What was Jayaprakash Narayan's role in Indira Gandhi's Emergency?

After acing his role as a Kashmiri Pandit in The Kashmir Files, Bollywood actor Anupam Kher will now play veteran political leader and freedom fighter Jayaprakash Narayan in Kangana Ranaut’s next production, Emergency.

BIG: Happy and proud to essay the role of the man who questioned fearlessly, a rebel in the truest sense of the word, #JayaPrakashNarayan in #KanganaRanaut starrer and directorial next #Emergency. My 527th! Jai Ho! 👍😬🇮🇳 #JP #Loknayak pic.twitter.com/V0FDCA86UP

— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) July 22, 2022

The film is also directed by Kangana Ranaut. Anupam Kher will play the antagonist against Indira Gandhi in the movie. Kangana, of course, plays Indira Gandhi. See the teaser of the movie: 

Jayaprakash Narayan was a crucial player in the events prior to and after the Emergency of 1975.

Here is a 10-point summary on who Jayaprakash Narayan was and what was his role in the Emergency.

1. Who was Jayaprakash Narayan: He was a socialist political leader who participated in the freedom struggle against the British. Born in Saran district of Bihar, Narayan did his initial studies at Bihar Vidyapeeth, but later moved to the United States for higher education. He returned to India in 1929 as a Marxist and joined the freedom struggle alongside Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi.

2. Narayan and Indira Gandhi were two important political figures: Jayaprakash Narayan and Indira Gandhi once belonged to the same Congress party, but they were polar opposites in their thought processes. From 1966 to 1975, things between the two kept getting bitter. Narayan, who was once a close friend of Indira’s father and used to call her Indu, had started to call her Ms Indira formally.

This was a period when India was dealing with acute unemployment, a stymied economy, high inflation and malnourishment problems.

3. The event that led to the Emergency: The starting point of the Emergency was the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha election contest between Indira Gandhi and Raj Narain. Indira, who was the sitting Prime Minister, had defeated Narain but her win was disputed. Narain and entire Opposition accused her of winning through electoral malpractices and challenged her election at the Allahabad High Court.

On June 12, 1975, the Allahabad High Court announced her guilty of the charges pressed against her, and termed her election null and void. She was also barred from contesting elections for the next six years.

4. Jayaprakash Narayan revolted against Indira: After the verdict was announced, Narayan and other opposition leaders demanded Indira resign, and also asked the police and military to defy the 'immoral' orders of the government.

Narayan started a social program against Indira called Sampoorna Kraanti or “total revolution”. At the Ramlila Ground, he addressed a gathering of around 1,00,000 people and raised the slogan 'Singhaasan Khali karo ki janata aati hai', lines from the poem Rashtrakavi, a poem by Ramdhari Singh Dinkar.

5. Narayan and others arrested: Shortly after Emergency was announced on the midnight of June 25, 1975; Jayaprakash Narayan, along with several other leaders like Morarji Desai, were arrested. While Narayan and Desai were kept at a government rest house in Haryana, many leaders were thrown into overcrowded jails. In short, anyone with the slightest connection with the Jana Sangh, Congress (O) or the Socialists, was arrested and jailed.

6. 'Free JP' Campaign: On August 15, 1975, The Times of London carried a full-page advertisement of the 'Free JP' campaign. On the front page of the ad were the photographs of MK Gandhi and Narayan. The ad was paid for by several people like Bishop Trevor Huddleston, socialist Fenner Brockway, economist EF Schumacher and political scientist WH Morris-Jones. Even celebs who had no relation to India like actress Glenda Jackson, historian AJP Taylor and critic Kenneth Tynan contributed to it.

7. JP Narayan willing to negotiate: While in jail, a flood in Bihar sparked a change in the heart of Narayan. In early 1976, emissaries were sent by Indira Gandhi’s principal secretary PN Haksar to Narayan. On meeting Narayan, they learned that he was willing to negotiate. Narayan had also called for giving up his popular movement and said that he would ask for a combined front to oppose the Congress in the next general elections.

8. Narayan writes to Sheikh Abdullah: From jail, Narayan wrote to then Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Sheikh Abdullah and wanted him to negotiate between him and PM Indira Gandhi. Narayan had read a report which quoted Sheikh as saying that he was in favour of 'conciliation on [an] all-India level' and that the Prime Minister wanted to end the Emergency. However, that letter could never see the light of day and it never reached Abdullah.

9. Narayan’s kidney disease: While in jail, Narayan’s health worsened due to his chronic kidney disease. He was taken to a hospital in Chandigarh but on his condition deteriorating, he was released on parole and then taken to Jaslok Hospital in Bombay under the care of nephrologist MK Mani. The government was worried that all hell might break loose if Narayan died in jail.

10. Emergency revoked: The Emergency was revoked on January 18, 1977, and fresh elections were announced. The Janata Party, formed under the guidance of JP Narayan, swept to power with 295 seats (330 seats with allies). Indira Gandhi suffered what was the worst defeat, till then, the Congress had seen since its formation. Congress got only 154 seats. Gandhi also lost the Rae Bareli seat to Raj Narain whom she had defeated in 1971.