Patna, It has been 50 years since socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan called for 'total revolution' at the historic Gandhi Maidan here on June 5, 1974.
Addressing a massive gathering that day, he thundered, "...it is a complete revolution that we want, nothing less".
While five decades have passed since that historic moment and a lot has changed in the Bihar capital, the legend of 'JP', as he was popular, lives on in political speeches, statues and the names of bridges, boulevards. Public buildings, institutions and some roads in the state.
Under the firebrand 'JP', the movement in Bihar took the form of 'total revolution' and the initial demand for the resignation of the then Ghafoor cabinet in the state eventually turned into a larger demand for the dismissal of the Indira Gandhi government.The 'Bihar Movement' during the turbulent 70s ultimately led to the Emergency.
On Wednesday, the Patna district administration paid floral tributes to the socialist leader, also known as 'Loknayak', at an intersection opposite Gandhi Maidan, where there is a grand statue of him.
There are also some lines on the pedestal of the statue that poet Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar' had earlier written about Narayan and his struggle for social justice.
A couplet on one side of the pedestal reads, "Fight on, O brave one, future history is yours; these thrones extinguish the glow, the entire sky is yours."
There is another grand statue of 'JP' in Patna, which is installed at the Income Tax Square in the center of the city.The city's airport, the new Ganga bridge - 'JP Setu' completed a few years ago - the huge Ganga Drive on its banks, a university in Chapra in North Bihar, a public building - 'Loknayak Jaiprakash Bhawan' - at Dakbungalow intersection, named after him. While a long road in Kankarbagh area is called 'JP Senani Path'.
Sudhir Kumar Jha in his book "A New Dawn: Patna Reincarnated" has talked about 'JP Movement' as this movement is popular in Bihar.
He has written in his book that on June 5, 1974, Narayan addressed a huge gathering at Gandhi Maidan.
"This is a revolution, friends! We have not come here just to watch the Legislative Assembly."
Disintegrate. This is just a milestone in our journey.But we still have a long way to go... After 27 years of independence, the people of this country are suffering from hunger, rising inflation, corruption... suffering from every kind of injustice... This is a total revolution that we Want nothing less!'' his historic speech is quoted in the book.
This movement, which started with the call of 'Total Revolution' in Patna, later spread to Delhi, where 'JP' also addressed a huge gathering at Ramlila Maidan.
The train connecting Delhi and Patna is called 'Sampoorna Kranti Express'.
Patna native Rajiv Soni, who was a 21-year-old student at Patna University in 1974, and lived on Fraser Road near Gandhi Maidan, remembers that historic day.
He said, “I remember there were a large number of people on the roads in front of our house and they were going towards the nearby Gandhi Maidan.There were many policemen on duty there. My parents had asked me not to leave the house," he said.
Soni, who is also an avid photographer and now lives in Kolkata, had taken photographs related to 'JP''s funeral after his death in 1979.
Addressing a massive gathering that day, he thundered, "...it is a complete revolution that we want, nothing less".
While five decades have passed since that historic moment and a lot has changed in the Bihar capital, the legend of 'JP', as he was popular, lives on in political speeches, statues and the names of bridges, boulevards. Public buildings, institutions and some roads in the state.
Under the firebrand 'JP', the movement in Bihar took the form of 'total revolution' and the initial demand for the resignation of the then Ghafoor cabinet in the state eventually turned into a larger demand for the dismissal of the Indira Gandhi government.The 'Bihar Movement' during the turbulent 70s ultimately led to the Emergency.
On Wednesday, the Patna district administration paid floral tributes to the socialist leader, also known as 'Loknayak', at an intersection opposite Gandhi Maidan, where there is a grand statue of him.
There are also some lines on the pedestal of the statue that poet Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar' had earlier written about Narayan and his struggle for social justice.
A couplet on one side of the pedestal reads, "Fight on, O brave one, future history is yours; these thrones extinguish the glow, the entire sky is yours."
There is another grand statue of 'JP' in Patna, which is installed at the Income Tax Square in the center of the city.The city's airport, the new Ganga bridge - 'JP Setu' completed a few years ago - the huge Ganga Drive on its banks, a university in Chapra in North Bihar, a public building - 'Loknayak Jaiprakash Bhawan' - at Dakbungalow intersection, named after him. While a long road in Kankarbagh area is called 'JP Senani Path'.
Sudhir Kumar Jha in his book "A New Dawn: Patna Reincarnated" has talked about 'JP Movement' as this movement is popular in Bihar.
He has written in his book that on June 5, 1974, Narayan addressed a huge gathering at Gandhi Maidan.
"This is a revolution, friends! We have not come here just to watch the Legislative Assembly."
Disintegrate. This is just a milestone in our journey.But we still have a long way to go... After 27 years of independence, the people of this country are suffering from hunger, rising inflation, corruption... suffering from every kind of injustice... This is a total revolution that we Want nothing less!'' his historic speech is quoted in the book.
This movement, which started with the call of 'Total Revolution' in Patna, later spread to Delhi, where 'JP' also addressed a huge gathering at Ramlila Maidan.
The train connecting Delhi and Patna is called 'Sampoorna Kranti Express'.
Patna native Rajiv Soni, who was a 21-year-old student at Patna University in 1974, and lived on Fraser Road near Gandhi Maidan, remembers that historic day.
He said, “I remember there were a large number of people on the roads in front of our house and they were going towards the nearby Gandhi Maidan.There were many policemen on duty there. My parents had asked me not to leave the house," he said.
Soni, who is also an avid photographer and now lives in Kolkata, had taken photographs related to 'JP''s funeral after his death in 1979.
