 1929 as a Marxist. Jawaharlal Nehru invited him to join the Indian National Congress. And he accepted the offer. He chose Gandhiji as his mentor. He was jailed in 1930 for participating in Civil Disobedience Movement and was kept in Nasik jail. That was where he met may other political leaders who stood for the cause of India’s freedom.
Narayan was a genuine freedom fighter and, all along, he joined Gandhiji for the cause of India’s freedom. Even after India won independence, he functioned as an active socialist who advocated social justice and fundamental freedoms guaranteed under the Indian constitution. When Nehru’s daughter Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister of India, she came under the legal scanner for violating electoral laws by using the state machinery for her propaganda. She was found guilty by the Allahabad High Court. Narayan called for her resignation and declared a nationwide movement called ‘Sampoorna Kranti’, total revolution.
At Delhi’s Ramlila grounds he addressed a gathering of 100,000 people and called for a new free India. He visited many states and conducted meetings. He was arrested and detained in Chandigarh. Due to severe kidney problems he had to undergo dialysis for the rest of his life. The nationwide agitation forced Indira Gandhi to end the Emergency and in the ensuing general election she bit the dust. The Janata Party, formed by a number of opposition parties came to power under the guidance of Jai Prakash Narayan.
Three days before his 77th birthday he passed away on 8 October 1979 due to diabetes and heart failure. India stands in need of many such leaders with character, determination and commitment. The inspiration he injected into people has great relevance today as we are facing corruption of character in the leaders and the political dispensation.