Life and Legacy of Jayaprakash Narayan

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The book seeks to present an exposition of the life and legacy of Jayaprakash Narayan and explore the philosophical foundation of his Political thought in different phases Narayan was a great pilgrim in search of a way to achieve the unchanging goal of "freedom, equality and brotherhood" The motto of his life and thought remained constant, that is, to create a society where man would be the measure of everything. The impact of rural upbringing on the political ideas of Jayaprakash Narayan is significant However, it would be very apt to attribute him like Machiavelli 'a child of circumstances. JP's ideological leanings towards Gandhism and Sarvodaya reached its high. water-mark at the Sixth Sarvodaya Annual Conference held in 1954 at Bodh-Gaya in Bihar, the place of the Buddha's enlightenment.

To JP, individual-in-community is the true end of Total Revolution which is directed with special emphasis on struggle against whatever that strips man of his dignity. It is a protest against an atomized society, against alone and bored man.

JP's reliance on the role of the students. and youth for a total transformation of man and society finds its echo in the writings of almost all the Western New Left thinkers. Needless to say, JP with certain departures, expressed his belief in the inevitability of class struggle, which marks the continuing presence of Marxist's strain in his thinking.

Infact this is a book for those who have not lost the capacity to dream-and struggle for a just society. The dream is grounded in a set of deeply held convictions of the potentialities of human being to be compassionate and caring for each other and to be capable of waging struggle for basic values. It might appear to be romantic and utopian. Nevertheless, the society requires them, for without such inspiration politics would long ago have reached stagnation.

The book is marked by the lucidity of expression and clarity of thought and it would be of interest and use to academics and journalists, politicians and publicists, students and scholars of Political Science.

Dr. V.K. Verma was born in a middle class Kayastha family of a small village in Saran district of Bihar. Graduated with Honours from CM College Darbhanga, Dr. Verma obtained his degree of M.A. in Political Science from the University of Bihar, Muzaffarpur and Ph.D. from Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur. He has contributed various articles to academic Journals and Papers, and to National Seminars and Conferences His brilliant paper on "The Parliamentary System in India", published in Indian Democracy at the Crossroads, ed. S.A.H. Haqqi (1986), is of great repute.

Presently, Dr. Verma is working as Reader and Head, Deptt. of Pol.Sc., Bapu Mahavidyalaya Pipiganj, Gorakhpur (U.P.). His wife Smt. (Dr.) Prabha Verma is presently Vice-Principal, S.K.T. Girls Inter College Padrauna and the beloved son- 'Yash' is an oasis in his life.

This study seeks to present an exposition of the Political Philosophy of Jayaprakash Narayan. It is an attempt to explore the philosophical foundation of his political thought in different phases. Though a number of books, and articles on JP have been published in past years, no serious effort has been made so far to examine his political theory in a systematic manner and the philosophical foundation of his thought has not been explored as yet. Its importance and contemporary relevance have not been emphasised too strongly. This attempt as a systematic and analytic comparative study of evolving political thought of JP in different phases is, perhaps, the first of its kind.

JP started as a nationalist and thereafter a crusading Marxist, but he gave up the basic tenets of Marxism like Dialectical Materialism, class war and inevitability of violent revolution under the impact of Gandhism and eventually embraced the philosophy of Sarvoadya. It is an interesting intellectual journey from Marxism to Gandhism via Democratic Socialism. JP's ideas on Communitarian Democracy and Total Revolution are highly suggestive and original, though it is not difficult to see the impact of M.N. Roy and the Western New Left thinkers. He observed and analysed India's socio-political and economic problems with keen insight and basis of thorough observation suggested an indigenous socio-political reconstruction.

The materials for this study have been gleaned from extensive published works such as books, pamphlets, booklets, addresses, articles and reports prepared by JP Almost all the issues of the Congress Socialist, the Gandhi Marg, The Janata, The Everyman's, The Radical Humanist and other journals and related Newspapers scattered in various study centres in the country have been consulted Some valuable unpublished documents are preserved in the files of the Papers of JP at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, Teen Murti House, New Delhi. These materials have been also gleaned. The books and articles on JP written by other eminent scholars and political leaders have also been consulted Original source on Gandhi, Vinoba and M.N. Roy on relevant topics have been also examined to compare and contrast their political ideas with that of Jayaprakash Narayan.

In presenting an exposition of the political philosophy of Narayan on the basis of published as well as unpublished sources and reference materials I have mainly relied upon conventional methods of library research-of shifting, analysing, comparing and assessing In an effort to discern the larger meaning and wider implications of JP's political thought, I have attempted to relate his thought contents to his personality traits.

In the forthcoming chapters, efforts has been made to analyse the political philosophy of Jayaprakash Narayan in its different phases An attempt has been also made to examine his political thought in a systematic manner in order to explore the philosophical foundation of his ideas in perspective of evolution and change. Conclusions pertaining to various themes are presented at end of the forthcoming chapters. We, therefore, propose to sum up the study with a view to ensuring compactness and compression. We may begin by eluding to a seminal characterization of JP's political philosophy, namely, unflinching faith in the cherished human ideals and a sound moral sensibility to human suffering.

It is in the context of this basic motivation that JP travelled to the sphere of political philosophy from Nationalism to Marxism to Gandhism via Democratic Socialism and to Total Revolution through Gandhian techniques and the philosophy of Sarvodaya. To a casual and perfunctory observer, the variations which JP made over the years, may appear a zig zag and tortuous chart of unsteadiness and blind groping. But in its causal perspective, a little examination shows that a single consistent thread runs through JP's entire political quest There are clear beacons of light that remained glittering and unabstracted throughout his political journey and that consistently led him on to a higher path of truth and freedom, resulting into varied stances of thought and ideas. The basic objective has all along been to ensure equal opportunity to everyone for the development of his personality It is for the creation of a new society where each men could have such opportunity that he has all along endeavored.

As a student and activist, JP was influenced by the Karmayoga of the Gita, the Patna lecture on non-co- operation (1921) by Abul Kalam Azad, objective methodology of natural science, the Marxist indoctrination of intellectuals like Abram Landy, the India in Transition and other writings of M.N. Roy and the powerful Gandhian quest for India's political liberation."

During his nationalist and Marxist phase of political faith, JP emphasised radical ideological programmes for the economic and social reconstruction of the Indian society. As an ardent Marxist he analysed India's social poverty and economic condition from the Marxian view-point He arrived at the conclusion that the reason of the of the Indian masses was not merely the British economic exploitation, but the Indian zamindars and bourgeois too played important role in exploiting the natives. He agreed initially to bring socialism through the power of state Nationalization of the means of production and distribution of public utilities were to be brought about through state power. He was not satisfied at this stage with Gandhian techniques and the bourgeois programme of the Indian National Congress. To provide a radical and socialist edge to Indian National Congress, he played very significant role in the founding of the Congress Socialist Party and the propagation of its socialist ideology. However, to him, the freedom of country was the first postulate for the establishment of a socialist society in India.

**Contents and Sample Pages**