CHAPTER - 20

OBITUARY REFERENCES TO JAIPRAKASH NARAYAN

Lok Sabha , 22 March 1979

EDITORIAL NOTE

On 22.3.1979, Shri Morarji Desai, the Prime Minister announced demise of Lok Nayak Jaiprakash Narayan in Bombay.

During the Freedom Struggle, Jaiprakash Narayan had inspired Y.B. Chavan. He offered his tribute to JP, whom he admired as a socialist a sarvodaya leader.

The hews of Jaiprakash Narayan’s death was, however, wrongly reported. The nation shared indignation of the Parliament that the Prime Minister had conveyed to the House of JP’s passing away without getting adequate confirmation of the same from reliable sources.

Two Statements made by Chavan are reproduced.

FIRST STATEMENT

Shri Yashwantrao Chavan (Satara) : Mr. Speaker, Sir, for the last three days, I think, the nation passed through a terribly anxious time and at last this unfortunate moment has come when we know that JP is not amongst us. JP physically has passed away, but I am sure, JP belongs at that category of men and leaders, whose work, memory and contribution will be remembered permanently, not in this country, but even outside this country. JP’s public life was mainfold, he worked in different areas. He was one of the tallest freedom fighters of India. He was not merely a leader of the Freedom Movement, but he was one of those who tried to give a new content to the freedom struggle. I had the fortune of working under his leadership during 1942 and what a change, what a qualitative change, he brought about in the conditions in India. Jayprakash Narayan was perhaps equal to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in popularising the concept of socialism in India. This idea and thought of socialism has been generally accepted in India today, but the contribution for that acceptance that JP has made is something which history cannot forget. He also had intellectual loyalties, thinking loyalties to Mahatma Gandhi and therefore, he is perhaps the only man, who can be described as both a socialist and a ° Sarvodaya leader.