Author Description

Jayaprakash Narayan (1902-79) was one of the most prominent leaders and thinkers that India 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 JP 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 glimpses of the main currents of ideas and movements during the times in which he lived and worked. The present volume covers the period 1972 to 1979, when J.P. breathed his last. The documents included in it throw light on everything important that happened in that period. Among them mention may be made of the birth of the JP movement and its evolution into a movement for Total Revolution, the background of the imposition of internal emergency by Indira Gandhi followed by the imprisonment of J.P. and thousands of others - leaders as also ordinary workers - associated with the J.P. movement, and censorship of the press. Also included in this volume is the full text of Prison Diary, containing J.P's notes and comments during the major part of his solitary confinement in prison at Chandigarh. Other documents illustrate JP's role in founding the Janata Party and leading it to victory in the election to the Lok Sabha, held shortly after his release from prison as also the failure of his efforts to prevent the collapse of the Janata government.