Jagannath Mishra: Difference between revisions

'''Jagannath Mishra''' (24 June 1937<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.prabhatkhabar.com/news/patna/bihar-former-chief-minister-jagannath-mishra-has-passed-away-in-delhi/1319478.html|title=लंबी बीमारी के बाद डॉ जगन्नाथ मिश्रा का निधन, बिहार में तीन दिन का शोक, राजकीय सम्मान के साथ होगा अंतिम संस्कार|access-date=19 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190819061244/https://www.prabhatkhabar.com/news/patna/bihar-former-chief-minister-jagannath-mishra-has-passed-away-in-delhi/1319478.html|archive-date=19 August 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/bihar/blame-downfall-for-86-political-change/cid/387673|title='Blame downfall for '86 political change '|website=www.telegraphindia.com|language=en|access-date=2019-08-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190819095709/https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/bihar/blame-downfall-for-86-political-change/cid/387673|archive-date=19 August 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> – 19 August 2019) was an Indian politician who served as [[Chief Minister of Bihar]]<ref>[http://cm.bih.nic.in/formercm-bihar.htm Chief Minister list] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110319084817/http://cm.bih.nic.in/formercm-bihar.htm |date=19 March 2011 }}, cm.bih.nic.in, accessed March 2009</ref> and as [[Union Council of Ministers|Minister in the Union Cabinet]].<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/former-bihar-cm-jagannath-mishra-passes-away/article29132268.ece |title = Former Bihar CM Jagannath Mishra passes away|newspaper = The Hindu|date = 19 August 2019|last1 = Tewary|first1 = Amarnath}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india-jagannath-mishra-former-bihar-cm-dead-at-82-543291 |title = Jagannath Mishra, former Bihar CM, dead at 82|date = 19 August 2019}}</ref> He was also Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha between 1988 - 1990 and 1994 - 2000. His involvement was at a high level in the [[Indian National Congress]]. He was elected Chief Minister of Bihar three times. After his brother [[Lalit Narayan Mishra|L.N Mishra]]'s assassination, Jagannath Mishra became Bihar's most powerful Congress leader in the late seventies and eighties. Prior to the emergence of [[Lalu Prasad Yadav]] in 1990, Jagannath Mishra was rated as the biggest mass leader in the Congress. He was affectionately called as "Doctor Sahib".<ref name="thehindu" /> He was also referred to as "[[Mawlānā|Maulana]]" Jagannath because of his clout with the Muslims that he had earned by making Urdu the second official language of the state in 1980.<ref name="indiatoday" />

Mishra supported and practiced [[populism]], and had earned popularity among the teachers by taking over hundreds of private primary, middle and high schools across the state in 1977.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/bihar/poll-results-wipe-out-family-legacy/cid/1328850|title=Poll results wipe out family legacy|website=www.telegraphindia.com|access-date=9 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104130009/https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/bihar/poll-results-wipe-out-family-legacy/cid/1328850|archive-date=4 November 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> After leaving Congress, he joined the [[Nationalist Congress Party]] and later the [[Janata Dal (United)]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/former-cm-jagannath-mishra-suffers-brain-stroke/405066-3-232.html|title=News18.com: CNN-News18 Breaking News India, Latest News Headlines, Live News Updates|website=News18|access-date=9 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131018000900/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/former-cm-jagannath-mishra-suffers-brain-stroke/405066-3-232.html|archive-date=18 October 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> On 30 September 2013, a special [[Central Bureau of Investigation]] court in [[Ranchi]] convicted him, along with 44 others, in the [[Fodder Scam]]. He was sentenced to four years imprisonment and a fine of 200,000 rupees.<ref name="Deogharia">{{Cite news |title=Fodder scam: Lalu Prasad gets five years in jail, Jagannath Mishra four |first=Jaideep |last=Deogharia |date=3 October 2013 |newspaper=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref> On 25 October 2013, the [[Jharkhand High Court]] granted bail to Mishra in fodder scam case<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.deccanherald.com/content/365231/hc-bail-fodder-scam-convict.html |title = HC bail for fodder scam convict Jagannath Mishra|date = 25 October 2013}}</ref> Mishra maintained his name was deliberately included in the scam on the instruction of the Congress president [[Sitaram Kesri]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/deve-gowda-framed-lalu-in-fodder-scam-jagannath-mishra-117122700742_1.html|title=Deve Gowda 'framed' Lalu in fodder scam: Jagannath Mishra|last=IANS|date=27 December 2017|access-date=9 January 2019|via=Business Standard|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104131422/https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/deve-gowda-framed-lalu-in-fodder-scam-jagannath-mishra-117122700742_1.html|archive-date=4 November 2018|url-status=live|newspaper=Business Standard India}}</ref>

Dr. Mishra was acquitted in two fodder scam cases on 23 December 2017 and 19 March 2018 <ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/lalu-convicted-in-fourth-fodder-scam-case-jagannath-mishra-acquitted/article23292524.ece |title = Lalu convicted in fourth fodder scam case, Jagannath Mishra acquitted}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/fodder-scam-case-lalu-prasad-convicted-jagannath-mishra-acquitted/article22266448.ece |title = Fodder scam case: Lalu Prasad convicted, Jagannath Mishra acquitted|newspaper = The Hindu|date = 23 December 2017|last1 = Tewary|first1 = Amarnath}}</ref> In two cases his Appeal is pending in Jharkhand High Court.<ref name="Jagannath Mishra Reference1" />[Cr. App. (SJ) 838 of 2013 and Cr. App. (SJ) 268 of 2018]{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}}

Mishra began his career as a lecturer and later became professor of economics at [[Bihar University]],Muzaffarpur.<ref name="Jagannath Mishra Reference1">{{cite news |last1=Prabhash K. |first1=Dutta |title=Jagannath Mishra: Known as Maulana, former Bihar CM openly challenged Indira Gandhi govt |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/jagannath-mishra-known-as-maulana-former-bihar-cm-openly-challenged-indira-gandhi-govt-1582272-2019-08-19 |access-date=23 February 2021 |publisher=India Today |date=19 August 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Jagannath Mishra Reference2" /> On 23 July 1983, he made a two-hour statement  in the Bihar State Assembly in which he criticized the centre. Among the charges he made against the centre were that the state mined 40 per cent of the country's minerals but only got 14 per cent of the royalty earned.<ref name="Jagannath Mishra Reference1" /> He claimed that he had "strongly pleaded with the Centre that the policy should be changed". He added that "the Centre is the buyer of our mineral products. It does not look nice that the consumer should also fix royalty rates.  he second charge was that financial institutions were not being fair to the state. Jagannath had stated "I have told the chairman of the Industrial Development Bank of India to invest more in Bihar. I have also told the financial institutions in plain words that for everything we would not go to the Centre".  

For the Congress(I) high command, the criticsm was an uncommon show of independence.<ref name="Jagannath Mishra Reference1" /> Almost immediately Jagannath was summoned to Delhi and resigned on 14 August 1983.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/indiascope/story/19830831-bihar-cm-jagannath-removed-by-congressi-high-command-detractors-surprised-770988-2013-07-18|title=Bihar CM Jagannath removed by Congress(I) high command, detractors surprised|first1=Sumit|last1=MITRAFarz|first2=Ahmed|last2=July 18|first3=2013 ISSUE DATE|last3=August 31|first4=1983UPDATED|last4=June 18|first5=2014 15:38|last5=Ist|website=India Today|access-date=9 January 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/indiascope/story/19830831-i-have-offered-to-resign-on-my-own-jagannath-mishra-770959-2013-07-22|title=I have offered to resign on my own: Jagannath Mishra|last1=Farz|first2=Ahmed|last2=July 22|first3=2013 ISSUE DATE|last3=August 31|first4=1983UPDATED|last4=June 19|first5=2014 11:55|last5=Ist|website=India Today|access-date=9 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110080653/https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/indiascope/story/19830831-i-have-offered-to-resign-on-my-own-jagannath-mishra-770959-2013-07-22|archive-date=10 January 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

He first became Chief Minister in 1975 but was brought down due to [[The Emergency (India)|emergency]].<ref name="Jagannath Mishra Reference2">{{cite news |last1=Rajesh Kumar |first1=Thakur |title=Former Bihar CM Jagannath Mishra to be cremated on Wednesday with full state honours |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2019/aug/19/former-bihar-cm-jagannath-mishra-to-be-cremated-on-wednesday-with-full-state-honours-2021205.html |access-date=23 February 2021 |work=The New Indian Express |publisher=The New Indian Express |date=19 August 2019}}</ref> He became Chief Minister for the second time in the year 1980 and for third time in the year 1989.<ref name="Jagannath Mishra Reference2" /> He was succeeded by Lalu Prasad Yadav of Janata Dal.<ref name="Jagannath Mishra Reference2" /> He also served in Union Cabinet Minister several times.<ref name="Jagannath Mishra Reference2" /> Using the office of Bihar Chief Minister, Jagannath Mishra established himself as the tallest leader of his time.<ref name="Jagannath Mishra Reference1" /> It was in his second and longest term as Chief Minister that he spoke against the Central Government's mining policy in 1983, including once for two hours in Bihar Assembly criticising the Indira Gandhi Government.<ref name="Jagannath Mishra Reference1" /> His last and final role as Chief Minister of Bihar came in the wake of an anti-congress sentiment due to [[Bofors scandal]] and he was brought in to save the Congress in 1990 Bihar elections.<ref name="Jagannath Mishra Reference1" /> However, by the time elections were held, the Mandal commission report was implemented which created reservations for certain sections of society and new caste based alliances teamed up which were in favour of Janata Dal of [[VP Singh]].<ref name="Jagannath Mishra Reference1" /> Lalu Prasad Yadav replaced Jagannath Mishra as Chief Minister.<ref name="Jagannath Mishra Reference1" /> He finally joined Janata Dal(United) of [[Nitish Kumar]] after spending some time in the [[Nationalist Congress Party]].<ref name="Jagannath Mishra Reference1" />

Mishra assumed power after fall of Abdul Ghafoor and he, according to Ashwini Kumar, patronised the [[Forward Caste]]s  in his government with 40% of the ministers in his cabinet hailing from Forward Castes. According to Frankel he cultivated a social coalition of [[Brahmin]]s, [[Dalit]]s and [[Muslim]]s and checked the political ascedency of the backwards . In fact, it was Mishra's rule in which crime and politics became unseparable and several contemporary observers note that "politics became a game of personal gains and loss." Although he took populist measures like distribution of surplus land over ceiling laws to [[Scheduled Caste]]s, his tenure is perceived as highly corrupt and repressive. Mishra also revoked the recommendation of Mungeri Lal commission's report<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ashish |first1=Kumar ‘Anshu’ |title=Reservation review: Who set the ball rolling? |url=https://www.forwardpress.in/2016/04/reservation-review-who-set-the-ball-rolling/ |access-date=23 February 2021 |publisher=Forward Press |date=10 April 2016}}</ref> which provided reservation for backward castes.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=num2I4NFGqIC&pg=PA68|title= Community Warriors: State, Peasants and Caste Armies in Bihar|author=Ashwani Kumar|page=68,70|

isbn=978-1843317098|access-date=2020-12-31}}</ref> Mishra was also among those convicted of ''[[Fodder Scam]]'' along with [[Lalu Prasad Yadav]] and was subsequently sentenced to 4 years of imprisonment in connection with the case.<ref name="Deogharia"/> On 30 September 2013,a special [[Central Bureau of Investigation]](CBI) team investigating the fodder scams found him guilty along with other 44 people, including ex-Chief Minister [[Lalu Prasad Yadav]] and was jailed 4 years and fined Rs 2 lakhs.<ref name="Jagannath Mishra Reference2" /> Later he was absolved of some of the charges and was released on bond.<ref name="Jagannath Mishra Reference2" />