Jayaprakash Narayan: Selected Works (Volume 6)

Jayaprakash Narayan (1902-79) was one of the most prominent leaders and thinkers that India has produced in modern times. Although he never sought power for himself, he played a major role not only in the struggle for Independence, but also in the Socialist and Sarvodaya movements and finally in the movement for strengthening democracy, popularly known as the J.P. movement. This series of volumes has been planned with a view to presenting as comprehensive a picture as possible of the evolution of J.P.’s political life and thought through his writings, speeches and letters. As he was in many ways a mirror of his times, it is hoped that the series will also provide a glimpse of the main currents of ideas and movements during the times in which he lived and worked. The present volume covers a period of four years (1950-4). Those years witnessed several important political developments, such as the holding of the first general elections in India (1952) the formation of the Praja Socialist Party as a result of the merger of the Socialist Party and the Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party (1952); the failure of the talks between Nehru and J.P. in order to ensure cooperation between the Congress and the PSP (1953) and controversy over them in the ranks of the PSP; growing involvement of J.P. in the Bhoodan-Gramdan movement and his announcement of Jeevandan. J.P.’s deep interest in the struggles of various trade unions till 1952, are also fully covered through his addresses to their members as also his correspondence with the officials and Cabinet Ministers, at the Centre as well as in Bihar. The same applies to J.P.’s deep interest in the fight for democracy in Nepal.