113th birth anniversary of Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan

Jayaprakash Narayan

Jayaprakash Narayan (11 October 1902 – 8 October 1979), popularly referred to as JP or Lok Nayak (The People's Hero). JP was an Indian independence activist, social reformer and political leader, remembered especially for leading the mid-1970s opposition against Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, for whose overthrow he called a "Total Revolution".
Jayaprakash was married to Prabhavati Devi, daughter of lawyer and nationalist Brij Kishore Prasad in October 1920.
His biography, Jayaprakash, was written by his nationalist friend and an eminent writer of Hindi literature, Ramavriksha Benipuri.

• Bharat Ratna, 1999 (Posthmus)for Public Affairs
• Rashtrabhushan Award
• Ramon Magsaysay Award,1965 for Public Service.

JP and Emergency

Indira Gandhiwas found guilty of violating electoral laws by the Allahabad High Court. Narayan called for Indira and the CMs to resign and the military and police to disregard unconstitutional and immoral orders. He advocated a program of social transformation which he termed Sampoorna kraanti, "total revolution". Immediately afterwords, Indira Gandhi proclaimed a national Emergency on the midnight of 25 June 1975. JP, opposition leaders, and dissenting members of her own party (the 'Young Turks') were arrested that day.

Jayaprakash Narayan attracted a gathering of 100,000 people at the Ramlila Grounds and thunderously recited Rashtrakavi  Ramdhari Singh Dinkar's  wonderfully evocative poetry: Singhasan Khaali Karo Ke Janata Aaati Hai.

JP  was kept as detenu at Chandigarh even after he asked for one month parole to mobilise relief in flooded parts of Bihar. His health suddenly deteriorated on 24 October, and he was released on 12 November; diagnosis at Jaslok Hospital, Bombay, revealed kidney failure; he would be on dialysis for the rest of his life.

In the UK, Surur Hoda launched the "Free JP" campaign chaired by Nobel Peace Prize winner Noel Baker for the release of Jayaprakash Narayan.

Indira Gandhi revoked the emergency on 18 January 1977 and announced elections. The Janata Party, a vehicle for the broad spectrum of the opposition to Indira Gandhi, was formed under JP's guidance. The Janata Party was voted into power and became the first non-Congress party to form a government at the Centre. On the call of JP, many youngsters joined the JP movement.

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Paying tribute to socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan on his 113th birth anniversary on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that agitations like the JP movement, Navnirman Movement and Emergency paved way for a new kind of politics in the country.
Speaking during a function which was attended by BJP veteran LK Advani, Punjab CM Prakash singh Badal, Rajasthan governor Kalyan Singh and NCP leader DP Tripathi, Modi said, "Leadership born during Emergency was not one for the TV screens. It was a leadership to live and die for the nation." "So many people in politics today owe their initial days to those days of Emergency and the JP movement. A new political generation was born," he added.
"JP was a person with an open mind. He was not restricted to one thought or ideology. He lived for the truth and what he felt was right," the PM said.
Modi described JP as an all-party man "which was the prime reason why he was could bring about such a change in the country."
"Media should not let the country forget Emergency. We need not cry while remembering Emergency. Lets talk about how the anti-Emergency movement strengthened democracy. In 1977 polls, top leadership was in jail. No one knew what was happening but see the strength of people and their respect for democracy," Modi added.
"Emergency did a lot of damage to nation, it was an attack on India's democratic tradition," he went on to say.


courtesy:indiatoday.in 

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Singhasan Khaali Karo Ke Janata Aaati Hai

by Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh Dinkar.


सिंहासन खाली करो कि जनता आती है। रामधारी सिंह "दिनकर"
सदियों की ठंढी-बुझी राख सुगबुगा उठी,
मिट्टी सोने का ताज पहन इठलाती है;
दो राह,समय के रथ का घर्घर-नाद सुनो,
सिंहासन खाली करो कि जनता आती है।

जनता?हां,मिट्टी की अबोध मूरतें वही,
जाडे-पाले की कसक सदा सहनेवाली,
जब अंग-अंग में लगे सांप हो चुस रहे
तब भी न कभी मुंह खोल दर्द कहनेवाली।

जनता?हां,लंबी - बडी जीभ की वही कसम,
"जनता,सचमुच ही, बडी वेदना सहती है।"
"सो ठीक,मगर,आखिर,इस पर जनमत क्या है?"
'है प्रश्न गूढ़ जनता इस पर क्या कहती है?"

मानो,जनता ही फूल जिसे अहसास नहीं,
जब चाहो तभी उतार सजा लो दोनों में;
अथवा कोई दूधमुंही जिसे बहलाने के
जन्तर-मन्तर सीमित हों चार खिलौनों में।

लेकिन होता भूडोल, बवंडर उठते हैं,
जनता जब कोपाकुल हो भृकुटि चढाती है;
दो राह, समय के रथ का घर्घर-नाद सुनो,
सिंहासन खाली करो कि जनता आती है।

हुंकारों से महलों की नींव उखड़ जाती,
सांसों के बल से ताज हवा में उड़ता है,
जनता की रोके राह,समय में ताव कहां?
वह जिधर चाहती,काल उधर ही मुड़ता है।

अब्दों, शताब्दियों, सहस्त्राब्द का अंधकार
बीता;गवाक्ष अंबर के दहके जाते हैं;
यह और नहीं कोई,जनता के स्वप्न अजय
चीरते तिमिर का वक्ष उमड़ते जाते हैं।

सब से विराट जनतंत्र जगत का आ पहुंचा,
तैंतीस कोटि-हित सिंहासन तय करो
अभिषेक आज राजा का नहीं,प्रजा का है,
तैंतीस कोटि जनता के सिर पर मुकुट धरो।

आरती लिये तू किसे ढूंढता है मूरख,
मन्दिरों, राजप्रासादों में, तहखानों में?
देवता कहीं सड़कों पर गिट्टी तोड़ रहे,
देवता मिलेंगे खेतों में, खलिहानों में।

फावड़े और हल राजदण्ड बनने को हैं,
धूसरता सोने से श्रृंगार सजाती है;
दो राह,समय के रथ का घर्घर-नाद सुनो,
सिंहासन खाली करो कि जनता आती है।