Jagdeo Prasad

2021-11-01T15:02:04Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2019}}
'''Jagdeo Prasad Kushwaha''' (2 February 1922 – 5 September 1974) was a politician in [[Bihar]], India. Prasad is described as revolutionary since his early childhood. Prasad during his lifetime, is also known to have been a strong opposer and critic of the [[caste]] based discrimination happening in the society. Though his mother was deeply religious, he was a sharp critic of [[Brahmanical]] philosophy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forwardpress.in/2016/10/babu-jagdev-prasad-bahujans-real-hero/|title=Jagdev Prasad: Bihar's Lenin|website=[[Forward Press]]|access-date=2020-11-13}}</ref>
{{Infobox person
|name = Jagdeo Prasad Kushwaha
|image = File:Jagdev Prasad Statue.jpg
|image_size =
|alt =
|caption = Statue of Jagdeo Prasad near Jagdeo Path, Bir Chand Patel Path ([[Patna]])
|birth_date =
|birth_place = Kurtha, [[Jahanabad District]]<ref name="Patel">{{cite web|url=https://www.forwardpress.in/2016/10/babu-jagdev-prasad-bahujans-real-hero/|title=babu-jagdev-prasad-bahujans-real-hero|first=ANOOP|last=PATEL |website=forward press|date=2016-05-05|access-date= 2020-06-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161023185358/https://www.forwardpress.in/2016/10/babu-jagdev-prasad-bahujans-real-hero/|archive-date= 2016-10-23|url-status=live}}</ref>
|death_date = 5 September 1974
|death_place = [[Bihar]], India
|death_cause =
|resting_place =
|resting_place_coordinates =
|nationality = Indian
|other_names =
|movement = Bihar Movement
|education =
|alma_mater =
|party = Shoshit Samaj Dal
|religion =
|spouse =
|children =
|parents =Prayag Narayan Dangi (father)<br>Raskali (mother)
|awards =
|signature =
|footnotes =
|website =
}}

==Life==
Prasad was a member of the [[Dangi (people)|Dangi]],<ref>{{Cite web|title='Lenin' waits wrapped in plastic|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/bihar/lenin-waits-wrapped-in-plastic/cid/1668125|access-date=2021-09-09|website=www.telegraphindia.com}}</ref> subcaste of the [[Koeri]] [[caste system in India|caste]],<ref name="kumar39"/> and was referred to as the "Lenin of Bihar" due to his charisma.<ref>{{cite book | last=Sinha | first=A. | title=Nitish Kumar and the Rise of Bihar | publisher=Viking | year=2011 | isbn=978-0-670-08459-3 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rT2xWp_iTCYC&pg=PA95 |page=95}}</ref> He led the [[Shoshit Samaj Dal]]<ref name="tiwari"/> and during the early 1970s, at the height of the caste tensions known as the [[Bihar Movement]], he was able to attract much support from both members of the [[Other Backward Class]]es and the [[Dalit]]s in their opposition to upper-caste landlords.<ref name="kumar39"/>

Jagdeo Prasad's son, [[Nagmani]] is a veteran politician who started his career from his father's party itself. He later joined [[Rashtriya Janata Dal]] and remained minister in RJD government.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/politics/bihar-seat-sharing-amit-shah-had-no-time-to-meet-kushwaha-rlsp-leaders-upset|title=bihar-seat-sharing-amit-shah-had-no-time-to-meet-kushwaha-rlsp-leaders-upset|website=Nationalheraldindia.com|first=Suroor|last=Ahmed|access-date=2020-07-14}}</ref> The former Chief Minister of Bihar, [[Satish Prasad Singh]], who held the office for shortest tenure in Bihar's history as a nominee of Shoshit Samaj Dal, was brother in law of Jagdeo Prasad.<ref>{{Cite web|title='Three-days-chief minister' Satish Prasad Singh dies of COVID-19|url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/three-days-chief-minister-satish-prasad-singh-dies-of-covid-19|author=Law Kumar Mishra|publisher=[[The Free Press Journal]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114152558/https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/three-days-chief-minister-satish-prasad-singh-dies-of-covid-19|access-date=2 November 2020|archive-date=14 November 2020}}</ref>

==Career==
Born in Kurtha village, [[Jehanabad district|Jahanabad]] district of Bihar; Jagdeo Prasad went to Jahanabad town for higher studies. He further moved to [[Patna University]], from where he pursued his post graduation studies. Jagdeo is said to have revolutionary mindset since his early childhood as in his adolescence, he fought to end prevailing practices like "Panchkathia System", in which farmers had to leave ''5 katta'' of their land for the elephant of landlord to graze.<ref name="Patel"/>

Later, he came into contact with [[Chandradeo Prasad Verma]], who persuaded him to study the political philosophers to know the prevalent societal condition in depth. Jagdeo agreed and soon he became sympathetic to idea of [[socialism]]. Later, he joined [[Samyukta Socialist Party]] and in the days of ideological wars between [[Ram Manohar Lohia]] and [[Jayprakash Narayan]], he chose to go with Lohia. Jagdeo also became editor of the magazine of [[Samyukta Socialist Party|SSP]] called ''Janata''. Later he moved to [[Hyderabad]] and started editing two more magazines ''Uday'' and ''Citizen''. His ideas brought great fame to the magazines but he had to face intimidation from orthodox section of society. This led him to leave the magazine and move to [[Patna]] once again.<ref name="Patel"/>

Though, initially he remained an active member of SSP, he later realised that the fruits of labour of many are reaped by few in the party and given his ideological difference with Lohia, he resigned and formed a new party called Shoshit Samaj Party (SSP).
He also remained active member of [[Arjak Sangh]], a platform led by [[Ramswaroop Verma]].<ref name="Patel"/>
The [[Shoshit Samaj Dal|Shoshit Samaj Party]] was more a revolutionary organisation than a political party as it urged the landless labourers to grab the lands of landlords, a practice which gave rise to a number of caste armies and private senas in Bihar.<ref>{{cite book | last=Sinha | first=A. | title=Nitish Kumar and the Rise of Bihar | pages=82–83|publisher=Viking | year=2011 | isbn=978-0-670-08459-3 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rT2xWp_iTCYC&pg=PA82 | access-date=7 April 2015}}</ref>
{{quote box
| quote = "Das ka shashan nabbe par,

Nahin chalega, nahin chalega

Sau mein nabbe shoshit hain,

Nabbe bhag hamara hai,

Dhan, dharti aur rajpaat mein,

Nabbe bhaag hamara hai

(The rule of ten over ninety cannot continue

Ninety of hundred are exploited

We are owners of ninety parts

We have ninety per cent share in wealth, land and power)"
| source = —Jagdeo Prasad <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jagran.com/bihar/arwal-the-threeday-jagdev-fair-started-with-the-rally-19994455.html|title=Translation: Three day-jagdev-fair-started-with-the-rally|website=Jagran.com|quote=First the flag of the Shoshit Samaj Dal was hoisted at the place of martyrdom by the national president of the party, Raghuni Ram Shastri and the flag song was sung. After laying a wreath at the memorial, the party workers took out a huge procession with musical instruments that reached the fair complex through various routes. People involved in the procession were chanting the popular slogan of; The rule of ten over ninety cannot continue Ninety of hundred are exploited We are owners of ninety parts We have ninety per cent share in wealth, land and power|access-date=2020-09-14}}</ref>
| width = 240px
| align = left
| salign = right
| bgcolor = #F0FFF0
}}
Due to his critic of upper caste dominance, Prasad many a times is branded as Anti-[[forward caste]]. He remained [[Deputy Chief Minister]] of Bihar for a brief period of time when SSP was at peak. Prasad was called as Bihar's Lenin in his lifetime due to his radical views, he also coined the politically radical slogan of:
{{quote|"Abki saal ke bhadon mein, gori ungli kado mein (next paddy sowing season will see the slim white fingers of upper caste women in mud, transplanting paddy)"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jagran.com/bihar/arwal-the-threeday-jagdev-fair-started-with-the-rally-19994455.html|title =Lenin-waits-wrapped-in-plastic|website=The Telegraph|first=Farhana|last=Kalam|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20200914170623/https://www.jagran.com/bihar/arwal-the-threeday-jagdev-fair-started-with-the-rally-19994455.html|quote= Besides being called as Bihar's Lenin in his lifetime, Prasad coined the politically radical slogan of Abki saal ke bhadon mein, gori ungli kado mein (next paddy sowing season will see the slim white fingers of upper caste women in mud, transplanting paddy),
| access-date=2020-07-14|archive-date =14 September 2020}}</ref>}}

==Death==
Prasad was killed by police on 5 September 1974 while leading a protest involving 20,000 people. There have been claims that his death was ordered by a minister in the [[Government of Bihar]],<ref name="kumar39">{{cite book |title=Post-Mandal Politics in Bihar: Changing Electoral Patterns |first=Sanjay |last=Kumar |publisher=SAGE Publishing India |year=2018|isbn=978-9-35280-587-7 |page=39 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2zhODwAAQBAJ&pg=PA39}}</ref> although police said that the protesters were not peaceful, as claimed, and instead were armed.
[[Vinayak Prasad Yadav]], then a member of the [[Samyukta Socialist Party]], resigned from the [[Legislative Assembly of Bihar]] in protest of this killing at [[Kurtha (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Kurtha]].<ref name="tiwari">{{cite book |title=Democracy and Dissent: A Case Study of the Bihar Movement, 1974-75 |first=Lalan |last=Tiwari |publisher =Mittal Publications |year=1987 |isbn=978-8-17099-008-6 |pages=86–87 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=td6zIMI_pwAC&pg=PA86}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |title=Community Warriors: State, Peasants and Caste Armies in Bihar |first=Ashwani |last=Kumar |publisher=Anthem Press |year=2008 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=num2I4NFGqIC |isbn=978-1-84331-709-8}}
*{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VTQPEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT72|title= JP to BJP: Bihar after Lalu and Nitish|author=Santosh Singh|publisher=SAGE Publishing India|year=2020|access-date=2021-01-04|
isbn=978-9353886660}}
*{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=piwpDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT89|title= The Making of the Dalit Public in North India: Uttar Pradesh 1950–Present|author=Badri Narayan|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2011|
isbn=978-0199088454|access-date=2021-01-04}}
*{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0bo0AwAAQBAJ&pg=PT107|title= Kanshiram: Leader of the Dalits|author=Badri Narayan|
publisher=Penguin UK|year=2014|
isbn=978-9351186700|access-date=2020-01-04}}
*{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-rMW03l_gx0C&pg=PA268|title= India's Silent Revolution: The Rise of the Lower Castes in North India
|author=Christophe Jaffrelot|publisher=C. Hurst & Co. Publishers|year= 2003|
isbn=1850653984|access-date=2020-01-04}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Prasad, Jagdeo}}
[[Category:1922 births]]
[[Category:Indian political philosophers]]
[[Category:Bihari politicians]]
[[Category:1974 deaths]]
[[Category:Political repression in India]]
[[Category:Assassinated Indian people]]
[[Category:People murdered in Bihar]]
[[Category:People shot dead by law enforcement officers in India]]
[[Category:People from Jehanabad district]]
[[Category:Communist Party of India politicians from Bihar]]

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Jagdeo Prasad