People’s Hero

The man who called for a ‘Sampoorna Kranti’ in Indian politics, to which Indira Gandhi responded with Emergency

Jayaprakash Narayan’s idea of change was not limited to political shift. His total revolution was aimed at transforming the system. He was the strongest supporter of democratic means and fundamental rights. With his leadership, JP, a hero to everyone, turned India away from misguided individualism to the truths of democratic values. He was not the finest of public speakers. An intellectual who never resorted to dramatics in his discourses, JP never shied away from discussing policies during his speeches at mass meetings. Such a speech and delivery might have turned off the crowd, had anyone else touched those issues in a voice that was two octaves lower than others. But it was JP’s credibility—someone endowed with fierce selflessness, public spirit, and above all, the desire for empowerment of the masses—that brought people in droves to him. They all listened to him in rapt attention. When JP opened his mouth—and as his words opened the minds of the listeners—everyone realised they were in the presence of a giant. His resolve to expand the realm of politics beyond its electoral value triggered our imagination to soar new heights, and his credibility evoked a sense of belonging among the commoners towards the movement in a way I have never experienced before or since. Why JP could command an extraordinary following was simple. He was never after the spoils of power, he had never contested an election, and never hankered for public office. Everyone knew the change JP was asking for was for the common good. It was his extraordinary credibility that made him command a following. That was the era when politicians’ credibility was at its lowest ebb, people were disillusioned with them. But, it changed overnight when JP joined in.