Sri Prakasa A Political Biography (An Old and Rare Book)

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About The Book A gripping account of an epoch-making life intimately interwoven with India's freedom struggle, Sri Prakasa's life is the epitome of grace, genius and foresight. Educated at the prestigious Trinity College, Cambridge University, he turned his knowledge of law to good account as a member of the Central Legislative Assembly. He was not only a witness to the flow of history, in the early days of India's freedom struggle, but was also one of its creators and inheritors.

This account of his chequered life traces the formative influences on his childhood and youth, his stream of thoughts, his intellectual make-up, his reaction to the contemporary political turmoil and the Indian response to it. Also told is the story how in post-Independence India, as first High Commissioner to Pakistan, he discharged his office gracefully in a highly sensitive period of undiluted and irrational hatred between the two countries. Sri Prakasa, as Governor of Madras, carefully contrived to bring about "the second coming" of Rajaji; and confronted with foresight the emerging language politics and the restructuring of the states on linguistic pattern.

This book offers a sensitive portrayal of the genius and wisdom of a statesman, scholar, journalist and literateur who participated in India's emergence as a baby democracy and also in its epic-battle to find for itself rightful place in the sun. It is an autheutic account painstakingly sifted through pyramids of documents, letters, diaries, books and memories.

A must-read for all Indian history buffs.

About The Author Born at Bhagalpur in Bihar, Nilanjana Kishore hails from an illustrious family. Grand daughter of Sri Prakasa, She distinguished herself during her university years as a gifted orator, winning laurels at the university and national level.

An M.A.in Political Science, she joined ML & JNK Girls College, Saharanpur as Lecturer in 1973. In 1983, she was awarded a Ph. D. for her research work entitled: "Role of Sri Prakasa in Indian Public Life: A Political Study". In 1986, she became Principal of her college.

Uncompromisingly committed to social work, she has penned several articles on social and political issues. Many of her thought-provoking articles appeared in Dinman’, Navbharat Times, etc.

Now she is based at Saharanpur (Uttar Pradesh), working as the principal of a post-graduate college. Her total commitment to the cause of promotion of higher education among women marks her out.

Excerpts from her thesis were included in the Commemoration Volume on Sri Prakasa brought out in 1992 and released by the then Vice-President of India, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma.

Foreword Sri Prakasa is today an almost forgotten name though during the 1930s and 1940s he was well known as an intellectual, political leader, and parliamentarian of the first rank. He occupied many important Positions at different levels before the attainment of Independence. His Parliamentary career spanned the Central Legislative Assembly and the parliament of independent India. He became a Cabinet Minister under Jawaharlal Nehru and served as Governor of the states of Assam and Madras. He was sent by Nehru as India's High Commissioner to Pakistan after partition, where his former colleague in the Central Legislative Assembly, M.A. Jinnah, was the Governor General. A Cambridge man, he made a remarkable contribution to Hindi journalism. He was a man of parts and had a varied career and interests from his childhood days. Son of a distinguished statesman and philosopher, Sri Prakasa had a unique opportunity to come into contact since his childhood with persons of great eminence in different walks of life. This not only added to his experience of men and affairs, but imparted deep insight into human nature and a catholicity of outlook and a breadth of vision-qualities not always easily found among the common run of politicians. It is a pity that such a man of uncommon intellectual attainments and public accomplishments should hardly be known to the present generation in the country. I therefore, warmly welcome the laudable effort of Dr. Nilanjana Kishore with this political biography of Sri Prakasa.

Preface Sri Prakasa - offspring of a philosopher thinker and a devout mother-was not only a witness to the flow of history of early days of freedom struggle but also its creator and inheritor. History can not be undone-it can only be understood to guide our destiny. Thus, the idea of presenting a collage of historic notes, which would lead to better understanding of our own political leaders and neighboring countries, came to me in 1975. My interest in Sri Prakasa was already aroused by his two books, "Pakistan: Birth and early days" and "State Governors in India", but on reading "Anne Besant as a women and as leader." crystallized my choice of this -Biography of Mr. Sri Prakasa to bring to light major and minor events which fill the canvas of history.

The inspiration behind my initial fact collection was my father Shri Satyendra Narayan Agarwal who was closely associated social and political elite of Bihar during pre independence and post independence era due to his various philanthropic and political role in public life. He was also a great letter writer like Sr. Prakasa. Now I hunted for the old associates friend and colleagues of Sri. Prakasa. My open letter in The Hindustan Times won many warm reponses from the close contemporary of Sri Prakasa who had observed him from close quarters. My research adviser professor Krishna Kumar Shrivastana, Head Department of Political Science, J.V. Jain College, Saharanpur, emerged as a real guide, who helped one cross the bar. My access to primary sources of letters, diaries and governors fortnightly where made possible only by the benevolent cooperation of Shree Kamini Devi, Sri Prakasa’s daughter-in-law. Emotional sustenance I got from my elder sister Dr. Vineeta Agarwal and disciplining force behind my work was husband Arun Kishore.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages