Context:

• Recently, the Prime Minister on 11 October paid tribute to Jayaprakash Narayan.

Who is Jayaprakash Narayan: The Iconic Voice of India’s Democratic Struggle

• Birth: Jayaprakash Narayan (11 October 1902 – 8 October 1979), popularly referred to as JP or Lok Nayak (Hindi for “People’s leader”), was an Indian independence activist, theorist, socialist and political leader.
• Contribution: Jayaprakash Narayan  is also known as the “Hero of Quit India Movement” and Jayaprakash Narayan is remembered for leading the mid-1970s opposition against Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, for whose overthrow he had called for a “total revolution“
• Jayaprakash Narayan Influenced By:  Marxist ideas in the USA and Gandhian ideology.
• Champion of Democracy: Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan’s birthday is celebrated as “Save Democracy Day” for his invaluable contribution to anti emergency  agitation during     1975-76.

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Freedom Struggle and Gandhi’s Influence on Jayaprakash Narayan:

• Jallianwala Bagh Massacre: Jayaprakash Narayan was deeply disturbed by the massacre at Jallianwala Bagh in 1919, and the violent repercussions of the Non-cooperation Movement of 1921. 
  • This led to his growing interest in the freedom struggle rather than formal education.
• Foreign Education: In 1922, Jayaprakash Narayan moved to the United States to pursue his higher studies in political science and economics.
• Influence of Foreign Education: In the US, Jayaprakash Narayan was introduced to Karl Marx’s works and was influenced by Marxist ideology. It was during this period that he transformed into a Marxist.
• Inspired by the writings of Rajendra Prasad and Annie Besant in “Searchlight” and “New India,” he developed a keen interest in the struggle for Indian Independence.
• Affiliation with Congress: After returning to India, Jayaprakash Narayan joined the Indian National Congress in 1929, being heavily influenced by Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence and satyagraha.
• Civil Disobedience Movement: In 1932 he was sentenced to a year’s imprisonment for his participation in the civil disobedience movement against British rule in India.
• Left Orientation under Congress:  Upon release he took a leading part in the formation of the Congress Socialist Party, a left-wing group within the Congress Party.
• Participation in Quit India Movement (1942): Quit India Movement: Jayaprakash Narayan played a significant role in the Quit India Movement of 1942. 
  • Active Participation: JP was one of the prominent leaders who led mass protests, strikes, and demonstrations against British colonial rule.
  • After the arrest of major Congress leaders, including Gandhi and Nehru, JP was among the leaders who kept the movement alive.
• Passive Participation: He went underground to evade arrest and led the movement from secrecy, coordinating activities and disseminating information.
• Revolutionary Approach: After his release in 1946 he tried to persuade the Congress leaders to adopt a more militant policy against British rule.
  • Formation of Freedom Brigade: For fighting the tyranny of British rule, he organised an “Azaad Dasta” (freedom brigade) in Nepal.
  • He was tortured by British authorities for getting necessary information about the freedom movement.

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Jayaprakash Narayan: The Visionary of Social Change and Democratic Principles

• Post Independence: He realised the importance of non violence and accepted it as the ultimate weapon.
• Social Reforms: JP was also particular about social reforms such as elimination of the dowry system, development of the conditions of the harijans and abolition of the caste system in India’s political system.
• Concept of Antyodaya: JPs programme of Antyodaya meaning, the upliftment of the last man was an essential aspect of his socialist thought. 
• Social Movements: Jayaprakash Narayan left active politics in 1954 and dedicated himself to the Bhoodan Movement started by Vinoba Bhave, which aimed to persuade wealthy landowners to voluntarily give a portion of their land to landless people.
• Distance From Active Politics: While Nehru was keen on JP joining the Union government, JP sought to distance himself from electoral politics, opting to focus on social causes instead.
  • He was disillusioned with political parties and called for communitarian democracy.
• 4 Tier Democracy: In 1959, he argued for a “reconstruction of Indian polity” by means of a four-tier hierarchy of village, district, state, and union councils (Chaukhamba Raj). 

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Jayaprakash Narayan: The Architect of Opposition to Emergency 

• Call for Total Revolution: He advocated a program of social  and political transformation which he termed Sampoorna kranti, “total revolution”. 
  • Total Revolution is a confluence of his ideas on seven revolutions i.e. social, economic, political, cultural, ideological and intellectual, educational and spiritual.
  • The concept of total revolution became popular in 1974  in the wake of mass movements in Gujarat and Bihar. 
  • Right to work was an integral part of his concept of Total Revolution. 
• Consequences: Jayaprakash Narayan played a pivotal role in formation of the Janata Party government in the 1977 general election which emerged as the first non-congress government in India. 
• Bihar Movement:  The Bihar agitation, also known as the Bihar Movement, was a major chapter in the Total Revolution. 
  • It started as a student protest against rising prices, corruption, and unemployment in 1974.
  • JP’s role in leading the agitation reaffirmed his status as a champion of democracy and people’s power.

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Jayaprakash Narayan: Advocate of Participatory Democracy, Socialism, and Sarvodaya Ideals

• Participatory Democracy: He believed in participatory democracy, where people at the grassroots level were involved in decision-making processes. 
• Decentralization of Power:  Jayaprakash Narayan strongly advocated for the Panchayati Raj system to ensure decentralization of power and to promote participatory democracy.
• Socialism: Jayaprakash Narayan was a staunch socialist and believed in equal distribution of wealth and power.
  • His socialism was largely influenced by the theories of Karl Marx and Russian revolutionaries’ writings.
  • Socialism in Politics: In 1948 Jayaprakash Narayan, together with most of the Congress Socialists, left the Congress Party and in 1952 formed the Socialist Party, which was merged with J B Kripalani’s Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party to form the Praja Socialist Party.
  • JP’s version of socialism emphasized democratic and peaceful means.
• Interpretation of Socialism: Jaya Prakash Narayan suggest three interpretation of socialism:
  • Fake Socialism or Communism: Established through methods of violence
  • Democratic Socialism: Established by law through state power 
  • Spiritual Socialism: Established by changing the attitude and nature of people through voluntary efforts.
  • In this way JayaPrakash Narayan was searching for practical socialism.
• Sarvodaya Movement: The concept of “Sarvodaya” was a core part of JP’s political ideology. Sarvodaya, meaning ‘universal upliftment’ or ‘progress of all,’
  • It was first coined by Gandhi. 
  • It aimed for a society where everyone was prosperous and happy.
  • Principles of Sarvodaya: It was based on the principles of non-violence, decentralization of economic and political power, and a just social order.
  • Rural Upliftment: Jaya Prakash Narayan has suggested making the Sarvodaya movement a success through political and economic decentralization.

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