|
Contents
|
Page No.
|
Preface
|
|
Preface
|
vii
|
Thirty years ago Late Indumati Kelkar had written the biography
of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia in Hindi. This is the only authentic biography in any
Indian Language. Mrs Indumati Kelkar had benefited from discussions with and
advice of Dr Lohia in verifying the authenticity of several incidents,
statements and opinions.
|
|
Dr Ram Manohar Lohia: Life Sketch
|
ix
|
Birth: 23 March 1910, District Akbarpur, Faizabad, Uttar
Pradesh.
Father: Hiralal
Mother: Chandri
Family: Iron business since generations. Grandfather and granduncle were
pro-Congress, father was active Congressman, arrested during Civil
Disobedience Movement (1930-32).
|
|
Mother India-Mother Earth
|
1
|
During the fourth, fifth and sixth decades of the 20th Century a
powerful, stormy, attractive and controversial name dominated the newspaper
headlines-Ram Manohar Lohia.
|
|
A Rising Star
|
14
|
1 August 1920. Rainy season! How wonderful the rain in Bombay.
It was raining. News of the death of Lokamanya Tilak had brought Bombayites
on the roads. It was hartal (closed day) in Bombay and all business were at
standstill.
|
|
Congress Socialist Leader
|
25
|
India's political horizon was covered by darkness and despair
when Ram Manohar Lohia returned to Delhi. The civil disobedience movement
that had revived in 1932 was almost over and enthusiasm for Gandhi's movement
also was on the decline.
|
|
Impatient for Quit India
|
36
|
In 1937-38 it was evident that the struggle for power between
Germany on one side and England-France combine on the other would drive
Europe into a major war. It was a strong challenge and test for the foreign
policy of Congress.
|
|
Underground Revolutionary
|
49
|
Late at night on 8 August 1942 the All-India Congress Committee
adopted the Quit India resolution and early next morning, on 9 August, all
the members of Congress Working Committee including Gandhi, Nehru, Azad and
Patel were arrested and clamped in prison.
|
|
The Partition Wound
|
55
|
The quit India movement was over by the end of 1944 and, in
1945, World War II also came to an end. In May 1944, British Government
released Gandhi on health grounds and members of the Congress Working
Committee like Nehru, Azad and Patel were set free in June 1945.
|
|
Lion of Aguard
|
61
|
1946-47 was a period of turmoil and celebration on account of
the transfer of power but Lohia got entangled in Nepal and Goa problems
without any forethought. Nepali youth
were carrying on a struggle against the monarchy.
|
|
Orphaned Again
|
67
|
1946-47 has been the unfortunate period characterised by
pre-partition riots. Muslim League had declared 16 August 1946 as the Direct
Action Day. On that day the major cities of North India and Calcutta had seen
the catastrophic face of death.
|
|
New Direction
|
77
|
Gandhiji's assassination marked the beginning of a new phase in
Lohia's life and an epochal change in the history of India; for Lohia it was
a historic change. Leaders, legislators and workers nurtured under Gandhiji's
guidance as well as socialist-oriented political workers started moving
towards their future.
|
|
World Tour
|
91
|
Lohia was one of those few socialist leaders who got the
opportunity to visit several countries of the world. Within two years he
toured the world twice, first in 1949 and then in 1951.
|
|
Asian Socialism: An Illusion
|
107
|
At that time Lohia's mind was preoccupied with what he described
as 'the problem of poverty in countries spread from Tokyo to Cairo'. These
countries recently liberated from the iron grip of European imperialism, were
facing more or less similar problems.
|
|
New Vision of Socialism
|
110
|
Just as Lohia felt that building an Asian socialist organisation
was impossible, he also developed the feeling that Indian Socialist Party
lacked the ideological clarity, unity, commitment and strength to provide
leadership to Asian socialist organisation.
|
|
Unprincipled Stand vs Lohia
|
114
|
Within a short period of four months after the Pachmarhi seddion
the Socialist Party was nearly dead. Leaders like Acharya Kripalani, Prafulla
Chandra Ghosh and T.
|
|
A Great Victory
|
119
|
Immediately after assuming the responsibility as general
secretary Lohia called upon party workers 'to accelerate the movement against
the government of famine and corruption'.
|
|
Assertion of the Value of Human Life
|
122
|
A few days after Lohia took the responsibility as general
secretary of the Praja Socialist Party, by-election to the Travancore-Cochin
assembly was held in 1954. In accordance with the new election strategy of
the party, the state party was allowed to have seat adjustment with the
Communist Party in order to avoid division in anti-Congress vote.
|
|
Freedom of Speech and Disciplined Action
|
127
|
Within three months of the firing episode Lohia had to face
another struggle inside the party. This time he made the last serious effort
to save the image of Praja Socialist Party.
|
|
New Challenge
|
136
|
Founding of new party and providing it leadership singlehanded
was a veritable new era in the life of Lohia. He carried out the
responsibility successfully with his power and skill. Not a single leader of
Praja Socialist Party was with him in this unique venture though thousands of
second rung, state level and youth leaders as well as intellectuals and
stubborn workers came along.
|
|
Fighter Leader of a Fighter Party
|
140
|
The fighter aspect of the new party became manifest just a few
days after its foundation. In March 1956, a massive demonstration of U.P.
peasants was organised in Lucknow.
|
|
Concrete Form of Socialism
|
147
|
Ever since 1948 when Lohia left Congress his effort was to
ensure that his party should emerge as a powerful socialist opposition. There
was no question of the new party under Lohia's leadership to ever cooperate
with Congress but a clear and concrete form of socialism was yet to be
evolved.
|
|
Search for New Paths
|
157
|
The changing situation revealed that the unity of the nation was
being challenged in so many ways from all sides; the challenges included
language, dynastic struggle and political developments.
|
|
Save Himalayas'
|
160
|
Towards the end of 1961, activity in connection with the ensuing
Parliament and Assembly elections was gaining momentum. There was talk about
a joint from among the opposition parties "Avoiding division of votes
and forming joint front merely to seek power does not appeal to me."
|
|
In Parliament
|
166
|
At that time an incident happened that changed the political
life and the parliamentary politics of the country. A byelection was due in
the Farrukhabad parliamentary constituency in U.P., Lohia contested as a
candidate and won with a huge margin against the Congress candidate.
|
|
Satyagraha in America
|
169
|
Lohia undertook his second world tour in the first half of 1964.
In about two months time he went round and visited seventeen countries rather
cursorily. In America, he spent two weeks. Like the Indians, American people
experienced, Lohia, the intrepid protester against injustice.
|
|
Parliamentary Struggle
|
177
|
"Prime Minister is the servant and Parliament is the owner,
so servant should behave accordingly." Lohia had told Nehru this on the fourth
day of his entry in Parliament. Thus he presented the relationship between
representative institutions and executive in a democracy.
|
|
Defeat Congress, Save Country'
|
200
|
Elections to the fourth Lok Sabha in 1967 were approaching fast.
Candidates had to be selected for both the Lok Sabha and Vidham Sabhas. At
that time Lohia gave clear call 'Defeat Congress'.
|
|
Last Struggle
|
206
|
During the 4-5 months after October 1966, Lohia was immersed in
a variety of extremely important tasks. There was lot of pressure on account
of students and police agitations in Delhi, thereafter general elections,
routine work in the Parliament and tours of Bengal and Bihar.
|