nas 147
change in civic life, ci relationships, Civic institutions, and
beyond the sphere of civic life we enter larger spheres of
the state of the national life; we have innumerable spheres in which
the changes will have to be brought about.” TR involved, according
him, a combination of seven tevolutions-social, economic, politi-
al, cultural, ideological or intellectual, educational and spiritual.
Because of the overlapping character of these factors the numbers
might vary. Economic revolution meant revolution in the structure
and institutions of society. Since man’s material and spiritual needs
were to be fulfilled within a moral framework, he suggested modest
living as the best solution at the individual level. At the village and city
level, moral-spiritual constraints arising from natural-environmental
framework were to operate on material development. The economic
framework for development that Jayaprakash Narayan contemplated
was one that aimed at human welfare; broad spread ownership of
industries and workers’ Participation in management. Rural schools
were to cater to the requirements of the cou ntryside development. Both
in 1936" and 1952"* he had conceived definite principles of socialised
economy suitable to the Indian circumstances. Regarding the role of
weaker sections and religious minorities in TR, Jayaprakash Narayan
preached the Sarvodaya attitude of enhancing their strength by their
effective organisations which was to be preceded by change in the
attitude of stronger sections by taking more benevolent view of their
responsibilities and obligations to the weaker sections and minori-
ties."” Both the processes required greater focus on duty compliance in
tespective spheres from which should sprout the well-deserved rights
true to Gandhian ideology. He viewed that better wage structure and
protection to landless labourers and their more meaningful social
Participation were preconditions to development. He conceived TR to
spearhead eradication of caste system in order to bring dynamism and
"° Tbid.
™ Ibid, at pp. 192-97.
“* Before the Congress Socialist Party he outlined the objectives such as transfer of
power to producing masses; planned development of the economy; socialisation of key
industries; state monopoly in foreign trade; organisation of cooperatives; elimination
of princes and landlords; redistribution of land to peasants; liquidation of debts owed
by peasants and workers; adult franchise; and non-discrimination on grounds of
religion, caste, community and sex. Sudhansu Ranjan, infra, n. 109 at pp. 56-57.
“* The conditions he put for joining of Socialist Party to the Central Government,
although without material effect, included 14 points programme: abolition of privy
Purse, administrative reform, redrawing of state boundaries on linguistic, economic
and administrative considerations; redistribution of land to remove economic
inequality, reclamation of wasteland, nationalisation of banking and insurance
SomPanies, unified trade union, scaling down of officers’ salary etc. Sudhansu Ranjan,
infra, n. 109 at pp. 130-31
Ibid, at pp. 200-01.148
mobility in social structt
emorial, Rem«
cated from days immem fT
Ire, a proc
form of caste system could briny
as India lived in villages, he reas a
of Indian polity to ensure direct _ e ‘ : 1 a
quite distinct from other models, he sz 7
racy is based on a negation of the social nature
This democracy conceives of
4 1
ned. Pleadir
nature of human society / ,
inorganic mass of separate grains of individuals; the concept
of atomised society...The individual voter casts his voto as a
society, not as a living cell in organic relationship wit} tt
cells,"
Viewing that the differences of religion, caste, comm,
culture and so on have provoked Indians to flow at the ¢ ‘
other with all kinds of violence, he preached for elementary )
ity for developing India as a decent community Disunity of peop,
had weakened the polity in the past, and could hardly be continy
For problems that involve human beings entirely legalistic
cive solutions do not fit in, he viewed. His solution to the menac
Chambal dacoity consisted in human treatment of them to conver
them into good citizens. Jayaprakash Narayan was not mere ide
but a great practitioner of people’s movement. Through organis:
motivating Jana Sangharsha Samiti and Chhatra Sangharsha Sa
Gujarat and Bihar in Pre-emergency days to combat corruption,
lessness and oppression of the poor, he demonstrated the poter
ity of people’s control over government." Regarding implement
of agrarian laws and struggles against benami transactions and o:
devious methods of land grabbing, he constituted struggle ¢
tees in each panchayat in order to unearth facts and remedy th
ances.’ The bottom-up approach was central to his people o
strategy. In rebuilding democratic tradition on a firmer foot
the turbulent years of 19708 his contribution was tremendous
™ Ibid, at p. 202
™ Sudhansu Ranjan, Jayaprakash N
Trust, New Delhi 2002) at p. 277
Jayaprakash Narayan, Total Revolution, Vol Wat pp. 292-95
"See generally, Jayaprakash Narayan, Total Revolution Vol. IV. Gha _
‘Direct Action in India A Study of Gujarat and Bihar Agitations’ in (Td) «
ublications, New Dethi
Jarayan: Prophet of People’s | Na
isting situation
a safety valve and gives vent to accuinvulates|
authority without challenging its legitimacy
™ [bid, at pp. 155-56,