ALL INDIA RADIO- 8TH NOVEMBER 2015

ARCHIVES

CONTRIBUTIONS OF ‘LOK NAYAK’ JAYPRAKASH NARAYAN

The AIR Spotlight topic on 8^th November 2015 is related to Bihar elections. This is not much useful for the exam. Hence, we have picked up a topic on 11^th October 2015.

Here is the link for audio: Click here and search for 11^th October 2015

Contribution of JP to the nation is a very important topic for Mains 2015. Associated with this is the importance of emergency. Please don’t neglect this topic at any cost. Try to answer the questions that were given at the end.

• Lok Nayak Jay Prakash Narayan’s birthday (11^th October, 1902) is being celebrated as “Save Democracy Day” for his invaluable contribution to anti-emergency agitation during 1975-76.
• His entire life is one of supreme sacrifice and commitment to the nation
• In 1921 he joined the Non-cooperation movement and was influenced by Gandhian Ideology
• Later he went to US, where he was deeply influenced by Marxist ideology. However, he rejected the ultimate solution of “revolution” to bring down the capitalism as being advocated by the Marxists. On the contrary, he advocated Socialism.
• In 1929 he joined the INC at the invitation of J Nehru
• In 1934 he formed Congress Socialist Party with the following members
  • Acharya Narendra Deva
  • Ram Manohar Lohia
  • Minoo Masani
  • Achyut Patvardhan
  • Ashok Mehta

Congress Socialist Party

• 1^st President : Acharya Narendra Dev
• General Secretary: JP Narayan
• Ideology: Democratic Socialism

• He also participated in Quit India Movement in 1942. He advocated non-rebellion & non-violence
• During the period of emergency starting from 1975, he gave a call for “Total Revolution” or “Sampoorna Kranti” to completely transform the society. He advocated
  • Party-less democracy
  • Sarvodaya
  • Rejection of Parliamentary Democracy
• After the death of J Nehru, JP had increasingly involved in national politics
• During the second half of 1960s, he involved in resolving disputes in Kashmir
• He also played a pivotal role in the Nagaland issue in 1960s
• During the Bangladesh crisis, it was JP who became India’s ambassador to persuade about the rightness of India’s cause
• The voice of JP favouring human rights found relevance in Hungarian crisis, Czech crisis, and Tibetan crisis during his times
• In 1999, he was posthumously awarded Bharat Ratna

Questions

1. “JP was an embodiment of freedom, quest for human dignity and the expression of true democracy.” Explain the role of JP in the nation building.
2. What are the events/causes that led to the JP Movement? Highlight the role played by JP during the movement.
3. “Despite being a huge mass movement that virtually shook the roots of the constitutional principles, JP movement is considered as a flawed movement.” Critically examine the JP movement and its flaws.
4. “Emergency imposed during the 1975 is seen as a dark period in the history of post-independent India.” Give a critical account on the outcomes of emergency and what are the lessons that we have learnt from the 40 years of emergency.

Reference: India since Independence, Bipan Chandra, Chapter 18.