The JP Movement

There were protest movements in many places, especially in Gujarat and Bihar, against the rising prices of essential commodities.

The Nav Nirman movement in Gujarat between December 1973 and March 1974 was serious enough for the central government to decide to dissolve the assembly in the state. The chief minister, Chimanbhai Patel, had to resign, and the Centre promulgated president’s rule over Gujarat. The movement in Bihar began as a series of student protests, but it was soon taken up by Jayaprakash Narayan (popularly known as JP) on a larger issue of corruption in high places. JP called for ‘Total Revolution’ against the very system that he said had forced people to become corrupt. He demanded that the Congress government in Bihar resign and the assembly be dissolved. People were asked to gherao the legislature and offices and refuse to pay taxes – in other words, obstruct government functioning. Jayaprakash Narayan went beyond Bihar to try and draw the rest of the country into the protest with the aim of bringing down Indira Gandhi’s government which was portrayed as corrupt and undemocratic. People in many parts of North India were enthused by JP’s call; besides, the non-left opposition parties rallied behind him. The movement, however, lost momentum by the end of

1974. Indira Gandhi challenged Jayaprakash Narayan to test the strength of his group against the Congress in the 1976 elections and JP accepted the challenge. However, before the ‘contest’ could be settled democratically, things changed drastically.