Jayaprakash Narayan (October 11, 1902 - October 8, 1979), widely known as JP, was
an Indian independence activist and political leader, remembered especially for
leading the opposition to Indira Gandhi in the 1970s and for giving a call for peaceful
Total Revolution. His biography, Jayaprakash, was written by his nationalist friend
and an eminent writer of Hindi literature, Ramavriksha Benipuri. In 1998, he was
posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, in recognition
of his social work. Other awards include the Magsaysay award for Public Service
in 1965. c Service in 1965. When Indira Gandhi was found guilty of violating electoral
laws by the Allahabad High Court, Narayan called for Indira to resign, and advocated
a program of social transformation which he termed Sampoorna kraanti [Total Revolution].
Instead she proclaimed a national Emergency on the midnight of June 25, 1975, immediately
after Narayan had called for the PM's resignation and had asked the military and
the police to disregard unconstitutional and immoral orders; JP, opposition leaders,
and dissenting members of her own party (the 'Young Turks') were arrested on 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.[11] Narayan was kept
as detenu at Chandigarh even after he had asked for a month's parole for mobilising
relief in areas of Bihar gravely affected by flood. His health suddenly deteriorated
on October 24, and he was released on November 12; diagnosis at Jaslok Hospital,
Bombay, revealed kidney failure; he would be on dialysis for the rest of his life.
After Indira revoked the emergency on January 18, 1977 and announced elections,
it was under JP's guidance that the Janata Party (a vehicle for the broad spectrum
of the anti-Indira Gandhi opposition) was formed. 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 Narayan many youngesters joined the J P movement.