chhotebhai –
Kanpur: It was on this day in 1974 that Loknayak Jayprakash Narayan (JP) gave his clarion call for Sampoorn Kranti (Total Revolution) at Gandhi Maidan, Patna, before a 500,000 strong crowd in pouring rain.
While JP was going around the nation exhorting youth in particular to be agents of change, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was feeling increasingly threatened; and imposed the draconian Emergency in June 1975. It was then that JP was arrested and incarcerated in Chandigarh jail.
At that time Sri M.G. Devasahayam IAS, a former army man and a devout Catholic, happened to be the District Magistrate of Chandigarh. Sensing Indira Gandhi’s animosity and suspicion of JP, Devasahayam risked his career to ensure that JP was protected and well cared for in jail. In turn he was greatly inspired by JP.
Even today, at the age of 83, Devasahayam is actively espousing various social and political causes, notably against the electronic voting machines, and the communalisation of political life. He also played a stellar role in the recent canonisation process of his namesake, St Devasahayam.
To commemorate JP’s clarion call, the Gandhi Peace Foundation, Kanpur, organised a meeting this day, that was attended by noted Gandhians and representatives of various political parties. The star attraction was a telephonic address by Devasahayam from Bangalore.
He said that there were two special takeaways from the JP movement; the need for civil disobedience and complete truth. Though JP began life as a communist he gradually turned to the Gandhian way, embracing both Swarajya (self-rule) and Sarvodaya (the socio-economic uplift of all), He said that the political environment today was far more draconian than the Emergency of 1975-77, hence the ever greater need for total revolution.
Veteran journalist Mahesh Sharma said that there were seven dimensions to JP’s total revolution – political, economic, social, cultural, intellectual, educational and spiritual. All had their importance.
Several speakers observed that what began as a social movement got hijacked by the RSS elements, converting it into a purely political movement aimed at unseating Indira Gandhi. In 2011 Anna Hazare’s India Against Corruption movement met a similar fate.
Gandhian Suresh Gupta said that JP was against all manifestations of caste, including the Tilak on the forehead and the jeneu or sacred thread. Jagdambabhai quoted one of Mahatma Gandhi’s sins, rajneeti (politics) without neeti (moral values). Marxist Pratap Sahni said that today’s politicians were obsessed with the chitra (picture or icon) rather than the charitra (character) of the leaders of yesteryear. The meeting was conducted by chhotebhai who said that no revolution was possible without the active participation of youth and women.
All present resolved to communicate and collaborate with each other in bringing JP’s vision to fruition and to be agents of change wherever they are.